Appliance a**holes

[bajaespuma]

This has probably happened to most of you who've been hunting for more years than I, but I had a really bad experience today and I just feel like venting. I found a nearby appliance repair business that advertised that it had used machines and parts and decided to pay a visit. Usually these people are not in tune with "collectors" but they're reasonable enough to see an opportunity for some business. This owner was one of the biggest putzes I've ever encountered. Here's a rough transcript:

Me: Do you have any old washer parts?
Jerkov: What are you looking for?
Me: An old GE minibasket, the green ones that fit on the old V-14 or V-16 machines.
Jerkov: Do you have a model number? I can't do anything without a model number.
Me: OK, WA850B(the model number of my GE 1966 Filter-flo).
Jerkov: That's not a real model number.
Me: Yes it is, it's on the model number plate on the bottom left hand side of the machine.
Jerkov: No it isn't, it isn't coming up on my computer. You're missing the first couple of numbers.
Me: Do you stock any old parts?
Jerkov: Yeah, I got a few in the basement, but I can't do anything without a model number.
Me: Look, I've got a bunch of these machines, and I've done business with quite a few appliance parts stores. Would you consider letting me have a look around downstairs, usually I find stuff I need just by seeing it. You make sales, everybody's happy.
Jerkov: Nobody goes into my basement.

At this point I realized that I had pissed him off and he wasn't able to switch cranial gears, so I thanked him for his time and told him I would come back with a digital picture of the model plate(which I won't because this guy was so rigid and unhelpful).

You'd think in this economy, people would be a little more cooperative and flexible in order to increase their chances of making sales and helping their businesses. Jerk.

 

[bethann]

Ken

He's probably growing pot down there or something. LOL

Boy, I'm just one Chatty Cathy tonight!

 

[tlee618]

Bethann, so good to have you back with us!!

Ken, we had a similar situation with a vacuum shop down here when five of us when to the shop. Like you I can't understand why these places aren't more helpful.

 

[autowasherfreak]

Bethann, a friend of mine that I read the thread to said the same thing.

 

[redcarpetdrew]

Here's what you do...

Just wait until he goes out of business, as he is certain to do acting like that. THEN he'll probably wet himself to be able to liquidate some stock... As for the picture of the tag, he'll probably say you photoshopped the image anyway...

RCD

 

[whitekingd]

I Understand!!

When I have called for parts for my Kenmore Washer 110.6004712 I often get a response of "Do you know how old that machine is?" I reply 1960. Very often I get laughed at and told to buy a new machine. Dumb asses!!

Also, I called the Hoover Vacuum Company in Seattle looking for a part for a model 115. I was told that was not a valid model number. I read the model plate tag to this dope and he still insisted I was wrong. Then he hung up on me! That's customer service for you.

 

[toggleswitch2]

He's going to pull that routine on the wrong customer one day and we'll be seeing him on the CT news.....

 

[sudsman]

The Award Goes to LG

When they tell you It will be 12 to 20 days before you are up for service call. And then no matter what another 5 to 10 days for a part that you cannot get anywhere else because the parts distrubution rigged to their favor.

 

[runematic]

No offense, but I wouldn't let anybody I didn't know wander around in my basement either. What if you picked something up & it caused other things to fall & break or even injure you? Maybe his basement is packed full of crap like mine is at this moment. Right now I have about 75 pieces awaiting the scrap guy. There's no room to operate at all. What were you going to give him for the mini-basket? $5? $10? I try to help everyone out, but sometimes it gets tough. Maybe the owner felt, great, someone else yanking my chain today & taking up time he could be doing something else that actually makes money. I realize maybe the guy is a complete tool. I wouldn't have asked for the model number though.
You know what you're looking at/for, but you would absolutely be amazed at how many people come in and say that they have, let's say, a WP washer and just give me X part for it. Then you come to find out it is a completely different machine, say Frigidaire, and the part is nowhere near correct. Believe me, it happens all the time. It even happens when some morons are in front of the machine giving the model number & I say isn't that a Frigidaire not a wp and then they look and go, oh yeah, you're right, coulda swore it was a WP. Anyways a washer is a washer just get me a part.

I am not trying to be a jerk or anything like that. Just look at it from the other side as well.

