Speed Queen Front Loader Dead in the Water: Round Three

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Not so fast Germany!!!

I'm not going to throw the baby out with the bath water on an American company that has thousands of happy customers because of a few lemons and bad customer service, however it may have been received. The same goes for Whirlpool Corporation.
Alliance and Whirlpool are the last two TRUE AMERICAN appliance companies and I'm not throwing the towel in on either one.
1. Many folks have had an excellent experience with Alliance myself included.
2. High demand for their products has sent this company into expansion mode thus creating more jobs.
3. Bojack did get jerked around but his machine is working (for now) hopefully it will continue to do so.
He has every right not to want another SQ, that's his choice. I personally would've handled it differently. I'd have gone to Alliance and only Alliance after the third repair and taken it to the top. They do stand behind their products. I've dealt with them myself and have 3 W/D sets made by them in the family and several others who purchased based on my recommendation and none have had any issues.
An American company who employs Americans and puts the money back into America will always get my support!
Yes even Honda, Toyota and Nissan all have factories in the USA and they employ Americans!
I do not see LG or Samsung having any factories in the USA or employing any Americans . Money spent on their products goes out of the country and the only one benefitting is LG or Samsung, no matter how pretty or up to date their products are.
I've even suggested to a friend that has an older SQ which he's going to replace, to take a look at Maytag or Whirlpool. So while this was a bad experience, mom and pop stores cannot take back items the way Big Bic stores like Sears, Best Buy and Lowes can, simple as that. There is more to it than flat out saying that Alliance is no better than others. Walk into any independent appliance store any they will ALL recommend SQ Washers and Dryers.
Bojack, you know I'm sorry for your issues and this rebuttal has nothing to do with you.
Mike
 
no <span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a name="startPOSTER_69708.58"></a>henene4 we can't.
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not to add ill-will.....but something to keep in the back of your mind.....

there could be something in your homes wiring causing odd issues......

my sister has a Historical home....and most of it is knob-tube wiring....I don't know what it is, but she has burnt through more mother boards on 2 electronic washers than I can count....she went back to an old school machine, and no issues since....there is something in that house, makes me think its haunted...

note: these same 2 broken machines work fine at my house.....with the same boards that would not work at her house....

I was hoping Alliance would replace your units with new ones....if the new one works without issues, your good to go, but if it happens to a second set, I might think there is something in the house/wiring causing issues....
 
Echoing Eddie's (ea56) comments in reply #47.....

 

Go right to the top and contact the CEO of Alliance.

 

Years ago when Maytag was still a real company (unlike now), my co-worker had a Maytag Neptune FL washer & dryer he bought new.  It had been repaired once under warranty, then once out of pocket and when it failed again 3 months later, out of sheer frustration, he was at a loss what to do next (not wanting to put more $$$ into it) and was ready to kick it to the curb.  

 

I suggested he contact the president of Maytag directly, but he was reluctant.  I took it upon myself to find out who Maytags president was, then composed a letter, describing his history of growing up with Maytags and being a loyal Maytag customer, the problems with this machine (not long out of warranty) and the fact that his faith in Maytag had now almost completely vanished.  I printed the letter, he signed it and mailed it.

 

About 10-12 days later a "Maytag repairman" called to schedule time to come repair the machine, all with no cost to him.   It worked for a few more years, but I can't remember now why he replaced them.  They've been using a 1980 A806 & DG808 (that I found for them) since and they've been very happy.

 

Obviously the point to my story is, take a chance and write to the CEO of Alliance, what have you got to loose?  They may just buy them back or replace them (if you're willing).

 

Kevin 

 
 
If you do....

Decide to write to upper management at Alliance, avoid opinions, attitudes, and adjectives. Stick to the factual account of everything that has happened. Make no demands.... Simply ask for help resolving your issues...

Malcolm
 
Thanks Kevin reply #64! All my life I've spoken for myself whenever I have purchased a product or service that turns out to be unsatisfactory. And I always go to the highest level I can from the start. And I totally agree with Malcolm reply#65, stick to the facts and leave the nastiness out of your letter or telephone conversation. But be clear on what your expectations were when you originally made the purchase and explain and document how those expectations weren't met. Speak for yourself! I was taught this at home, this is how my parents always handled any situation like this, and they were always successful and so have I always been successful using this practice. People always want to "lawyer up" when they feel they've been wronged. Nine times out of ten any rational communication with the person that is most likely to have the power to fix your problem works. If it doesn't then you can pursue legal avenues for a resolution. Why make things more difficult than they already are? Keep you eye on the ball. BTW, Olav "Rapunzel" l gave name and phone number of the CEO for Alliance in an earlier post, it couldn't hurt to make a positive contact with this person.

