Complaint Review: Appliance HD -

Appliance HD is advertising like they are an appliance repair company. (See Excerpt below)

"Our appliance repair technicians can fix any of your appliances - fridge, washer, dryer, oven, microwave, trash compactor, freezer and more! We service all major brands. Our fast and affordable dispatch can get your appliance like brand new. Give us a call and we'll have a mobile technician out asap!"

https://www.appliancehd.com/

But here is what actually happens:

You contact them about your fridge not working, or a dishwasher problem. They tell you they can have someone over in no time: they just need your credit card info to cover the $70 diagnosis fee. 

They keep the $70 dollars and then call another appliance technician to service your appliance. 

"Get 100% Free Appliance Repair Jobs

Stop buying worthless leads and competing to get a job. We book the job and schedule it - and you simply claim it. Once you claim the job - the client is yours! We collect the diagnosis fee from the customer and you get 100% of the repair fee. It's that easy!"

https://www.appliancehd.com/jobs.php

Once they collect there $70 they don't care, they don't care about the technician or the customer. I was a technician and was given a job for a door dent in a fridge. I spoke with the customer got the details and gave him a quote. I didn't leave my desk he was comparing costs. Appliance HD charged him $70 as a "diagnostic" fee but since he refused to pay they tried to get me (Tech) to pay it, it's in our agreement they said.

Once I found out my account was frozen I figured no good company would willfuly try to swindle people? I was emailing back and forth with pictures and finally spoke with Ashley and to quote "Either pay the money or don't come back" and "I don't have time to go back and forth" 

Let's read the emails that I had with Appliance HD.

From: ApplianceHD Support <[email protected]>

We are not interested in having you claim jobs from us. Best of luck to you.

Thanks

 

From Me:

Interesting that first I didn't go then I didn't show then I didn't go.

Quoting a dented door isn't diagnosing.

But why didn’t AHD contact me when an issue arose? "As told to me when signing up?"

Do you mind responding to some of the questions I asked?

 

From: ApplianceHD Support <[email protected]>

You didn't go - just had the customer send you pictures. Customer refused to pay us. As told to you when signing up you cannot diagnose over phone.

 

From me:

My recommendation had you asked for it in May when the customer called and refused to pay – Don’t charge him the $70 now if he accepts the quote, I’ll cover the $70 this way we get the job and everyone wins. This might be the reason that he didn’t take the job. Does that mean I get to ask you to cover the $330?

I don’t think I’m being unreasonable in asking that Appliance HD communicate with me when there is a beneficial interest.  I was very specific when I talked to Leann because I didn’t want this exact situation, had AHD called when this first came up, we could have made it work and everyone gets paid. AHD decided not to talk to me or get my input but then say I must cover for it.

Based on the way this has been handled: isn’t it reasonable to expect AHD to cover the ~300 job since AHD lack of communication to me may have negatively impacted the customer’s perception of my company?

 

From: ApplianceHD Support <[email protected]>

Then you didn't show up during the time window. Customer called after time window, refused to pay said you did not show.

 

On Thu, Aug 6, 2020 at 12:06 PM I wrote:

Also, incorrect:

 

 From: ApplianceHD Support <[email protected]>

You also claimed another job you completely did not show up to - $70 is due for that.

 

On Thu, Aug 6, 2020 at 10:50 AM I wrote wrote:

Interesting way to start “getting both sides of the story”

I’m going to preface this with Appliance HD could have handled this situation better but let’s go through this, also when I onboarded with you I specifically asked LeAnn about how a situation like this would be handled: this is the complete opposite of what she indicated.

Let’s make sure we are using the right terminology: I didn’t “take” any money, every job I perform has a signed estimate prior to starting the work and a signed invoice when work is completed.

“You took money from client(s) and did not return to them: Factually wrong –

I only worked for 2 of your clients

R

Job Scheduled for 5/3

Diagnosed as needing a new main PCB (W11116495)

Collected a deposit for a special-order board (290.04)

Deposit Paid on 05/03 with a visa ending

Receipt sent on 5/3

Job was scheduled for 5/13 9:30 – 12:30

On my way SMS sent to 5/13 9:21AM

Remaining balance of $154.74 was paid with a visa ending

Receipt sent on 5/03

Last message “Perfect sounds good. See u then. Thank you!” 5/12 5:25PM

O -

See attached pictures of my responses to Appliance HD but no response back.

