LG Nighmare continues

[peteski50]

FTC

Today I spoke to the FTC Federal Trade Commission and they stated that not to much could be done about my situation alone. They would need to have several complaints before they would look into these issues. The only thing I could encourage is if others have had problems with LG to call the FTC at
877-382-4357 and file a complaint and if a lot of complaints add up they may check into it.

Also yesterday my local consumer protection contacted me and said they tried to get my warranty updated from GE services but they were unable to do so. They also told the consumer rep that they would fulfill my warranty but will no longer be picking up newer LG contracts.
I will keep trying but not to much more can be done.

Peter

 

[oxydolfan1]

Don't know if it's good news or bad, but if you check around the forums and talk to dealers about LG (which I have been), word has hit the street.

Just as you've asserted....excellent quality and design, atrocious after-care and excessive wait times for parts. In addition, apparently techs aren't getting paid....

In your case, I believe your diligence will eventually pay off.

 

[peteski50]

Encourage!

I can only encourage as many people that have had issues to at least try to persue it. Even a little progress is better than nothing.
Peter

 

[peteski50]

Added Information!

The consumer protection from New York State sent me forms to fill out the other day. I spent 2 hours filling out forms and documentation and sent it all out on 1/20/07. Again I don't know where it's going to go. I had already sent all the information to the local consumer protection in White Plains New York. Per their recommendation I esclated to New York State consumer protection.
The other day I did 2 loads of laundry. In the 2nd rinse a few drops of water dribbled out of the bottom of the door. The 3rd rinse was no problem. I ran the machine through a short rinse and spin without clothes after that and their was no leak. I will be washing in a few more days and see what happens. I cannot call for the repair unless I see it leaking steady. I don't mean to be fanatic but I can't have this machine leaking at all. I live upstairs in a coop and could get sued. Plus this should not be happening it's 2 1/2 years old and don't get much use.
This has been so mentally aggravating and draining that I am now considering just purging the machine and taking a lose if necessary. I will have to wait awhile to see what will happen next but I cannot take much more of this stress. And the biggest issue is I don't have the time to baby sit a washing machine. Thank you all for your support.
Peter

 

[revvinkevin]

Call the FTC at 877-382-4357 and file a complaint.......

Hello Peter (and all others),

I just found this thread and have spend the last hour+ reading it. WOW… what a horror story!! That is enough to break even the most calm, positive person, I'm sorry to hear about all your difficulties!

If I may offer my 2 or 3 cents worth..... if you have been to or found other forums like this, SPREAD THE WORD! Give a brief chronological listing of the problems, repairs, contacting LG, GE warranty, consumer groups, etc and list the FTC phone number and suggest to others they lodge their complaints too! As the FTC contact told you, they need more people to complain about the problem!

On another note, here's a suggestion for you:
I know you don't have the interest or the time to "baby-sit" your washer, or I if you even want to go to this trouble, but…. When new homes are built (here in CA anyway) and the laundry is upstairs, they place a "plastic drip pan" where the washer will go. This "drip pan" is large enough for the machine to sit in, is maybe 2 inches tall and is usually connected to a small (1") drain tube.
OK, here's the suggestion: purchase one of those "drip pans" and install it under your washer (with the drain tube plugged, unless you can rig it somehow). You are probably way ahead of me but, this way IF (god forbid) your washer leaks again, the drip pan will catch it and save you from a lawsuit. Call it cheap insurance!

I just did a quick Google search and found this on eBay (the link below).

I hope this suggestion will give you peace of mind when you wash!!

Good luck!!!
Kevin

http://cgi.ebay.com/WASHING-WASHER-...-PAN-TRAY_W0QQitemZ170071363075QQcmdZViewItem

 

[peteski50]

LG

Hi Kevin
I did actually file a complaint with the FTC and they stated they need more complainers. I do encourage people to contact them with these problems.
As for the drip pan I have no way to drain it and I cannot put a drain in the floor.
Believe me I am doing everything I can to make LG look bad. Right now I havent had the problem except it did leak slightly about 2 weeks ago. Since than nothing. I need it to leak more consistantly for me to call the repair.
I am still awaiting for the New York State consumer protection to contact me.
Thanks again
Peter

 

[peteski50]

Letter Recieved!

