My Rant of Today

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My Rant of Today

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

A little better than a week ago the washing machine (2 years 11 months old) I bought for a rental broke. One of the clips on the balance ring broke off. Course it happened on a Saturday night but Monday morning I was in to the appliance repair and the guy came out to look at it so as to get the right part which did arrive last Friday. Three day weekend brought him here this morning only to have had the wrong part shipped to him!! AND what was shipped was plastic!

So I have a good common Brand Name washing machine that the Appliance store said was good for a rental unit. Built to last and take abuse. Washer below with a stacking dryer on top. And on the balance ring which has like a bungee cord affair in each corner to hold the tub up is totally plastic!! No wonder one of the corners broke off which now has the entire tub spinning out of balance.

And they can't find a part :dv :dv :dv :dv

I mean I never expected them to keep any part here. You can never get anything here but for a General Electric aka GE not to have parts available? Enough to drive one crazy........And this machine is not even 3 yrs old.


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Re: My Rant of Today

Post by Horus »

If its the same part that I am thinking of that keeps the tub from vibrating once the uneven load starts to rotate in the washer, then here in the UK they are usually a metal spring and the outer drum is heavily weighted to counter the spin action (this is the main reason that washing machines are so heavy). I cannot imagine them using any sort of plastic to do that job, if they have then the design is indeed very poor and not to have what must be a common part in stock for a 3 year old machine is diabolical.
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Re: My Rant of Today

Post by Mad Dilys »

If it's the wrong part might that explain why its plastic? God knows what it's for but obviously not for your machine.

How annoying! Do you have an alternative washing machine or perhaps a laundrette locally?
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Re: My Rant of Today

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

I bought this machine as it classed as 'heavy duty' with a great rating and it is for a rental suite I have. I wanted something heavy duty as Tenants would use it so I wanted it to stand up to (ahem) abuse.

I went to the Repair store but had to have the guy come here to look at it so he could see and order the RIGHT part. When the wrong part arrived he took off the old ring to take it back to the store to see if maybe they even had another old machine kicking about he could take the ring of of. When he showed me he was doing this I was totally blown away that this RING that hold the tub in place was PLASTIC!!! Honestly "WTF!"

It is a round ring and then in 4 corners it has a 1" round bit that sticks up about an inch that a bungee type strap goes on......Totally mickey mouse and if they're considering this heavy duty about all I can do is smack my hand on my forehead. No wonder this broke!!! It is PLASTIC holding a spinning tub!!

Right now I'm letting the Tenant come and use my washer and dryer which is ok but for the long term I need to get this fixed. Am not going to be happy having to purchase another washer dryer especially if they're not only making them with plastic insides!
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Re: My Rant of Today

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

So to continue my saga - since the Appliance Repair guy has NOT called me back at 10am like promised I've been cruising Craigslist. Saw an Ad on there for a guy buying broken appliances $20 - $100. I kinda cryptically thought 'yeah you'll get my NEW aka JUNK set' but then it dawned on ME he MIGHT have the part!!

I called him and 'yes' he does buy old appliances for parts and 'yes' he thinks he has the part (although it could be in his store in Courtenay)

Apparently GE aka General Electric is now owned and run by Electrolux (go figure they can't find the part by its presently known number). He had a customer in his store so he'll call me back as I've emailed him the info I have.

Hopefully he has an OLD METAL part that will fit. I truly could not believe that any legit company would be using plastic for this type of part. Talk about built in obsolescence!!! :xx :dv :xx

Appliances breaking are on part with when the car doesn't run anymore.
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Re: My Rant of Today

Post by FABlux »

LLL any news on the washing machine spare part yet?
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Re: My Rant of Today

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

My update: The guy with the repair store had nothing. Went to another Appliance Repair Store with the part in my hand. The guy looked at it, took a photo of it noting the POSTS/KNOBS that are needed. Found it exactly on the website and ordered the part. Called me this morning and the part was shipped overnight, he has it AND it has NO KNOBS!!!! Just like the first order from the other store

:x :xx :x :xx :x :xx :x :xx :x :xx :x :xx :x :xx

I can't believe it!!!!!!!!

I even went and looked and the machine was MADE in 2014! I bought it July 2015 so we're not talking a relic that is a bizzillion years out of date.

So I bought an upper end washing machine with attached dryer from a store with a Repair Shop component (so IF anything ever broke I could get it fixed!) and NOW the part # (from memory now) WW01A00713 shows on the website with 4 posts or knobs BUT when the actual physical part arrives it has rounded off sloping posts........