Job Scheduled for 5/3

Complaint of door not unlocking, and an error code F6

Tested the User interface and the CCU voltage was present to the board and the control panel was responsive, the door lock switch wouldn’t function.

Spoke with O and told him that he has 2 separate issues: a control board that failed and a door lock that needs replaced. (5/3)

The Control board is special order shipping times across the country were delayed but O wasn’t accepting it.  I sent pictures of the message from FedEx on May 4th that shipping times were delayed due to COVID. (5/6)

He complained that he didn’t like waiting and that we should get a delivery timeline. I had told him repeatedly what FEDEX was saying and what Marcone was saying. I specifically offered to call him as soon as I had the part in my hand and he just needed to tell me when to come over. I specifically mentioned that I only live 10 minutes away and would accommodate a late afternoon/evening appointment. (5/6)

I installed the new board and the door lock went from not working to intermittently working/not working. (5/6)

For Marcone to warranty the boards we must troubleshoot them with the manufacturer. Whirlpool confirmed the board was the issue and because these boards are remanufactured (see the core charge) they can ship bad. I opened the new board and saw that 2 of the capacitors had discharged and 2 of the traces had swollen. (See Pics) 5/6

5/7 I informed O that we will be getting a replacement brough in on 5/8. I informed him at 330 that the board hadn’t arrived.  I offered to repair the old board to get him up and running until the replacement came in. “It would solely be a stop-gap but it’s better than nothing”

5/8 O texted “No need we can’t wait any longer I have called the main office and told them that we are not proceeding with the repair unless the washer can be repaired today”

Me: As I explained I can try to repair the original board and get you up and running until the new one comes”

O: “Mike we appreciate your efforts but trying to repair the original board is not a good enough option for us:

 Me: “It would be temporary until the replacement can arrive. I can’t replace components on the new board without voiding your warranty”

O: “I understand but again, you are using the term "try to repair" which still does not guarantee me a working washer. We are already having to use a service for our laundry so thanks   for the offer, but we will pass. Thanks again for your efforts”

Me: “Ok. I can have Southgate deliver the replacement to your house or return the defective board to you. The original board needs to be shipped back for the core charge. And we will process the labor refund back to your card.”

O: “We do not need any parts back as we are buying a new washer. If you would like to come and pickup any other parts you installed, let us know when. I will be working with your main office on the refund.”

Me: “I can’t return any parts that have been installed.”

 

I then tried to call O on 3 separate occasions, but he failed to answer, or return messages.

Appliance HD chose to refund the trip fee – Appliance HD could have responded to the messages I replied to (See Pics) or called me to get my side of the story or input. Had this happened I’m sure we could have worked something out.

I am curious as to what Appliance HD thinks I should do in this situation our terms and conditions very clearly spell out that for special order items it is up to the consumer to pursue a refund. This isn’t my policy this comes from any supplier. Very few will accept an electronic item, I bent over backwards made multiple exceptions and did anything in my power to help him. I kept him clearly informed, the entire nation knew that COVID was causing shipping problems, but he refused to accept it. As a comparison look at R it took 9 days to get her board.

I am sure you are aware that not all customers are the same, some of unrealistic expectations or demands that are simply unmanageable.

Why wouldn’t Appliance HD want to contact me to figure out an amicable solution to this? Instead I tried to login and found my account suspended.

I’m interested in having this dialogue either via email or phone, but I don’t understand why Appliance HD is so reluctant on the communication aspect. I have clearly demonstrated a pattern of being responsive and keeping detailed records, but Appliance HD hasn’t.

 

 

From: ApplianceHD Support <[email protected]>

You took money from client(s) and did not return to them. We had to refund them our trip fee because of this as well which you owe to us and whatever refunds need to go to clients.

 

On Thu, Aug 6, 2020 at 9:35 AM I wrote:

Not sure where the breakdown is but I was working with Ashley - she said that there were "technical difficulties". I want to find out if Appliance HD is going to get both sides of the story and review the evidence that I submitted to Ashley or just make unilateral decisions without hearing both sides. Since I was "suspended" no one seems to respond to messages.

 

-----Original Message-----

From: ApplianceHD <[email protected]>

 

The following job was manually marked as diagnosed.

Customer Name: O

Service Address:

Service Date: 5/3/20 12pm-3pm

Your account manager has been notified of diagnosis.

Thank you,

ApplianceHD Support

I was finally able to reach Ashley and it was a very short conversation "Just getting me on the phone isn't going to change anything" "I don't have time to go back and forth either pay the money or don't come back"