 

[goatfarmer]

Years ago, I went into a used appliance dealer here in town. He had a gold Maytag 806 electric dryer for sale. At the time, I had the washer, and was looking for the dryer, and there it was!
It had a price of $140.00 on it. I asked the owner what his best price was. He looked at it, at the price tag, and said "right there, $140.00" I told him that was a bit more than I was looking to spend for a 25 YO dryer. Did he take trades? Yes, he took trades. I then told him I had a newer 30" gas stove, looked good, worked great. Would he trade the stove for the dryer?
"Oh no, I couldn't do that, I'm in business to make money, not trade like that, I couldn't do that". OK, I said, whatever.

But the kicker? He then says "if you bring that stove in, I'll give you $10.00 for it, and take it off the price of the dryer". Yeah, I'll bet you would I said, as I walked out the door.

 

[laundromat]

Runematic, I sort of agree with you. I had customers come in to the Maytag store. We sold parts of all brands and I remember a customer coming in and asking for a new agitator for a "G and E" washer. I asked if it had a Mini Basket.They said the "G and E washer they had agitated up and down.I said that if their agitator on their GE washer had been going up and down there was a serious issue then, I asked them if they were sure it was a GE. Thay said they bought it at a Gas and Electric company which was where the letters G and E came.they went home and caklled to tell me it was a "Refrigidaire warsher" I got the model and serial number and they got a new Jet Cone agitator.A lot of parts companies will refuse to let anyone go anywhere behind their counter. The way things are today,be glad they don't attempt to shoot you on site for trespassing.

 

[whirlaway]

Old parts

I went into an old parts store to try to find a heating element for my 56 Kenmore dryer.This nice young guy was so kind,he actually went and found and old parts book told me to take it and have all the parts for that dryer and washer copied so I would have it for future reference.I almost fainted.There are some super kind folks out there.

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Try using part numbers vs. model numbers or descriptions. Very likely, most parts people today don't know what a V14 or V16 is, let alone a manual filter cartridge, bakelite, or a suds valve. Yes, people are often distracted if they find out how old a machine is and just drop their interest by saying "Do you know how old that machine is!?!?!?!" Just like Delmer said.

With all the on-line parts houses and Sears' website that we have access to now, it's a LOT easier to get part numbers for the various pieces we may need, especially a GE or a Kenmore, etc. I'd recommend finding part numbers for what you need (doing the research is fun anyway, at least for me) and calling joe-blow parts company and inquire that way. I think you'll find a lot more support from people who are not keen on vintage collectors, and at least you'll know if they have something.

 

[everythingold]

I love it when someone shows up at my shop who is into vintage. I'll give them the full tour, including my disorganized, crammed with parts basement. A lot of people are not that bright it seems. I had an experience similar to goatfarmer's, another used appliance shop had a beautiful 50's GE fridge, he wanted $275. I told him I'd trade 2 good fridges for the GE. Nope. The fridge is still sitting there a year later. What an idiot.

 

[vintagehoover]

We might like to think this attitude is a symptom of today's disposable, 'forget-the-past' society, but it's nothing new. I just received a 1937 vacuum cleaner repair guide. Aside from a list of the various brands and models of the era, and the procedures for their repair and maintenance, it has a couple of chapters discussing the handling of customers.

From this guide's 72 year-old pages, I quote:

'Avoid repairing old tin Torringtons, Sweeper Vacs, and like cleaners whenever possible. Try and convince your customer of the advisability of turning them in toward a later model rebuilt machine or a new cleaner. In some cases, you will meet peculiar people who will insist on having these old cleaners repaired...'

 

[whitekingd]

HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH. WHAT A GAS!

 

[tolivac]

Years ago I used to work in a power tool repair shop and sold new tools too.There was a frequent customer-he ran a demolition-remodeling business-He brought in a really smashed up Makita demolition hammer-I looked it over for him and quoted a price of $300 to fix it.He insisted in having the old machine fixed.I pointed out to him tha he could buy a brand new Makita hammer gun for a little over $300.He still insisted.so I fixed his old one.Had to completely rebuild it.He was still trying to use the hammer even when it was already broke.So--I learned in the biz-the customer is the BOSS-do what he wants.We didn't want to lose him as a customer-even though Bennent abused his tools.He did buy new ones on occasion.And brought in LOTS of tools to fix-and the rotary hammer he brought in as peices in a box--REALLY charged him on that one-had to reassemble the machine to evaluate it.Love those do it yourself repair atempts by customers-rotary hammers are pretty complicated tools on the inside-so many parts that have to rotate,and HAMMER at the same time.