RANT on lowes and Whirlpool

[edicehouse]

After re reading his first post, I don't think Lowes will do anything. He opted not to get the LOWES extended warrenty, and it was purchased a year ago. That lands directly on Whirlpool.

 

[Smitty37]

I started working at Circuit City and about 3 months after I started they stopped buying appliances. Well a few years later people would come in because they needed a new washing maching (or some appliance), and they would get upset because we didn't carry them anymore. And they would say "You have lost a customer" I laughed because in 3 years you had not stepped foot in here, for something that has a small profit margin, and we are worried. Sales in our store increased drastically after we stopped carrying them.

Guess they didn't increase enough---Circuit City did go bankrupt a few years back.:biggrin:

 

[edicehouse]

What killed them was they refused to build new stores to compete with Best Buy. The newer stores made very good money and the small ones that had been in the same place 20+ years brought down the rest.

 

[The Penguin]

After 2 emails to Mr Robert Niblock ceo of the lowes company and no answer , he is to buisy to worry about me and my machine so I'll give up now and not go to Lowes or buy any thing made by whirlpool ..................... the END

did you try calling the executive customer service number I gave earlier in the thread?

 

[Smitty37]

What killed them was they refused to build new stores to compete with Best Buy. The newer stores made very good money and the small ones that had been in the same place 20+ years brought down the rest.

There was a little more to it than that....and in fact, dropping large appliances probably did contribute to the demise. They were the #2 seller of large appliances in the US when they dropped them. They had about $1.6 billion in large appliance sales the last year they carried them.

 

[sbell111]

Honestly, I'm having trouble generating any angst toward Lowes or Whirlpool based on this thread.

Lowes certainly hasn't done anything wrong and I don't find fault with Whirlpool, either.

A major appliance was purchased. The manufacturer warranteed the appliance for a certain amount of time and the customer was aware of the warranty prior to purchase. The store offered an extended warrantee and the customer declined (as I always do). Shortly after the warranty period ended, the item needed a relatively inexpensive $160 repair. While that's certainly a bummer, it isn't anything to go thermonuclear about.

I bought a new house in 1963 and another in 2005. I have not found anything on this house other than the trim that isn't better than what I had in the 60's house. Including all of the major appliances the saving grace then was I could fix most of the problems myself.

That's not my experience, at all.

As we go through the process of having our new home built, I can't help but compare it to our old home. In my opinion, homes built today are infinitely better than those of old. Today's engineered products make design options available that were impossible (or at least unaffordable) in the past. Also, systems are drastically improved to be loads more efficient and provide better functionality. Finally, features are available today that were not even imagined back in your day.

I suppose that someone could build a worse house today than one built fifty years ago, but I wonder if it would pass today's codes requirements.

 

[Smitty37]

Honestly, I'm having trouble generating any angst toward Lowes or Whirlpool based on this thread.

Lowes certainly hasn't done anything wrong and I don't find fault with Whirlpool, either.

A major appliance was purchased. The manufacturer warranteed the appliance for a certain amount of time and the customer was aware of the warranty prior to purchase. The store offered an extended warrantee and the customer declined (as I always do). Shortly after the warranty period ended, the item needed a relatively inexpensive $160 repair. While that's certainly a bummer, it isn't anything to go thermonuclear about.

I bought a new house in 1963 and another in 2005. I have not found anything on this house other than the trim that isn't better than what I had in the 60's house. Including all of the major appliances the saving grace then was I could fix most of the problems myself.

That's not my experience, at all.

As we go through the process of having our new home built, I can't help but compare it to our old home. In my opinion, homes built today are infinitely better than those of old. Today's engineered products make design options available that were impossible (or at least unaffordable) in the past. Also, systems are drastically improved to be loads more efficient and provide better functionality. Finally, features are available today that were not even imagined back in your day.

I suppose that someone could build a worse house today than one built fifty years ago, but I wonder if it would pass today's codes requirements.

From what you described Steve that is exactly your experience. Modern houses are built better.

 

[sbell111]

Honestly, I'm having trouble generating any angst toward Lowes or Whirlpool based on this thread.

Lowes certainly hasn't done anything wrong and I don't find fault with Whirlpool, either.

A major appliance was purchased. The manufacturer warranteed the appliance for a certain amount of time and the customer was aware of the warranty prior to purchase. The store offered an extended warrantee and the customer declined (as I always do). Shortly after the warranty period ended, the item needed a relatively inexpensive $160 repair. While that's certainly a bummer, it isn't anything to go thermonuclear about.

I bought a new house in 1963 and another in 2005. I have not found anything on this house other than the trim that isn't better than what I had in the 60's house. Including all of the major appliances the saving grace then was I could fix most of the problems myself.

That's not my experience, at all.

As we go through the process of having our new home built, I can't help but compare it to our old home. In my opinion, homes built today are infinitely better than those of old. Today's engineered products make design options available that were impossible (or at least unaffordable) in the past. Also, systems are drastically improved to be loads more efficient and provide better functionality. Finally, features are available today that were not even imagined back in your day.

I suppose that someone could build a worse house today than one built fifty years ago, but I wonder if it would pass today's codes requirements.

From what you described Steve that is exactly your experience. Modern houses are built better.

If I could only read...

