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Consumer Reports product reviews are heavily weighted toward their lab testing. The user reviews are likely dominated by unhappy buyers who, IMHO, tend to write in more than happy ones. Balancing the two can be a fine art. My own totally subjective experience with appliances in East Hawaii has caused me to avoid those with more evolved computer chips, or any chips at all if possible. Example: Bought a highly rated Kenmore front-loading washing machine about six years ago. Within 20 months, it had gone through three chips. I asked the repair guy if the chips were faulty, and he told me that although they "aren't wonderful," the humidity and salt air around here caused them to frequently fail. (My wash area is on the carport. YMMV) I replaced the high tech washer with an old style one with mechanical timers and dials, no chip. It has been trouble free for four years now. The guy who sold it to me said he sells an amazing number of that model, the only one that HD sold at the time without a chip.
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" Balancing the two can be a fine art."
True that. The deciding factor for me wasn't the consumer reports rating it was the amazon users rating.
I find that looking at older models have the best reviews. It's one thing to see a bunch of glowing reviews for a microwave that's been on the market for 6 months, its another to see how the reviews change when all those same units stop working a year later.
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Glad I looked at this thread, found out my washer is on the recall list. Plan to get the process started tomorrow, should be interesting to see what happens...
Puna: Our roosters crow first
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Update:
Went to Samsung website, got the forms. Then went to Home Depot to see if they had a replacement. They didn't, and I would be 51st in line to get one.
So, off to Lowes I went. They had several in stock so I bought one. Week later it's delivered.
Now I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I eventually get my rebate from Samsung.
Puna: Our roosters crow first
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So glad to hear about a happy ending. The only way I'd drive into a Lowe's parking lot is in a bulldozer.
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OK, I ignored this advice.
My oven died. I tried the internet fix, ordered and installed a part, but it didn't fix the problem. Next stage costs nearly as much as a new oven, so I went shopping.
Lowe's website had exactly the stove I wanted, at a great price, even said it was in stock, I can pick it up today, or get it delivered as soon as tomorrow. (Gas! Grill over the entire top! LP conversion kit included! On sale! Black!)
Called the store, they said they'd check to make sure it was really there and call me back.
I called back 5 hours later, talked to somebody else who said they'd check stock and get back to me in 15 minutes.
20 minutes later, the first guy calls and said it's not in stock, but I can order it online. It'll take 4-6 weeks, more likely 6.
I order it online.
2 hours later, I get a call that they've cancelled the order because they aren't getting any more in any time soon. I ask about a special order, they say I have to talk to appliances. I call, get put on hold, then disconnected. Repeat. Repeat. Finally get appliance guy (not one I talked to earlier) who says there aren't any in stock in LA, so it will take at least 3 months before it arrives. He suggests a stainless one, at a higher price.
So 7 phone calls. talked to 4 different people, and it looks like I have to find a stove somewhere else.
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It's a good thing you stopped after talking to four people. After the 5th person they've gathered enough information about you to make a voodoo doll in your likeness. There is a Lowes call center in Mumbai that is built on an ancient Indian burial ground. The voodoo dolls are pricked there with used hypodermic needles imported from the Jersey shore until the dolls disintegrate. If you didn't buy an appliance at Lowes, your suffering is over after doll disintegration. If you did buy something, they make another dingy doll and continue pricking it until you have suffered for 12 months. If you bought an extended warranty, the dolls are continuously re-made and the needle stabbing continues until the extended warranty has expired.
There is only one way to break the voodoo spell, but it involves finding a working Curtis Mathes television. The journey will be long and expensive, but darn well worth it.
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Sooooo
I ordered the same stove from Home Depot. Got a lot of run-around there, too, but eventually worked it out. They confirmed that it came with a conversion kit, and I could install the kit myself. Should arrive in 4-6 weeks.
I ordered the stove January 31st.
March 1st, I called; they said the stove was on island, should be unloaded from the container in a couple of weeks.
March 15th: still not unloaded.
March 19th: they called, it's unpacked, and we need to bring them $75 cash (no credit cards) for the conversion. Much arguing, since this sure feels like a shake-down. Before purchase, they said I could do it myself, now they say that would void the warranty. Store manager finally agrees to do the conversion at no additional charge. Conversion should be done Tuesday or Thursday (March 21 or 23).
March 26: still no stove.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
I guess the take-away here is not to ever expect any vendor to tell the truth or provide the most basic service.
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In the future, I will def envision those voodoo dolls when buying appliances, terracore. Mahalo!
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