Complaint Review: GE

I bought 4 GE appliances: side by side refrigerator, stove, microwave oven, and dishwasher. I bought these products in May 2005.

By March 2007 the refrigerator stopped dispensing water. In order to have drinking water dispensed, I need to pull the refrigerator away from the wall, unplug it, and let it sit for hours. My frozen foods are defrosted and wasted. This seems like an unlikely solution but This was recommended by speaking with the GE consumer relations agent reached at 800-386-1215.

I contacted local repair men and they informed me that this would be costly to fix and that GE should stand behind this product. I called GE consumer relations back and complained. They told me to await the possibility of a recall. If not I could pay for a service call and repairs.

I find it unbelievable that at only approximately 2 years of age, the GE appliance was defective. This is certainly not my first refrigerator purchased. I would not anticipate that after only 2 years, your appliances would need service. This is ridiculous. I have bought other refrigerators from other manufacturers and never had one problem. The appliances lasted for years! No repairs, no service calls! I thought that GE certainly could match the endurance of those products.

I have made other calls to GE consumer relations to see if there have been changes. I was informed more recently, in the latter part of 2007, that perhaps we needed the "board" replaced and a GE repair person would come out and determine if this was the case "at no charge. Further checking disclosed that if this was NOT the problem, I could pay for a service call. While this transaction took place, the GE microwave oven just died. It completely stopped working!

Now I can have the pleasure of calling the consumer relations and they will send a repair person to investigate the microwave. I canceled the scheduled repair visit as this is just another way for GE to make money! I have an old microwave I pulled from the garage, bought from JC Penney, and it has been working for over 10 years. Why can't GE products be as reliable?

These fairly new products are failing or completely dead.

I want these appliances fixed. I will not pay service charges for defective products. The limited amount of time these BRAND, NEW appliances have been owned is too short a time for so much trouble. GE agents tell me that
they can do nothing! That is amazing to me that they have neither authority nor ability to really provide customer satisfaction. Apparently only writing a letter to Ray Graft, VP of Consumer Relations, is the only recourse. It seems doubtful to me that Ray Graft will do anything.

I want Ray Graft to authorize a GE service repair person to determine what is causing the refrigerator to be unable to dispense the drinking water. I want to know why this microwave just died. I want this done without incurring any cost to me. How embarrassing to have a customer who trusted the reliability of GE's products and what a let down. If I hear nothing back, I will replace these products and never buy GE again.

I strongly encourage anyone who is looking for applainces to not buy a GE product.

Andrea
Ladson, South Carolina
U.S.A.