Sears Complaint - Feeling Ripped Off With Whirlpool Washer - Whirlpool Bravos

Posted by Molly76 on 2011-12-24:

Try Speed Queen. Take a look at their web site and see what you think.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-12-24:

When I got a replacement washer from Sears under the terms of my contract, I was able to choose any brand in the store. Oddly enough, I picked a Kenmore, which has served me well.

Do yourself a favor and switch to a basic washer with an agitator and no idiot board. It will be less likely to break down, and your clothes will come out cleaner. If it does break, it will be easier and less expensive to fix. I realize people are drawn to the new and fancy high tech machines, but the technology is not there and neither is the quality, regardless of brand.

Posted by At Your Service on 2011-12-24:

I sure am sorry to hear of your frustrations imacreator97. Hopefully, I can clear up some confusion on your part.

First, you've suggested your problem is with a "Whirlpool Bravo" and that this is the same thing as Sears. The two companies, that being Whirlpool and Sears, are completely independent of each other. Sears has contracted with Whirlpool to create several unique Kenmore branded products for them, but they also have several other companies create Kenmore branded appliances too. L.G. and Frigidaire are just some of the manufacturers.

In addition to this mistake is the notion that Whirlpool and Bravo(s) are one and the same; they are not. Whirlpool produces a front loading, high efficient washer line called Duet; they also create a high efficient, top loading washer line called Cabrio. Their sister company, Maytag, produces a high efficient, top loading washer line called Bravos.

With all of this said, it's hard to distinguish whether you own a Kenmore, Whirlpool or Maytag branded appliance and, if so, exactly which product line and model it is.

You do suggest that the product has, "everything run by computers." This is true however, it is important to understand that nearly every appliance does today. Many people have mistakenly thought that, because the selection device is in the form of a knob instead of a panel, that control happens mechanically; it does not. In such cases, the knob is used as a type of actuator, controlling other circuitry.

You also state that your protection plan, "requires that I receive 4 new parts within a year..." as if, by not replacing such parts would somehow void your warranty. This is, of course, not the case. No protection program REQUIRE parts be replaced or that service is even required. My guess is that you would hope that your washer could be replaced but, in order to do so, four parts needed to be replaced within a year. This is a form of a "No Lemon GUARANTEE". One person here mistakenly called it a law which, of course, it is not. The guarantee is as much for the warranty provider's protection is it is yours. They don't want to continue to "flog a dead horse" so to speak. So if it's determined, generally by trying to resolve the same problem three times, by the fourth it's replaced. Most importantly, it is important you track this service record as much as anyone else in case you ever need to use this replacement option.

I wasn't aware of any place offering the rental option for a product to use while your's is out of service. This is actually a pretty good idea and, reasonably, should only need to cover the rental of said product while your's is being serviced. It sounds like, without thinking about it, you've agreed to a longer term rental agreement then was needed and, thereby, are now stuck with the balance. I find it difficult to blame this on the warranty provider, however.

It sounds frustrating that you need to have the service technician come out again to discover why none of your cycles are working at all. Believe me, they do not want to make another trip out to resolve the problem either. In some cases, however, when you think you've resolved one problem the entire issue is not absolutely fixed. It's kind of like replacing a fuse only to have the new fuse blow somewhat easily again. It's only then that one will dig even further to find a particular wiring problem that is the real issue.

I would be interested in knowing what takes place on the next trip out; as well as having the other questions, brought up originally, filled in. What brand and model is it we're actually discussing? Please let us know as well as if I can be of any further help.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-12-24:

Nerd to the rescue!..

"As for knobs being on circuit boards, I am aware of this. But appliances that use knobs are mostly mechanical, not electronic, in nature, even if a circuit board is used. This technology has been proven with years and years of use. A knob-control appliance will not have problems with "error codes" or touch screen controls that do not respond. You just set the dial and forget it until the cycle completes. That's why I prefer a basic knob-control appliance as opposed to one with all the bells and whistles."

The lemon clause in a contract is commonly referred to as the Lemon Law. No one ever said it was a law.

"The guarantee is as much for the warranty provider's protection is it is yours. They don't want to continue to "flog a dead horse" so to speak. So if it's determined, generally by trying to resolve the same problem three times, by the fourth it's replaced. Most importantly, it is important you track this service record as much as anyone else in case you ever need to use this replacement option."

That simple isn't true, especially if your contract is with Sears. Five different parts need to be replaced within one year in order to qualify for a replacement. And yes, Sears does want to "flog a dead horse". They will flog forever just not to honor the contract. At least a dozen techs worked on my washer, ultimately rebuilding the entire machine, knowing that it couldn't be fixed. They fully expected me to give up, but my persistence paid off. After a year of aggravation and inconvenience, Sears reluctantly honored the contract.

At Your Service, you really should stop giving out false information about replacements unless you have read the contract in question.

