I bought this fridge about 2 years ago. I've had none of the issues that the other reviewer spoke of. I will hazard to say the review was from a competitor.If a consumer has such fundamental issues with an item so early on, why didn't he get it fixed/replaced/rectified under the warranty?
The guy just goes on and on about how bad it was, suggesting customer service just blew him off, never specifying what had to be done or whether it was one.
It is a classic false complaint generated by competitors to disparage a decent product.
At any rate, I love this fridge...it looks beautiful and works as quietly and efficiently as has been advertised.
And no, I don't work for Whirlpool, nor does anyone I know.
however, in order to get the unit fixed, i had to suffer through the customer service of a&e factory service. i had an appointment window of 8 am to noon. the technician did not get to my house until 6 pm! i read other reviews of a&e and the lateness appears to be pervasive. i will never buy an appliance where the warranty is covered by a&e.
other than that, the refrigerator is fine. the freezer could be considered on the smaller side, but it works for my family's purpose. i like the look of the bottom freezer, but next time i think i will either go for a side by side or top, they don't seem to have the problems bottoms do.So far, so good but it took a week of research online, going to stores and talking to appliance people on the phone to make a decision to purchase this model. The word on refrigeration today from consumers does not inspire confidence. After reading all the consumer complaints of every model...none of them in this price bracket seemed Built-To-Last for more than 5 years and that's IF you are lucky to get to 5 yrs without a major repair. My old fridge was Kitchen-Aid and I purchased it in 1996 so, things have changed in the industry and not for the better for consumers.
I paid $1489.00 and purchased a warranty contract for 5 years. Having to purchase warranty contracts for every appliance reveals how fragile today's appliances really are. I also own a Whirlpool range and the Motherboard blew after only 1 year. My last range Kitchen Aid lasted 14 yrs with 1 repair. I did not buy a warranty for the range (naive) but after speaking to Whirlpool's Hazard Dept. they agreed to fix it on their dime, this time.
Every appliance carries only a 1 year warranty today which is also telling of the lack of confidence these companies have in their own products! (LG has a 5 yr on their fridges compressors but lots of complaints about breakage on their fridges.) Repairs to these appliances without a warranty cost almost as much as buying a new one. So...consumers throw out a young appliance and buy a new one but are also realizing after this happens a few times that this is planned obsolescence by the appliance companies! Where do appliances go to die...landfills. They may now be more efficient according to the EPA standards..but 1)they don't last as long and 2)the landfills are taking the brunt. I would think the EPA would be concerned about that but it doesn't seem so.
I went into this purchase with my eyes open but could never find one model or appliance company in the affordable bracket that has not been trashed by owners for breakage or had many consumer complaints registered! The identical thing happened when I needed a new washer & dryer and thankfully, I found Speed Queen. The problems in today's appliances stem from failure of the Motherboards and Speed Queen does not use them in the model I purchased. I LOVE my SQ washer and dryer and wish that there were a refrigerator company who would build with the same integrity as SQ builds their products. If there is a company out there who does that....I couldn't find them. SQ washers/dryers have lasted consumers up to 27 years!
Now, to the Whirlpool fridge. I have to say, I love it...right now that is. It's very pretty in stainless and having the freezer on the bottom has been great. Being able to open the door and see everything clearly at eye level is fabulous, no more bending over digging around looking for things! If you wanted to hide something in my Kitchen Aid like chocolate...you could put it on the top shelve because no one in my family would bend over to look on that shelf lol. I can't hide anything any longer in this fridge, it's all on display (thankfully).
I love the the shelving set-up, the big bins & door bins but Whirlpool could have made those bins a little stronger imo. My old Kitchen-Aid had bins & door shelves that were pretty, substantial and on smooth rollers with stops. These bins and door shelves are very thin clear plastic, no rollers and could break/crack easily. I've read online from other owners that they have broken and replacing them is expensive. This goes hand-in-hand with the question of whether these appliances are made to last more than 5 years. Whirlpool does not keep parts for any appliance past the 7 yr mark. Hum? (The same model but a Kitchen Aid cost $400 more so, the bins,etc. were probably of better quality.) Whirlpool owns Kitchen Aid and a total of 13 appliance brands.
So far, it's keeping everything cool but I have to set it at 7 which is the highest level and it keeps it at 40 degrees. The regulation temp is suppose to be 35-38 degrees but that's the best this can do on hot days. The freezer is set at 4 and seems to be perfect. There is only 1 compressor in this model which operates both the freezer and fridge. The Samsung twin of this model has 2 (one for each) which is better but getting a Samsung repaired apparently is a nightmare. I'm not sure if keeping it on 7 will stress the compressor over time but summer in VA is very hot so, 7 it is and if it breaks...I will come back to update this review.
I kept the door bins from the Kitchen Aid because they are pretty and well made. I'm using them to hold bottles of rarely used things like, olives, soy sauce, etc. and put them at the back of the glass fridge shelves because it keeps them from falling over and spilling when you reach for something else. I also kept the egg holder because this model doesn't come with one.
There is an ice maker in this model but I turned it off and will not be using it.Purchased the Gold Series Whirlpool bottom freezer model 18 months ago and have had nothing but problems with both the unit and customer service. Seems like there is a design flaw with this because the bottom of freezer continues to build up with ice and then starts to leak on the floor. This seems to cause odors with the ice as well. I have defrosted, de-iced, and cleaned the drain multiple times but the issue reoccurs. Whirlpool customer service is very poor they behave like they are trying to limit exposure and damage related to a flaw. I would advise anyone NOT to buy this or any other Whirlpool product. If you doubt this review Google the issue and you will find many similar experiences, If you buy this model be prepared to constantly be breaking up sheets of ice from the freezer bottom and mopping up puddles from your floor!
No comments:
Post a Comment