Can Haier really be so cheap?

[kalanikaau1]

Just purchased a new GE french-door fridge, model # GNE27JGMWW and found out that Haier does not provide copies of an owner's manual with the appliance.

Instead it is the buyers responsibility to visit their online support site and to print the manual themselves, a written copy is not even available upon request.

Ironically, a Whirlpool wall mounted oven I installed just last month for a family member came with such documentation.

Haier's reasoning for this is to "go green" in an effort to preserve natural resources, expecting the consumer to waste such resources instead.

I interpret it as an ultimate cost-cutting move, aka "cheap".

Rant over...

 

[repairguy]

Yup that’s China.

 

[DADoES]

 
Sister and SIL have replaced all of mom's kitchen appliances in preparation for moving in with her after their house is sold.  Everything is Whirlpool.  I was involved with installing only the refrigerator which was already uncrated.  Installation and user manual were not included AFAIK, unless it had been placed elsewhere.  I searched for instructions online regards to removing the doors during installation.  I've seen no paperwork-documentation for the cooktop, dishwasher, wall oven, and OTR microwave ... found/downloaded all of it from WP.  Maybe sister had already confiscated the hardcopies?

Interestingly, the refrigerator is a 2014 model still in production, assuming I'm decoding the model/serial correctly.  The cooktop and dishwasher are 2020 models. Wall oven 2022.  Microwave 2024.

Also interestingly, the refrigerator and microwave were produced in the same week of 2024, at different facilities.

 

[kalanikaau1]

Reply# 2

I guess I can consider myself lucky since Whirlpool had included all the necessary documentation one would expect from such a purchase.

For what it is worth the oven was a special order item bought from Lowe's, the order was placed in early October.

Haier did "splurge" somewhat in providing documentation for door R/R and icemaker water hookup for my fridge however.

On a side note, there was a 2 wire connector associated with the right door, it seemed to lead to what looked like a RFID device attached to the top of the door, this, no doubt is what GE uses to force the consumer to use their line of water filters.

The fridge does not feature any through the door water/ice service, I learned my lesson from a previous fridge (Whirlpool) never to own that problematic feature again.

 

[kalanikaau1]

Reply# 1

Nailed it!

 

[qsd-dan]

It isn't anything shockingly new. I bought an Earthquake walk behind string trimmer 5 years ago and it came with no manuals. Had to download them from the website.

 

[Ultramatic]

 

That cheap crap has been going on for years. Many companies do it. Or they print a manual with print so tiny you need a magnifying glass to read it.

 

[rp2813]

Thank Apple's arrogance for the disappearance of user guides/owners' manuals. 

 

These days, it's just about pushing buttons (or tapping on screens) and figuring things out for yourselves.  We have been forced to accept this, because as we all know, fighting City Hall is a cakewalk compared to fighting Corporate America.

 

At some point in the near future, some Gen Z type will be in charge of the nuclear codes.  Let's see how that works out not only for us, but for the entire planet.

 

[goatfarmer]

Well.....just playing Devil's advocate, I would bet 95% of consumers never open the manual. So why should the manufacturer provide a brochure that most people do not want? Easier to link to a scan.

 

[ryner1988]

Reply #2

"Interestingly, the refrigerator is a 2014 model still in production"

The Whirlpool WTW4816FW top load washer I just replaced is a 2016 model that is still being manufactured, albeit it would seem in limited quantity, as Lowes is the only seller. Come to think of it, I wonder if that may have contributed to that machine's extremely early failure. Perhaps since only one store sells it, it's in limited production so there might be quality control issues. It's a thought anyway.

 

[mattl]

Most people function on their phones at this point and shove instructions in a drawer or misplace them.  Why waste paper and ink?  If you want it on paper print it yourself.

 

[rp2813]

"If you want it on paper print it yourself."

 

Matt, that is exactly what I do for certain purchases.  For me, locating instructions in a real life manila folder is far more convenient and expeditious than firing up my laptop, and infinitely easier to work with than fumbling with a tiny phone screen that requires seemingly interminable, time-consuming scrolling and swiping in order to view meager little thumbnails of the same document one at a time. 

 

[novum]

It’s likely greenwashing. They’ll cut out the manuals so they can do a press release about how they’re doing something eco friendly. In reality the paper in the manual is probably the least impactful part of a refrigerator’s life cycle, but think of the press releases and lovely statements on the website…

 

[tolivac]

I am for printed manuals-I don't want to have to fumble and fiddle around with a computer or phone on how to use a new machine.I do READ a manual if it is provided.I don't have a computer at home and don't want one.Life is complicated enough why make it worse?Yes,I do keep any manuals I get and keep them in a drawer.Then they are there if I need it.

 

[ea56]

For what new appliances cost I believe that it’s fair to expect that a PRINTED owners manual to be provided with the appliance.

I always keep the manuals for my appliances near each appliance so they are readily available when they are needed. I also keep them downloaded on my iPad for easy armchair reference too.

But like Rex stated in #13, not everyone has a device available to download their manuals on, crazy as that may seem in todays world. Not everyone is a slave to technology.

Eddie

 

[tolivac]

The manuals for the new appliances thatt came with my new house are in a blue plastic folder that lives in one of the kitchen drawers.No computer needed-thank goodness!My Whirlpool washer and dryer didn't come with books-so I just use them anyway.Just basic WP appliances I bought from Lowes the house didn't include laundry equipment.

 

[launderess]

As stated by others demise of full user/owner manuals with new tech or appliances isn't new, it's been going on for nearly a decade or so.

There are many factors behind this event, but things come down to mixture of several factors.

Cost of preparing, editing, publishing, binding and so forth of said manuals.

Rise and spread of accessibility of technology such as Google Docs, PDF and other formats means customers do have access to manuals online.

Fact many owners never bothered reading the things and or otherwise filed them away in sock drawer usually only rarely if ever to see light of day again.

People were actually complaining about all that "waste of paper" in having accluminated dozens of owners manuals over years. Trend today for many households is to scan or otherwise digitize things on paper and get shot of the thing, so manufacturers in one sense are just eliminating that middle-man.

Manufacturers know people didn't bother reading manuals due to litany of telephone calls to customer service seeking answers to queries that clearly could be found in manuals.

As demographics of USA have become more diverse it's expected if not demanded that all sorts of things be accessible to persons who are not native English speakers. Thus an all English owners manual is long gone. Spanish, French, Chinese and other languages are common.

Keep in mind thanks to NAFTA and other bits appliances sold in USA are also marketed in Mexico and Canada (latter nation has two official languages, English and French), thus manuals and other information at least must be printed in three languages. Then you have appliances or whatever made abroad but sold in USA. In this case with English not being native language what one gets can often fall short of the mark in terms of proper English usage, grammar and style.

Days of employing persons to write out owners, tech or other manuals in proper grammatically and idiomatically correct English seem to be over. What one usually gets is something either poorly written and or simply translated from whatever other language into English by AI or other tech.

 

[launderess]

There's good in everything if you but look for it

Upside to manuals and other literature being placed online is many manufacturers have placed content going back years on Internet to be easily found/downloaded.

For those who collect vintage appliances, electronics or whatever of all sorts this is a blessing. More often than not things don't come with original manual and other paperwork (so much for previous owner keeping things together), but now all is not lost. In many instances such materials can be accessed and downloaded at no cost.

 

[kalanikaau1]

Reply# 8

Well I guess that I am a person within the 5 percentile that expects the manufacturer to provide such written documentation and to reference it when the need arises...