One more pointer that has served me well in these kinds of situations. I learned this at a supervisors training seminar in 89', and I've used it every since. Write your letter of complaint or request using the KKK formula. In this case the letters stand for kiss, kick, kiss. Start out with something positive, and sometimes this is difficult, then state clearly what your expectation is and end with something positive , for instance ,"I'm thanking you in advance for your attention to my concern". I always used this approach whenever I needed to have a conference with a worker that was having problems. This really works very well most of the time. Everybody wants to be treated with respect.

Good Luck!
Eddie
 
Not to hijack the thread, but 600 jobs is 600 jobs. Contrary to popular belief, some, (arguably the majority,) people are idiots and are only capable of a $10/ hr job. I think it's good news.

If you want to discuss this further please start a new thread.
 
Reply #63

Johnb300m,

I used to work for LG (Lucky Goldstar) in Huntsville, AL 25 years ago (it was a Goldstar TV plant back then).  They didn't pay much then either, but they had good insurance benefits that started on day 1 of employment.  They had the Asian work mentality...work work work, 12 hours a day 5 and 6 days a week.  The building is still in Huntsville and is the head office for customer service and operations support.

 

We now return to our regularly scheduled program already in progress....

http://www.lgecareers.com/
 
Our Amana Fridge was assembled in America. I  think most of the electronic controls are imported.  Times are tough and when a community suffers a reversal of fortune the population is not necessarily a bunch of mouth breathers.  People suffer when a major employer absconds with the jobs.  I think there are some intelligent people in Newton Iowa, Herrin IL, Louisville Ky.  $10 bucks/hr. looks good when you do not have a job. Many times people get "stuck" when the employer leaves and they are stuck with a house they can no longer sell.
 
New Speed Queen FL Washer Problems

I almost hate to reopen this thread, But hears my take on what happened.

 

1 The service company was terrible.

 

2 This washer is NOT a Lemon and SQ should NOT replace it.

 

3 From my count this washer only broke down once do to a component failure. The first failure was likley a faulty main motor-relay board. I checked with our parts distributor [ the only authorized parts source for an area of over 6 million people ] and they have only supplied 3 of these motor boards in the last year.

 

4 The second difficulty Robert had could have easily been fixed by the user, page 25 in the owners instructions tells how to remove items stuck in the drain pump or trap. The only tool required is a 5/16" nut driver to remove the lower front panel. The small sock that got stuck in the pump CAN NOT damage either the pump or motor board. The only thing that will happen is a failure for the washer to drain and maybe a slight hot smell of the pump trying to run [ this washer DID NOT fill the laundry room with smoke, nothing burned ]

 

Note; the drain pump is driven by a relay on the board so a stuck pump CAN NOT damage the board.

 

5 the third problem was apparently something in the pump that dissapeared when they tried replacing it, remember they tried replacing the board again and it did not fix the problem.

 

Note, SQ is selling their machines through self-servicing dealers, they DO NOT approve of on line sales.

 

If Robert had bought this washer from a local dealer and they had given this type of lousy service he would have a claim against the local dealer.

 

John L.
 
Well, nothing like having a sympathetic ear! LOL Aside from that, what kind of a washing machine allows a sock to get stuck in the pump in this day and age? Even the old Westinghouse machines guarded against that. It re affirms my opinion that they aren't that great of a machine. Perhaps no worse than any other, but certainly no better.[this post was last edited: 4/21/2017-12:47]
 
Alliance/Speed Queen makes the product. They depend on the retailers/independent servicers to keep things running.

We are a platinum speed queen dealer. We get called with problems, we diagnose the issue and Alliance sends us the part. The tech goes to the customer and installs the part. If that doesn't fix the original complaint, they send us another part.

We have never had an issue of a lemon machine. We've replaced nearly everything in one machine because it was damaged in shipping, but we've never had a machine that Alliance just flat out refused to service.

That being said, a retailer/servicer with a good working relationship with Alliance is going to get further with them than ... people that are less than ideal to work with.