Posted by ok4now on 2011-12-24:

I mean no offense to the OP who has a legitimate complaint about about a defective product. It is getting soooo redundant about the Sears/Whirlpool complaints and dissatisfied customers. Numerous posts have addressed this issue with no resolution. Searscare responds with format answers doing damage control. The only three members who consistently respond are Venice, At Your Service and myself. I have come to the conclusion that we are wasting our time. Sears/Whirlpool will continued to ripoff uninformed customers. They will reap huge profits with their shoddy products. We can continue to post our opinion which falls on deaf ears. This site is a sounding board which makes for a good read but has no effect on the problem. I wish it was different.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-12-24:

I don't know, ok4now. Maybe you're right. My main goal is to support people with appliance complaints. I don't want them led to believe their complaints are not valid or that they caused the problems. The complaints are real and shouldn't be addressed with lame excuses and illogical reasoning. My run-in with Sears was a rude awakening. I was completely shocked by their tactics. And I see the same thing here every day. If one person pursues their complaint because of something I've said, then it's worth my while. And if more people fight back, these companies will be forced to change. It's not a game when people spend thousands of dollars on appliances just to find out their money was wasted.

Posted by Anonymous on 2011-12-24:

ok4now and Venice. You are not wasting your time.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-12-24:

Thanks, John. I really do feel sorry for people who spend their hard earned money and put their faith in companies only to be disappointed in the end. These appliances are expensive, and people can no longer just replace them when things go wrong. Any why should they have to? These companies need to be held responsible.

Posted by TheOldSheriff on 2011-12-24:

ok4now, your continued responses will probably help a handful of people down the road that search the web BEFORE they buy. Don't give up. Keep up the good work!

Posted by madconsumer on 2011-12-24:

great comment AYS!!

Posted by trmn8r on 2011-12-24:

After reading the complaints about the new HE washers, I agree with Venice's sentiment - if you can, buy a traditional Plain Jane machine. Uses more water, is more reliable, gets the clothes cleaner, costs less money.

To heck with the government foisting all these regulations on us that end up costing us more money and aggravation. Another example is ethanol. Ruined my chainsaw carburetor, my motorcycle's electronic gas gauge.

Does anyone know if you can still buy a regular old washing machine without a computer in it? Unless it was made illegal, you should be able to do so.

Posted by clutzycook on 2011-12-24:

They still made them as of a few years ago. Don't know about now. I haven't had a reason to look. My washer refuses to die, thank goodness.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-12-24:

Trmn, if you read Nerd's comment above, you'll see why I'll still buy a washing machine with knobs. Yes, they are available, and I don't see them going away anytime soon.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-12-24:

Molly, just saw your comment. That's my plan. I already have a Speed Queen picked out. Just waiting for the old washer to kick the bucket. Any day now!

Posted by Molly76 on 2011-12-24:

For anyone who is wondering a top load Speed Queen is not a computer controlled. It is a timer (old fashioned one) and relay switches with thick old fashioned wire.

My only complaint is there is no warm water rinse on the washer, our water comes out of the ground almost freezing. So we have a thingy that mixes hot and cold water at the faucets before it gets to the washer.

With all these motherboards backordered who needs them?

Posted by raven2010 on 2011-12-24:

A few months ago I bought a machine for less than $250.

It has knobs and very few settings. ZERO bells and whistles.

It is a GE model GTWP1000M and I love it!

Posted by trmn8r on 2011-12-24:

Molly76 - same thing with my RCA from 16 years ago - cold rinse only. My mom's old tank had all kinds of controls, including warm rinse.

I'm glad to hear that you can still get a plain old washing machine that gets the job done reliably. This new stuff that takes the clothing on an amusement park ride and comes in Cobalt Blue and Candy Apple doesn't impress me at all.

Posted by At Your Service on 2011-12-25:

Thanks MadConsumer. I appreciate it. Not sure what I've done to offend the others. I've tried to aways provide direct information, important to the topic at hand. But many others seem to only want to lash out and anyone and anything they disagree with. I'm not going down that path. I've nicely posted things to others, even wishing them a Merry Christmas during this time of year, just to have irate comments returned. I even asked the administration a simple question a week ago, in an e-mail, and was completely ignored. And then there is absolutely no respect for representatives of the retailers and manufacturers who attempt to reach out to many of the posts here; all because the details as to what has, is or will take place with every situation is not divulged to the general public.

Maybe the answer to your complaints have much more to do with yourselves than with the products being complained about.

Posted by ok4now on 2011-12-25:

I agree with most of the posts but here's what is missing. Yes the Speed Queen is probably a reliable washer due to its simplicity. It has knobs with no bells & whistles. So did a 1990's automobile. This doesn't make it good, just old technology. Sure you're reading some complaints, mostly Kenmore & Whirlpool sold by Sears. The fact is most of these new washers are front loaders which are highly efficient, get your clothes clean and have very few problems. The consumer needs to do their homework and select a reliable brand.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-12-25:

I wanted a front loader long before they became available for residential use and was going to be the first in line to buy one. But when they finally came on the market, I decided to wait. And I am very glad I did. I realize there are many people who love them, but I'd rather not press my luck with something that has so many complaints. I'm still hoping that someday front loaders will be perfected, but for now I'm sticking with a basic, reliable top loader.

