- Report: #817835
Complaint Review: Whirlpool Corporation - Benton Harbor Michigan
Reported By:
Debbie''s Neptune washer -
Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
Whirlpool Corporation
553 Benson Road, Benton Harbor, MI 49022 Benton Harbor, 49022 Michigan, United States of America
Phone:
1-800-626-2001
Web:
www.whirlpool.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
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Whirlpool Corporation Federal Warantee Services Corp Did not honor Extended Warantee on Maytag Neptune Washer, lied about coverage. Benton Harbor, Michigan
I called Maytag Service on the 28th of December to report a problem with my Neptune washer. I was told that i could either have a technician come out to diagnose the problem or i could purchase an extended warantee that weould cover all parts and labor on that machine for 1 full year. The Warantee cost $319.90. I agreed, provided my credit cards. I received the actual written agreement on the 29th at 8:00 p.m. via e-mail.
A technician came to my home on the 30th to look at the washer. He ran it for just a few minutes and said that a bearing was bad. He said it was a rather extensive repair and he would have to call the warantee company to see how they would handle it. He was on the phone with them for a good 30 minutes and then he told me I would be getting a new washer as the repair was just too expensive to perform on a machine this old. He said i could go and pick out a new machine and they would call me in a few days.
On January 4, 2012 i received a call and the peron told me that they were willing to give me a cash buyout in the amount of $151.53 - not enough for neither a new machine nor a repair. So basically i am out close to $170.00 for absolutely nothing. I asked him if they would pleae consider refunding my $319.90 as the warantee was totally useless. he said no and i asked him who I could speak to in order to find out what could be done. He gave me a number and a case number.
Lon, long story short. After 6 or 7 calls of being told that they would never repair a machine this old and clearly they are not giving me anything more than $151.53, I decided to try to see if other people have had this problem with this company. i found out that Maytag was purchased by Whirlpool.
There are three main points here that make believe Whirlpool Corp is unethical in it's selling of these extended warantees.
1. They knew the age of the machine when they offered me the warantee. Clearly they knew that barely anything would be covered, yet they took my money regardless.
2. They sent me the contract paperwork long after the transaction took place.
3. The repairman was very clear that they would replace my current washer with any washer i wanted - i specifically asked. Quite frankly, i would be fine if they would jsut fix my washer as they promised me on the phone right up front.
A technician came to my home on the 30th to look at the washer. He ran it for just a few minutes and said that a bearing was bad. He said it was a rather extensive repair and he would have to call the warantee company to see how they would handle it. He was on the phone with them for a good 30 minutes and then he told me I would be getting a new washer as the repair was just too expensive to perform on a machine this old. He said i could go and pick out a new machine and they would call me in a few days.
On January 4, 2012 i received a call and the peron told me that they were willing to give me a cash buyout in the amount of $151.53 - not enough for neither a new machine nor a repair. So basically i am out close to $170.00 for absolutely nothing. I asked him if they would pleae consider refunding my $319.90 as the warantee was totally useless. he said no and i asked him who I could speak to in order to find out what could be done. He gave me a number and a case number.
Lon, long story short. After 6 or 7 calls of being told that they would never repair a machine this old and clearly they are not giving me anything more than $151.53, I decided to try to see if other people have had this problem with this company. i found out that Maytag was purchased by Whirlpool.
There are three main points here that make believe Whirlpool Corp is unethical in it's selling of these extended warantees.
1. They knew the age of the machine when they offered me the warantee. Clearly they knew that barely anything would be covered, yet they took my money regardless.
2. They sent me the contract paperwork long after the transaction took place.
3. The repairman was very clear that they would replace my current washer with any washer i wanted - i specifically asked. Quite frankly, i would be fine if they would jsut fix my washer as they promised me on the phone right up front.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Whirlpool Cares
Benton Harbor,Michigan,
USA
Extended Warranty from Federal Warantee Services Corp
#2UPDATE Employee
Thu, April 12, 2012
Hello Debbie.
My name is Melanie and I am a representative of Whirlpool. We apologize about the frustration you have experienced with the extended service plan administrator. If you other concerns we can address, please provide your name, the site you
were contacted on, your user ID name, your phone number, your address, the full model and serial number, and email the requested information to [email protected].
We would be happy to review your concerns further.
Sincerely,
Melanie.
Robert
Buffalo,New York,
USA
Once again, the devil is in the details
#3Consumer Suggestion
Thu, January 05, 2012
What does your written "warranty" from them state about "cash buyout?" I'm quite certain there is a clause in there somewhere about this. What are the terms of any such buyout? You have the warranty documents, so what do the papers state? This is crucial.
A charge back most likely will NOT work for the reasons that Robert stated. You agreed to the warranty (authorized charges) and they covered the service call. What is in dispute is their offered "remedy" which is to buy you out. Remember, charge backs are not successful just on the credit card holder's word. The merchant will be contacted by the CC card company and will be afforded an opportunity to explain why the charges are valid. The CC company will then make a determination if the charges were valid (authorized.)
READ your warranty documents very carefully, then read them again. Look for anything that references an offer to "buy out" the agreement or "what if" the repair is too costly.
Further, NO WARRANTY is going to allow you to replace an old washer with "ANY" new washer of your choosing. Normally, you might be offered a replacement of the washer with another washer of comparable value.
IF there is nothing in your warranty documents that stipulate any type of "buy out" option, I suggest you contact your State Attorney General or State agency for consumer protection.
Robert
Irvine,California,
U.S.A.
Problem with Chargeback
#4Consumer Comment
Thu, January 05, 2012
While you can do a Charge back it might cause you some issues.First it may not even work because you agreed to the warranty, and they did not only cover the Service Call but are "covering" it by offering you $151 for your washer. Now, of course you don't agree with the amount but that is generally not grounds for a Credit Card company to approve your dispute. You can try to convince them that you didn't want a tech to come out and the only reason they did is because they talked you into the warranty but you are probably on very shaky ground with that claim.
But if the charge back is successful remember you did have someone come out and diagnose the problem. This was covered under the warranty. So if you basically cancel the warranty you would then be obligated to pay for this service call. While $170 would be a higher service/trip charge it could defiantly be in the $100+ range. So you have to add the cost of that service call into the amount they are offering you for your washer.
Also, you made one other interesting statements
1. They knew the age of the machine when they offered me the warantee. Clearly they knew that barely anything would be covered, yet they took my money regardless.
- You also knew the age of the machine so why did you think it was worth $319 to cover it for 1 year rather than buying a new one? How old was your machine? By the way they did cover the service call and were going to "buy back" your washer for $150.
2. They sent me the contract paperwork long after the transaction took place
- Well I wouldn't exactly call the next day "long after" or "unethical"
3. The repairman was very clear that they would replace my current washer with any washer i wanted - i specifically asked. Quite frankly, i would be fine if they would jsut fix my washer as they promised me on the phone right up front.
- What authority did the repairman have to make that statement, and what proof do you have in writing that this is the case?
Out of curiosity how much is the washer that you wan them to pay for?
voiceofreason
North Carolina,United States of America
Charge back the warranty
#5Consumer Comment
Wed, January 04, 2012
Request your card issuer charge back the warranty charge.
Insist to them that the company sold it to you over the phone when you called them just to get a tech to come out, and it was sold on obviously false grounds since they now refuse to honor what you were told on phone. INSIST on it and be prepared to tell them you simply won't pay that amount if they claim you made a legit charge for it. I don't think they'll cancel your card and take you to collections for this when it would be less grief for them to do the charge back.