As an appliance/furniture store, we have a warranty/service department with two people that are paid to only work with our distributors/manufactures and maintain those relationships. We have a service writer as well as 5 techs. They all go through the training programs the manufactures/distributors offer so that when a customer calls with a complaint, they can pull up the schematics and know what they are looking at and what they are dealing with.

More often than not, we have the part in hand the first time we walk in the door because of this which has stream-lined our service process.

That being said, in the last three years, there have been less than 10 service calls on Speed Queen. We service 57 counties between our two locations.

What I am saying is if one retailer/service place is not giving you the service you think you should be getting, call another one. Keep calling them until you get the service you expect. You shouldn't have to do that, but that is the only way you are going to get decent service is to find somewhere with decent people out in the field.

Oh, and Apple makes the Mac Pro in the USA.
 
LG products: Made in Korea
SQ products Made in USA

LG Appliance Manufacturing Jobs in USA : ZERO
SQ Appliance Manufacturing Jobs in USA: Several hundred
Plus supporting Independant Businesses such as Appliance Dealers, Laundromats, etc....
More People employed.

TOTAL INVESTMENT BY LG IN AMERICA: ZERO
TOTAL INVESTMENT BY ALLIANCE IN AMERICA: $$$$$

Not to mention jobs lost at WP because Sears now uses Korean mfg. to save money.

If you had an American made washer, SQ, WP, GE or even Frigidaire I could have a one on one with you Bruce, but you don't and the only person you helped was yourself. I don't care if LG has plans to build s USA plant. The point is that SQ is a highly regarded American made consumer product with an overall sterling reputation based on consumer reviews online and they have excellent warranty coverage. IWe know you bought your LG/Kenmore to wash your king size comforter. Who gives a crap!!! I'm for the little guy, right or wrong Alliance has invested in America, returns money to America, and makes a product that folks want. I hope your LG lasts 100 years!!! I don't care, none of us care, the guy got a raw deal, it's like you get physically excited when someone bad mouths SQ. Yes I support SQ, but also WP the last American appliance companies.
 
I am with MTN1584--SQ has got to be the last of the US major appliance builders-WP is now an international maker-not all of their machines are built here.SQ is!And Korean built machines-or other places-Do the people building these really care?They are NOT likely to buy any of the products they are making.SQ realizes their machines are going to be bought and used by AMERICANS!So their workers are going to build them as though they were going to buy the machine for themselves.They could own the machines they are building!
 
whirlykenmore78 & mtn1584

Ok, so you are saying that because speed queen is built in the us and because they employ people who live here we should buy them to be patriotic and supportive of our country? There was a time when I would have expected more from a manufacturing company in the USA. Unfortunately that is no longer true. I just think that it is wrong to blame the user for a problem with a machine that should never have been a problem to begin with! It seems to me that many are blaming everyone except good old speed queen and that is where the problem lies. I am doing nothing but pointing out what should be obvious to anyone and not trying to rub anyone's nose in anything! And I very much resent you saying that! Robert is who I was defending, since he is the innocent victim who had the misfortune of buying this machine. I really have no great love of korean or any other foreign made machines, but I do want something that meets the requirements I need in a washer and dryer and I would like them to be as trouble free as possible. That is why I quit buying American made automobiles and have a trouble free Toyota. It is sad but true. I wish things were different. And btw, I think it RIDICULOUS that a front load speed queen could EVER end up with a sock stuck in the pump! That is not something that should even be possible with proper designing![this post was last edited: 4/23/2017-07:53]
 
Right you are Bruce:

It does not make any sense how a sock got caught in the pump. I was looking at my machine last night and I can't figure out how it got in there. Robert has had the misfortune of buying a machine that had a defect and that can happen with any MFR. What made matters much worse is the HORRIBLE service and botched repairs(IIRC wrong parts used. I misunderstood you when I thought that you were rubbing Roberts nose in anything. For that and for my harsh post I apologize.
WK78
 
Socks and Other Forign Objects Caught in washers

I have never seen any washer where can not get into the outer tub, especially FL washers, we see it every week with any brand and model washer you can name, there is nothing wrong with Roberts washer.

We worked on 24 SQ FL washers that were used at a youth training facility, the young people did their own laundry and I know that we pulled ID cards out of everyone of those washers outer tubs.[this post was last edited: 4/23/2017-16:08]
 
.
I agree with Bruce's basic point throughout...that whatever SQ machines are, they are not different in KIND to other machines, but simply different versions.
Or said another way, pick your poison. What works for one may not for another.

