Customer Service Nightmares

[rinso]

I have been following Peter's thread about his problems dealing with LG. On the Laundry forum, there's another thread from a lady whose LG refrigerator just flat burned down. She is experiencing the same kind of incompetence.

I'm betting LG is not alone in this. My guess is that you could choose any company, and find they all have customers who've been treated this way from time to time.

It sometimes helps to purchase from a locally owned store and not a big box store. They have a reputation to maintain in the local community, and you can usually get more personal treatment. These stores were in danger of becoming extinct, until things like Brand Source started to appear.

I'm wondering what kind of treatment folks who waited for Maytag to make a front-loader, received when their Neptunes started to have problems in droves.

My own nightmare was with Whirlpool, who decided to stop making an electronic control board replacement part exactly 10 years after I purchased the washer. In its 11th year, the panel failed and my response from them was basically that it was too bad.

On the other hand, Frigidaire replaced my rear tub assembly 5 years after I had purchased my Gallery front-loader. (Ah, yes! The old bearing failure ploy!) I only had to pay for labor, and Frigidaire was very responsive and competent about getting the whole thing resolved from start to finish, in a little over a week.

 

[exploder3211]

They quit making alot of those electronic parts after 10 or eleven years for some odd reason

 

[frigilux]

I've said it before: Buy from local independent dealers. They usuallly have service people on staff and your chances of a 'nightmare' are greatly reduced. My Frigidaire dealer/servicer has given me excellent service. I had problems with the control board of my last Frigidaire dishwasher. The first time a new board was installed within three days; the second time it went out, he brought me a new dishwasher and installed it within three days.

I dropped and broke the fabric softener dispenser on my new TL Frigidaire washer. I called and ordered a new one and when it arrived, he gave it to me free of charge---just winked and said "It's under warranty."

Now THAT'S service!

 

[58limited]

They quit making alot of those electronic parts after 10 or

They don't want you to fix "old" appliances, they want you to buy new ones. Thats why I love my 50+ year old stuff - still going strong, built to last out of good materials, American made - not a single foreign part.

 

[Cybrvanr]

The thing I am trying to figure out about LG is the fact that they have pervaded practically every outlet that sells home appliances, from the locak ma & pa shops all the way up to the national big-box chains. Prior to them entering the large appliance market, they were already known to make terrible, unreliable products in the cell-phone and small electronics markets.

The large appliance industry is one that has typically sold products based durability and performance more than whiz-bang glitz and sparkle. LG, a rather unknown name has brought this marketing philosipy to the large appliance market from their electronics division. Oddly enough, despite their lesser known name, and the small, but bad reputation that they have acquired with dismal service and reliablity, buyers ignore their typical attribues they apply to appliances when they see LG appliances and buy their junk! ....SUCKERS!!!!

(no offense to anyone here that has bought their junk!)

 

[exploder3211]

This is why i don't have a new cell phone...

Most of what verizon has is LG stuff.. I won't have an LG cell phone.. My friend had several and they where all shi*... My current one is a samsung and thats that.. LoL

Here are the cell phones that have survived my ownership.. I have had 28 cell phones in 5 years... My current one is a samsung and i will only have samsungs

 

[paulg]

My opinion / Brainless chic

I believe that many people are both won over by the glitzy appearance of off-brands AS WELL AS the fact that they own a product brand that the average neighbor does NOT have. They buy the goofball off-brand appliance with little service support because they don't want to be caught owning their parents' traditional white good brands (Whirlpool, Maytag etc.) That (in their naive minds) is CHIC. I believe this is specially true to today's youth who assume that the people who manufactured their cell-phone will automatically produce a major white good of quality manufacture and support. Kids today actually seem to not know who is a good white-good brand and who is not. I wish Whirlpool, GE etc would get on the ball and ramp up the chic and appeal to the younger set. The cell-phone users are buying their first major appliance with the cell-phone brands stuck in their head. Brilliant marketing but the true gems of the industry (Whirlpool, GE, Sears) are going to be left in the dust pretty soon as it'll only be us baby-boomers who remember who purveyed good products and service over 50,60,70 years and who the supportless newcomers really are.

 

[fredriksam]

Theres a family that lives in the apartment above us that have a LG washing machine. As i heard from them the machine has only been trouble from day one. It has even crashed down from the peistal it stands on. I was not at home then, but my girlfriend told me there was a big bang from up there.

According to them the control board was needed to be replaced after 1 weeks of use plus the pump has been changed one time also. When spinning the machine sounds horrible. We hear it and it sounds really loud and screeching.

 

[Cybrvanr]

Yep, that pretty much sums it up Paul! I guess one of the big points to remember too is that if you use the cell phone analgy, most of the people buying these white-goods for the first time are probably used to the dismal service and reliablity that cell-phone companies give, and think nothing of dealing with the same issues when fighting with their white-goods manufacturers that give them the same crap!

For some reason, technology manufacturers are the worst when it comes to customer support. Cell phone companies, satellite radio companies, internet service providers, computer hardware and software manufacturers are the worst businesses to work with. All they are interested in is getting some sucker's money! Unfortunatley, the same bad business practices that these racketeers use has pervaded businesses and trades that have traditionally been known for good products and service, like white-goods.

 

[exploder3211]

Panasonic

Panasonic made/sold dishwashers and stoves and fridges i think here in the mid to late 80's..Cu even tested a couple of them.. In the end they never flew over..

I think that most people my age JUST don't care... They will buy what ever and deal with it.. Like everything else

 

[oxydolfan1]

I would love to see Panasonic manufacture a higher-quality, conservative-image front loader with solid underpinnings for the North American market that placed substance over style.

Did you know that Panasonic is discontinuing production of their vacuums? Of course, this means Kenmore....and many of their vacuums were top-notch, solid, reliable performers.

My guess is that they are trying to consolidate their core business, just as LG is trying to diversify, and Samsung doesn't know what the hell they're doing anymore....

 

[exploder3211]

Agreed on all points.. All new stuff will just become true JUNK... Oh well... Soon enough i will quit buying new stuff and just repair the old stuff

 

[peteski50]

LG

As I mentioned earlier LG makes Great products. But the service is beyond being poor. I did get my unit from a local mom and pop store and they will not return my calls now. I want to have my information published in a place where LG will look so bad. I have never had such bad consumer experiences. As many of you can see by my posting under LG Service Nightmare, I sent a letter to the CEO of LG and recieved return reciept 10 days ago but never heard from anyone. I did get a confirmation from my local consumer protection that they will look into this matter which was sent to me last week. But I want to esclate it to other places. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Peter

 

[rinso]

Hi Peter,

Just my opinion, and you know what that is worth: I think you should just write it off as a bad experience and start over. The angst you have been suffering is going to take a higher toll out on your health and well-being than any feeling of vindication or satisfaction you may receive from this point on. I realize you've spent a lot of money, and probably even like the product when it runs well. But, what else do the people at LG need to do to show you that they just don't care? The best thing you can do is tell everyone you know about your negative experiences with your dealer and with LG. Word of mouth is still the strongest weapon against poor service and quality.