Today I received a letter back from the New York State consumer Protection stating they recieved my complaint and gave me a file # 20070117-123001-ML. They gave me no further information. So this is basically a acknowledgement that information was recieved. (Everything is such a long process)
Peter

 

[oxydolfan1]

Yeah, but at least you're getting somewhere.

 

[retromom]

Hey Peter!

If you really think the LG is going to have a major leak (before you get the consumer issue resolved), purchase one of those drip pans. Since you have no place to drain any excess water, just invest in a small shop vac to pick up the spills. They're great for dry use (cars, baseboards, etc.) too, so you wouldn't be wasting your money.

Now you've gone from an unresponsive corporation to government bureaucracy. OY!

Good luck -you're gonna need it!

 

[peteski50]

Bureaucracy

Hi Venus,
Thats what it is all about big time bureaucracy. The next step is it going out the door. I don't have the time for all this nonsense. I hope you are doing well.
Best Wishes
Peter

 

[peteski50]

I don't trust this machine!

Tonight I did a load of laundry. I noticed in the last rinse a few drops of water came out from the door. I was upset at first. After the machine finished I ran it through with no clothes on a rinse / spin on the delicate setting that uses more water. It did 2 rinses and a spin without a drop of water leaking. Than I ran it through a Speed wash rinse / spin with somewhat less water in the drum with more rapid movement and still not a drop. The only thing I can think of is the machine had a imbalance before the last rinse earlier and it did some internal shaking and some knocking occured in that spin before the last rinse when the dripping occured. This might have caused a few drops to leak in that last rinse. I cannot call for service under these circumstances. It needs to be a consistant leak. I just hope it don't start to leak again. (Whatever happened to those older Westinghouses) when you closed the door it was the tightest seal and Never a drop leaked out! Nothing is made that good any longer. Oh well I will have to keep monitoring the situation.
Peter

 

[sudsmaster]

Gee, I don't know, Pete. A couple three drops of water, intermittant... I'd get the drip tray and be done with the aggravation. It's not as if it's leaking from the outer tub, or the drain pump/hose, which would be major water damage. A few drops? Any vinyl flooring should be able to handle that no problem. Does the hinge need to be adjusted?

I'd like to be more supportive but I suspect you've become so sensitized to the issue that you won't accept anything less than perfect.

 

[sudsmaster]

Hey Pete,

Just re-read the thread and learned that the door has been adjusted ("tightened") several times already, and that the machine is sitting on a wood floor, so I can understand the problem with even just a few drops per load.

Still I wonder why a drip tray isn't a viable option. I also wonder if the leakage problem is confined to the combo units, due to the dry heat affecting the door/gasket seal, or if it's a problem with LG units in general. My Neptune only leaks if it's oversudsing and I open the door and sudsy water dribbles out. Since it's on vinyl, I don't give it much thought.

I'm thinking a stacked Miele pair (if they will fit in your space) might be the best for you.

 

[peteski50]

Leak!

Hey Suds,
A drip tray is not optional, I don't have a way to have it drain into anything. And no a few drops is not anything to speak of but once it starts it just keeps getting worse. I think the door design is poor anyway but thats besides the point. Like I said I tested the machine twice after the fact and not a drop came out that is why I am thinking that after it shakes a bit from a unbalanced spin it causes it to leak slightly in the next phase. I Hope I am correct. I can only tell over time. I still think this is part of a poor design but I can live with that. My problem was the constant dribbling from the bottom of the door probably because something was loose and or a boot problem. Both the door and the boot was replaced so if it contines than their is a defect in the machine design. I will not be able to determine more until I do more laundry probably at the end of next week. In one way I think more positively with the fact I tested it twice with no leaking. But in the back of my mind I still feel something could come loose and it may start to leak again.
Peter

 

[norgeman]