Unfortunately, given my washer's repeated and essentially identical break downs, I can no longer have confidence regarding this machine. E.g., recently I paused before leaving the house BECAUSE the washer was still operating...didn't feel confident something might not happen again and i might return wondering what all those fire trucks are doing on my block.

And if that's not bad enough, I now KNOW the company feels no compunction to act beyond what they legally are required.
Yes I could politely lobby the CEO, but that wouldn't change the fact I paid a premium to a company wherein ONE HAS TO POLITELY LOBBY THE CEO for a shot at reasonable consideration. It's the expectation, the rule is sadly otherwise.
That people who love SQ implore you to, "buy from a tip-top dealer, or else"...MAKES MY POINT.

It is working now, and the longer it does so the more I feel the issue was incorrect and/or faulty early run parts or firmware.
If it remains working, for say another DECADE before needing ANYTHING, I may finally be where "regret" will not be how I characterize my total SQ ownership experience.
It is a solid machine, when it works, no doubt, and I like that...but every pause of the wash drum sets my mind on edge until I hear it in motion again...not what one wishes for after paying nearly 2x the going rate in hopes of experiencing the opposite ownership sensation.

[this post was last edited: 4/23/2017-15:20]
 
My entire point is that IF someone should buy an American made machine and spend WAY more $$$ than what they normally would in the hopes that because it is made in the USA they will have a better made machine and better service in addition to supporting our own COUNTRY by buying it, then they would naturally expect it to be a decent machine and to be able to get decent service if it needs repairs. He has gotten NEITHER. And to top things off, he was basically told that it was HIS fault because he didn't buy it from a local dealer and bought it on line! Does anyone think that is reasonable? I certainly do not! Obviously it is just a giant crap shoot when you buy appliances these days and there are none better than the other. IF I lived in the area where "combo" is, I am sure I would probably buy a speed queen machine because I would know that there was a competent and reputable company besides the manufacture behind my purchase. But anywhere else, I would be very hesitant to do so and would probably not. It all stems back to being as good as the company who will service and take care of it. In this particular case, that company did not do a very good job. Just having listened to the few people who have had problems with both their top and front load speed queen washers I do not think speed queen is any better than any other brand. They are just geared toward a more commercial application, which is not always better in a regular household machine. They lack flexibility in many ways in comparison to other machines also.
 
I prefer to take the word of COMBO52.........

Ever heard the expression 'one bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch?"
Bruce, when you buy an Alliance built washer or dryer then maybe you can be taken seriously. Meanwhile endlessly posting negativity about Alliance based on others experiences when the overwhelming majority of reviews have been nothing but positive make you look like nothing but a fool.
Your comments are based on heresay and no one wants to hear your opinion on the matter over and over and over and over again.
When you own a product then you can complain or praise it all you want. Meanwhile please give your first hand opinions a rest, they are really annoying and you are turning people away from this forum with your know it all attiutude!
We get it, you don't like Alliance, you've never owned one!
I don't like LG, I HAVE owned one and have had it flood my family room not once but twice. My comments are based on ownership, what are your based on?
Please DON'T ANSWER SINCE YOU PERPETUALLY HAVE TO HAVE THE LAST WORD.
 
Not sure why I would want to get involved in this debate but

Since it was suggested that the only people who should comment on a product are those who own them I happen to have 42 Alliance built washers / dryers. All slightly less than two years old obviously in a laundromat. My experience so far has not been that great. Long term they may prove to be better. I have 10 of the 20# Horizon soft mount washers that are mechanically identical to the residential washer that is the topic of this thread. I find it amazing that the parts distributor mentioned earlier in this thread has only ever sold 3 boards. I myself have needed 6. At one time I needed 3 at the same time and there was such demand for them that I had to wait two weeks. I do my own repairs. I have been in the appliance service business since 1990. They send me the parts free of charge while under the three year part warranty. I have had several other problems as well. I find the people to be somewhat rude and condescending when you question them. When my dryers were new the doors would randomly pop open. Customer would start the dryer and leave only to return to wet clothes sometimes on the floor. The official fix was to stick a wooden broom handle in the hinge while forcing the door shut effectively springing the hinge enough to take the pressure off of one side. It worked but seemed a bit odd for a $7000 stack dryer. Like I said they may end up being more reliable as older machines but initially I have had a lot of issues.
 

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