JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala. (WBMA) — Broken appliances and slow repairs. We’ve heard from a number of unhappy homeowners. The freezer door on Christy Newton’s new refrigerator pops open. For now a child lock keeps it closed. But not before she lost a lot of food.
“I filled it all up. I had just gotten my Butcher Box order; it was loaded with meat,” says Newton. As a second refrigerator in a storage area she doesn’t check it everyday. One day she got an unpleasant surprise. “It was all thawed. I had no idea how long and I had to throw it away,” explained Newton.
Whirlpool sent S & S Appliance to her home to fix the refrigerator. “He never did get the seal on properly,” remarked Newton. On top of that she claims the tech bent the door. “This happened in September, now it’s January and it’s still not fixed,” said Newton.
We checked the BBB website and found many similar issues. “S and S’s biggest problem is they have unanswered complaints,” said BBB of Central Alabama President Carl Bates.
But Bates adds sometimes the repair company is caught in the middle waiting for parts and authorization from the manufacturer or an extended warranty company. “The whole systems is broken, not just this one individual company,” explained Bates.
Today’s appliances don’t last as long. More technology means more things to break.
“We don’t take complaints lightly,” said Matthew Powers, S & S co-owner. He invited us to their training classes which focus on new technology and recruiting workers. “There is a big shortage of service technicians. A lot of people are retiring or leaving the industry,” explained Powers.
The availability of parts and supplies is improving, but still an issue. Powers explains there was a fill rate about 98% before COVID, down to 50% during COVID, and now up to around 80-85%.
He acknowledges communication issues with customers, but promises that’s changing with a new system.
Powers encourages customers to read their extended warranties. “One of the biggest frustrations is when people don’t know what’s covered,” said Powers. And he explains approval for any work must be approved by the manufacturer or extended warranty company which can take time.
Customers left waiting months are frustrated. “This is ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous,” said Newton.
The BBB encourages customers to file complaints on its website. They have had a good response from manufacturers. Always read up on reviews for extended warranty companies and appliances before a purchase.
abc3340.com
https://abc3340.com/news/local/customers-complain-about-slow-appliance-repairs-whos-to-blame