Re: LG Washer/Dryer Combo

Peteski50 I certanily can simpathize with you and your problem. My sugestion would be to contact your state comsumer board, if New York has one. Register your complaint and tell them that you have mest around with this long enough and LG. should either replace it or give your money back. When ever you or anyone else buys a product or manufactured goods there is a implied warenty of Mercantability that if the goods don't perform to the intended standard than the company has to either replace it make it good or give your money back. Since this has been an on going problem then I think that LG should give you a new machine or give your money back plus the cost of phone calls and money spent to get this machine repaired. You certanely have recourse against them. How I know this is I took Business Law in college. This law really helps when you buy a car from a used car dealer and they have a sticker on it that says "as is" nothing is ever as is. Even though it states this there is an implied Warrenty of Mercantiblity on the car or goods of any kind. The goods have to perform to the standard in which it was meant to, so it the say car for instance breaks down a block form the car dealer you have recourse against the dealership and they have to make the car or whatever good and get it back in to the standard. This is from the UCC which stands for Uniform Comercial Code which most states have adopted for their buisness practices the only state that has only adopted a portion of the UCC is Louisiana. So New York should have these laws and help you solve this problem. Hope this helps you solve this problem. The law of Implied warrenty of Mercantiblity goes for New or Used. Thanks for Listening Danf.

 

[westytoploader]

Hi Peter,

Considering how much (or how little?) water these new FLs use, it seems as though a leak can be easily managed. At the very WORST, you could put a shallow pan under the door to catch the drips, and empty it after each load. Surely it would be enough to catch a small dribble during the cycle, and although it might not be the most convenient thing to do, it's better than waiting weeks for a repair with laundry piling up. I do think a combo is best in your situation...if you bought a new FL washer, you would probably miss having the dryer capabilities after a while.

If you do decide to go with a new 'wash-only' machine, you could always buy an electric apartment-sized dryer to put in another room, with an indoor venting kit. Or, if the LG does well as a dryer and doesn't leak on that cycle, you could always buy a portable washer!

--Austin

 

[neptunebob]

A very expensive dryer!

Pete, if the LG starts to leak again maybe you could use it as a very expensive dryer and get a portable washer like the Kenmores that roll up to the sink. I know, it's not really a good solution but that is what I might do in this desperate situation. As for a washer pan, I lived in an apartment with that had a stacked GE/frigidaire set and it had a pan where there was a hose that went into the wall. One day I opened the closet that contained the furnace and the tube just led nowhere!. So you probably don't really have to have to tube go anywhere, I mean my landlord just tried to hide it.

Oh, just looked and Austin gave the same suggestion.

 

[angus]

Hmm, I don't think you should have to "deal" with any leaking at all. Sorry, but when one plunks down one's hard earned $$$ for a new appliance, it should work properly and consistently. And besides, when Pete bought the machine, was he informed that he should expect some leaking? I think not.

 

[peteski50]

The system is useless!

Yesterday I received a letter back from the New York State Consumer Protection. Basically they indicated that they will be closing my case. They received a letter back from the supervisor at LG that I was working with back in December. To try to make a long story short this letter stated that I was out of warranty with LG. And to try to quote this letter it stated that they had did as much as they possibly could for me by giving me assistance in obtaining qualified repair service people. In the letter she apologized for the fact that sometimes technicians do not diagnose certain problems correctly and this could result in multiple service calls. Given this information that LG is no longer responsible the analyst at consumer protection was closing my case.

I called the consumer protection and spoke with the analyst and explained that I was told that if LG is not responsible than the warranty company (GE services) is responsible. She asked me to give her more information and I did. I was somewhat upset because I have mailed all the specs out to them.
But I took the time and gave her the information and she stated she will check into this with the GE warranty service and get back to me. I still don't expect much from this but at least I am trying.
Peter

 

[norgeman]

Re: Warranty

Peteski50 If you have purchased the extended warranty then the machine is not out of warranty and the comsumer protection does not know what they are doing and because didn't you but the extended warranty from G.E.? Then the machine is not out of warranty and you should be able to get it fixed with out costing you because that is what extended warranties are for. I think that someone is trying to pull something over on you at consumer protection, or they are getting wrong information from LG, and G.E. warranty services. Let us know what happens, and good luck. Your friend Danf.