Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/12/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  A very polite technician visited my home yesterday, only to eventually break the bad news to me: that the fan for my Whirlpool fridge is no longer made.I realize that the company has to make some money on home visits. However, it seems pretty steep to charge $99 for ten minutes of time.I suppose what was disappointing is that I described the issue as sounding like a worn-out fan, which in fact, was also the technician's diagnosis. Given that the make and model were already on file, it seems that someone could have ascertained, earlier on, that a home visit was inappropriate in this case, due to the age of the appliance (purchased in 2005), coupled with the fact that parts are no longer available for it.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/05/2024

  Good afternoon,

  We charge one standard diagnostic fee ($97) for residential homes, which is discussed with each and every customer when booking our services. This charge encompasses all of our costs of doing business: Staff wages, training costs, vehicles, fuel, insurance, equipment, taxes, etc.. The diagnostic charge is based on the overall average diagnosis time, which will vary from appliance to appliance and the specific concern the technician is addressing. Some diagnoses are quicker than others. This particular diagnosis happened to be one of the quicker ones. 

  Unfortunately, we are unable to diagnose appliance issues over the phone. Many times, a customer feels as if they know what the issue is but is incorrect more often than not. If a customer feels that they know what the issues are, they are welcome to self-diagnose and use the internet to search for the part they think is needed, which would save them the diagnostic fee.

  Again, our charges are discussed with each and every customer when booking our services.

  Thank you,

  *************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/13/2024

   
  Complaint: 21281034
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  The company stated that I could have performed my own research on Internet, thus avoiding their fee.  This is inaccurate, because only they have the list of refrigerator parts suppliers.  I would have no means of ascertaining which companies they query for replacement parts, as I am not in the appliance-repair business.

  The company's callous response, that I should have just researched everything myself, proves glaringly that they don't care about existing customer retention.  The general public should be aware of this fact.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/14/2024

  Good afternoon,

  Our charges are discussed with each and every customer when booking our services, which is a standard charge of $97 for a diagnosis. **************** agreed to this charge when booking a service call.

  This charge covers all of our costs of doing business including staff wages, training costs, vehicles, fuel, insurance, equipment, taxes, etc.. Our technicians are highly trained and we are unable to offer services/diagnoses without charging.

  Thank you,
  *************************

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/14/2024

   
  Complaint: 21281034
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I have never stated once that a technician should visit a home for free, but $99 for ten minutes' time, which could have as easily been handled over the telephone, is outrageous.  Other appliance companies do not claim that they will recover all of their insurance, vehicle, training, and personnel expenses by charging an exhorbitant visitation fee.  Instead, they factor those costs into any * repairs * which the tech makes.

  My request has always been to refund half of the fee paid.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************