 

[jimofsanston]

I had a problem with Lowes when my wife and I remolded our kitchen. We went over and ordered our cabnets and a week later came in to pick them up. Serveral of the boxes were damaged and they had them buried under the good ones. I found them before leaving by unsacking them. I told them i would not take owernship of the damaged ones. They came back and said they were discontinued as of that week and could not get any. I blew up on the spot and contacted the MOD and he said the same thing. Before I left i was on my cell contacting the upper management for the Division. He said he would take care of it right away. He made the Store Manage come in from his day off and contacted every store within 100 miles to get the cabnits together set 3 trucks to 3 different stores and picked up all the other at the orginal store and had them deliver to my home that afternoon. On top of that them rebated 70% of the price back to me and discounted all the appliances i had ordered also by 45%. So my 20,000.00 remodel only cost about 7,000.00. I was happy. From then on every time i came in to the store the all the managers knew me by name and i recieved discounts and gift cards. I quess I really scared them on my actions.

 

[edicehouse]

I had a problem with Lowes when my wife and I remolded our kitchen. We went over and ordered our cabnets and a week later came in to pick them up. Serveral of the boxes were damaged and they had them buried under the good ones. I found them before leaving by unsacking them. I told them i would not take owernship of the damaged ones. They came back and said they were discontinued as of that week and could not get any. I blew up on the spot and contacted the MOD and he said the same thing. Before I left i was on my cell contacting the upper management for the Division. He said he would take care of it right away. He made the Store Manage come in from his day off and contacted every store within 100 miles to get the cabnits together set 3 trucks to 3 different stores and picked up all the other at the orginal store and had them deliver to my home that afternoon. On top of that them rebated 70% of the price back to me and discounted all the appliances i had ordered also by 45%. So my 20,000.00 remodel only cost about 7,000.00. I was happy. From then on every time i came in to the store the all the managers knew me by name and i recieved discounts and gift cards. I quess I really scared them on my actions.

But you are talking about stuff that was new, not a year old. If I bought a mower from them and the 31st day it crapped out, I would hope they would allow me to exchange it, not the following year though. I think we all got off on the tangent for customer service, and forgot the fact of purchase date. The beef should be with Whirlpool, "I didn't recieve this item until X date, and within a year of me taking ownership it bit the dust."

 

[Smitty37]

I had a problem with Lowes when my wife and I remolded our kitchen. We went over and ordered our cabnets and a week later came in to pick them up. Serveral of the boxes were damaged and they had them buried under the good ones. I found them before leaving by unsacking them. I told them i would not take owernship of the damaged ones. They came back and said they were discontinued as of that week and could not get any. I blew up on the spot and contacted the MOD and he said the same thing. Before I left i was on my cell contacting the upper management for the Division. He said he would take care of it right away. He made the Store Manage come in from his day off and contacted every store within 100 miles to get the cabnits together set 3 trucks to 3 different stores and picked up all the other at the orginal store and had them deliver to my home that afternoon. On top of that them rebated 70% of the price back to me and discounted all the appliances i had ordered also by 45%. So my 20,000.00 remodel only cost about 7,000.00. I was happy. From then on every time i came in to the store the all the managers knew me by name and i recieved discounts and gift cards. I quess I really scared them on my actions.

But you are talking about stuff that was new, not a year old. If I bought a mower from them and the 31st day it crapped out, I would hope they would allow me to exchange it, not the following year though. I think we all got off on the tangent for customer service, and forgot the fact of purchase date. The beef should be with Whirlpool, "I didn't recieve this item until X date, and within a year of me taking ownership it bit the dust."

The beef, if any with the store ended almost when they walked out the door. The appliance is warranted by the maker not the store -- if it's DOA on installation the store will exchange and if you have them install they will warrant the installation, but after installation if it fails, the manufacturer's warranty covers for the warranty period.

I have seen inference here that whirlpool "makes" a bunch of brands - I don't think they make them, they own the company that makes them. The difference might seem subtle but having worked for a company that was sold by IBM I can tell you first hand that nothing changed in our factory, we were totally unaffected as far as how we made things and what we made.

 

[jeweler53]

This thread has drifted a bit.

As I mentioned before, I am an employee of Lowe's. I am proud of it! We offer some of the finest customer service there is to be had.

Buy an item with a 90 day warranty and bring it back or ask for it to be repaired in 120 days?; My question to you is why?

Ask yourself this question. If I were to buy something form you that was quite expensive (your car for example) and I asked for a warranty for 6 months would you give it. Nine months later I call you and ask you to repair the broken car. The engine blew up. The repair will be $4000.

I think you would tell me to take a hike.

At Lowe's we offer many very high end appliances. Some offer warranties for several years. When consumers ask for those on a daily basis we will stock them.

Our daily bread is the consumer who says "I want the best price." Hence we, in general, offer the lowest cost merchandise we can.

If you want it cheap, do not ask for us to repair it after the warranty expires.
If you do not buy an EPP, do not ask us to repair it after the warranty expires.
In fact, do not ask us to repair it. We are not a repair shop. However, if it is covered by the warranty (or the EPP) we will do our best to take care of you.

My 2 cents worth.

(YOU GOT WHAT YOU PAID FOR!)

Dick

 

[clapiana]

sorry to hear the problems you have faced . I never bought those extended warranties either until I found squaretrade.com who are top notch. going to a higher div mgr should work but it seems both these large box stores are really hurting with the economy but I like Loews if I have a choice and they give a military discount without hesitation which I used on my GE appliances I got off them. so far so good but I avoided all those fancy bells and whistles which in my eyes is looking for trouble. good suggestion about consumer reports I forgot about that magazine since amazon showed up