My Luck Continues....

So Monday I'm standing in the kitchen making myself a sandwich. Kids are at school, baby is napping. Wife and I are talking about something or other and I smell the unmistakable acrid odor of burning plastic. I wheel around and see nothing on the stove. Oven is off...where...? My wife sees my dinner plate sized eyes and asks what's wrong. I can answer b/c I have a mouthful of sandwich and I try to gulp down my food while searching for the source of said smell. Dishwasher! Something plastic must be on the element. It's on and I open it. No steam and nothing on the element. The door, however, is very very hot. I close the door and see smoke coming from the vent that is normally reserved for steam. Shit. That is not good. I close it and the panel is dark. No lights, no numbers, no nuttin'. I check the warranty which, of course, expired in December. Fantastic.

One phone call to Whirlpool/Maytag/Big Monopoly Appliance Company/Ha Ha Screw You You're Out Of Luck. They graciously agree to send out a repair guy on Thursday. Oh and that will be $65 dollars if you don't agree to use them to do any repairs. Fantastic, thanks.

Thursday morning I get a call:

"Hello, I'm a phone drone from Nameless Appliance Repair calling to confirm your appointment for between 8:00 and 12:00 PM."

"OK, we'll be here."

"I also wanted to let you know that the technician might not arrive until after 12."

"No, he will arrive before 12. That's what you called to confirm."

"Well, he might be there after 12."

"No, you get him here before 12. That's the deal. You have a four hour window to meet and you're not extending it to some unknown time after 12."

"Well we tell everyone that."

"I don't care. You said between 8:00 and 12:00 that means before 12. If he's here after that, I'm not paying him."

"...."

"Call him and tell him to get here before 12 or you don't get paid. Period. G'bye."

We're not off to a good start.

11:52 PM. Mr. Tech arrives. An amiable fellow who looks like one of the Bears Superfans from that SNL skit.



He agrees that a 6 year old dishwasher should not give up the ghost. After much reassurance that I have indeed, flipped the breaker he opens it up.

"Oh, yeah." he says gravely and points with a screwdriver at a melted circuit board. "Oh yeah" is code for "this is going to cost you". And he's right. Parts and labor it's $285.34. Yes. Over two hundred and eighty five American dollars to fix said dishwasher. That's 50% of the purchase price. He asks me what I want to do. I have no choices. I have to fix it. Oh, and the he doesn't have the part. (Of course not). It should be in next week. Once it's in, I have to schedule an appointment for installation.

"OK", says I, "how long is the warranty on the new board? It's 5 years right?"

"Oh no. 90 days."

"You people are criminals."

"Don't blame me."

"I know. Do you think I'd get anywhere with Maytag/Whirlpool if I complained"

"Well, I don't work for them anymore and I'm not going to encourage you but you just might" he says with a slow nod and a knowing look.

Looks like I've got my work cut out for me.

Comments

mkfreeberg said…
Joys of home ownership. Nothing for domestic tranquility like hand-washing and drying ALL the dishes.

I predict you're paying parts & labor but with some well-placed complaining you're gettin' something. Do update on this one.

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