Good info, Molly. Thanks. The washer I have now only has cold water rinse. I wasn't happy at first, but I got used to it. I have a feeling all washers are like that now.

Raven, a $250 washer is probably just as reliable as a more expensive one. I bought a better one because I wanted a bigger tub and more water level/temp settings. But I honestly don't think there is much difference in the overall quality.

I have seen OPs criticized, discredited, blamed and even argued with, all in an attempt to invalidate their complaints, and mostly based on assumptions. Some come back and respond, but I'm sure there are some who fall for it and do not pursue their complaints. Someone needs to be on their side because they deserve to be heard and to have their problems resolved.

I have always given Sears credit for responding to reviews. Brian is even on my trust list. The problem is that we don't know if they actually help or it's just damage control. I don't think too many OPs look back at their reviews, so they probably don't even know Sears responded. I think there's an option to contact Sears directly before writing a review. I wonder how many people do that and what kind of results they get.

Posted by Anonymous on 2011-12-25:

"I'm hoping front loaders to be perfected...." Umm you do realize they've been out for at least 30 years in Asia and Europe. Commercially they are all that has been used in probably 50 years.
Electronics are not the issue, you have circuit boards in some of the most hostile environments. Its the protection of said boards that is the
issue. The problem is white goods are disposable as American's want cheap - Haier makes a lot of the guts exclusively for the US market. You won't find this crap sold in Asia or Europe.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-12-25:

I know front loaders have been available commercially for a long time, but they were not available for residential use. That's what I was waiting for until I decided they were too much trouble.

What makes you think Americans want disposable products? Judging by the reviews, that's exactly what they don't want. These front loaders may be cheaply made, but that are not inexpensive. That's the basis of a lot of complaints. Consumers do not think they are getting what they paid for.

Posted by Anonymous on 2011-12-25:

I purchased my first front loading Miele about 22 years ago in Maryland. Stop into a quality appliance store, they'll tell you they've sold front loaders for at least 25 years in the US. Quality comes with a price. you can still buy well crafted US built appliances Sub-Zero, Wolf, or imports Fisher & Paykel, Miele but you have to pay more. "What makes you think American's want disposable products?" Sorry to burst your bubble but we tend to be very price sensitive and quality is typically secondary,that's why you don't see Sub-Zero flying off the shelves and people buying more BMW's than Chevys.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-12-25:

Quality shouldn't have to be unaffordable. You don't have to buy a BMW to get quality and reliability. I disagree that quality is secondary. People are opening their wallets to buy what they think are better appliances only to find out the quality isn't there. Just read the reviews. Over $1,200.00 for a clothes dryer? Seriously? And it doesn't even work right.

The first time I saw a front loading washer was 35 years ago in a laundromat. That's when I decided I wanted one. They were not available for residential use at that time, to my knowledge. I patiently waited but was very disappointed when the time finally came.

Posted by raven2010 on 2011-12-25:

Venice,

I agree. My basic machine has 3 water levels and three temp settings (all with cold rinse) as well as 12 wash settings. The tub size is 3.3 cubic feet.
http://appliances.pricegrabber.com/washing-machines/GE-Appliances-White-Capacity-Smooth-Basket/m813280928.html/search=gtwp1000m/mode=pg_google_us_exact/skd=1

The one I had before that was very basic also. I think I got about 18 years out of it before the motor crapped out.

Posted by Anonymous on 2011-12-25:

Sears merging with Kmart in 2005 was the beginning of the end.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-12-25:

I have to agree that the Sears/Kmart merger was the downfall. When I first started complaining about Sears, my husband mentioned that it was probably because of the merger, and he was right.

I can't imagine any appliance lasting 18 years anymore. That's the part I just don't understand. Instead of appliances getting better, they've gotten worse. Why are they going in the wrong direction?

Posted by trmn8r on 2011-12-25:

I heard recently that it is because consumers don't want to pay an inflation-adjusted price for them. In other words, it's hard to find someone willing to pay $900 for a plain, or $1400 for a fancy washing machine, when 15 years ago the plain one cost $400 and the fancy one didn't exist. Something like that, I think.

Personally, I like reliability and would pay for it.

Posted by SearsCare on 2011-12-27:

Dear imacreator97,

I came across your post and I wanted to reach out and offer our assistance in getting this unfortunate situation resolved. We’re very sorry to hear about the service you have received on your washer from our team and we apologize for the frustration this has caused you. My name is Robert and I’m part of the Sears Cares Escalations team and we value you as a customer. We would like to have one of our dedicated case managers contact you in order to ensure proper resolution to your issue and an end to your frustration. At your convenience, please contact my office via email at smsupport@searshc.com. In the email, please provide a contact phone number and the phone number the repair was scheduled under (if different than the contact phone number) and we will call you directly. Also, in your email, please provide your screen name (imacreator97) for reference to your issue, and we do look forward to talking to you soon.

Thank you,
Robert B.
Social Media Moderator
Sears Social Media Support