I tried to phone GE Head Office direct but wasn't able to get through. Probably too late in the day and they're back east so the time difference but when I do get them they're going to hear LONG LONG LONG about my troubles and/or I'm going back to letter writing mode.

Anyway in the meantime I did find another "online" store that sells appliance parts. I phoned, explained my dilemma and requested before they ship me this part that they go and LOOK AT IT to SEE if it is the same as the photo. I was put on hold for about 10 minutes while the Fellow who answered the phone did that and apparently the person in the warehouse LOOKED AT IT and it HAS the knobs. It'll be overnight shipped to me and I truly hope it fits.

Now to find my pen and start to compose to Head Office of GE!!!!

:x :xx :x :xx :x :xx :x :xx :x :xx :x :xx :x :xx :x :xx :x :xx :x :xx :x :xx :x :xx :x :xx :x :xx
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Re: My Rant of Today

Post by FABlux »

Oh LLL what a nightmare :xx It will be worth the 10 minute hold IF the part has knobs on!

Do you have the equivalent of CEO.com in Canada. I always use it when I have problems & its amazing how many problems get resolved immediately :)
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Re: My Rant of Today

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

So the ONLINE Store that 'Looked at it' did NOT apparently "look at it" because when it arrived it had NO knobs.

This is what I'm talking about. This is the part that came off the machine and you can see the broken PLASTIC (OMG :xx PLASTIC POST or KNOB!!!! :xx )

9304

And this is what is being sent

9305

Granted when you look at the picture of the part online it shows a part with POSTS but when the item arrives it does not have any.

When I called back to the Online store (which is big as it serves almost all Canada) I talked to the Agent I initially talked with (got his name0 and advised that the Warehouse or Supplier person he talked to obviously did NOT look at it. Which I think somewhat upset him cause he definitely remembered putting me on hold etc. He couldn't do a return so referred me to the Homepage where I requested on with explanation.

My FIRST issue was that there was tentatively a 25% RESTOCKING FEE (not much on $21.99 but it is the PRINCIPLE of the thing especially when I ASKED them to LOOK AT IT and confirm!) plus a futher $12.99 SHIPPING FEE.

I didn't fill that paperwork first but rather got the email of the Head Fellow and sent him a concise saga WITH PHOTOS as to my problem along with a reminder that they DO RECORD calls so 'go listen to what I explained and requested' ........

Long story short about an hour later I got an email from a fellow in EDMONTON Alberta from this Company (way up north where Kiya's son was two years ago?) who said he has the part.

I emailed back - have you looked at it personally physically? He assured me he has and asked IF I wanted it. Said YES so long as it has knobs.

We ran out of time due to Edmonton being an hour ahead of me so come Monday morning I do anticipate hearing from him. And I will also write this Company (AMRE) back thanking them profusely IF they have actually gone over and above to send some man to a remote warehouse to find my part.

I still intend to write to GE head office. They are shipping out a part that is useless to this machine. I suspect GE ordered X number of these from China or who knows where and they got the part, distributed them and as this is a part that apparently rarely breaks haven't had much issue with it.

If come Monday or Tuesday this latest part arrives sans (without) knob I guess I'll have to go and purchase another washer/dryer unit (they're attached as it is/was supposedly a more heavy duty machine........

I truly can't believe this entire part is PLASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!
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Re: My Rant of Today

Post by Horus »

LLL, I can see the difference by your photos, but have to ask the question "just what purpose do they actually serve" by that I mean will it actually still do the job without those knobs? (I would call them a 'spigot' or a 'post' if describing them)
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Re: My Rant of Today

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

@H - the straps that hold the actually washing machine drum go over those posts. When the one broke off the drum was not spinning smoothly it was like the load of laundry was off centered.

On talking more in-depth to the Tenant she was washing something for her husband and his belt buckle slipped/came off and jammed up underneath. Presumably they yanked it out breaking off the knob :xx :xx :xx Under our present recently enacted Rental Laws "I" as the Landlord am apparently responsible for this as this is deemed their lifestyle. Since our rental agreement includes a washer/dryer "I" have to provide one and if I do not "I" am subject to a hefty fine!!!!! :xx :xx :xx :xx

This new Gov't "DEMOCRATS" have been in office about 6 months now. They've retroactively enacted laws that go totally contrary to all present Contract Law. Has created a HUGE FUROR amongst small Landlords like me. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that while these present tenants are really ok (this is the ONLY thing they've ever done) soon as they move out I will stop renting. IF I do that an opt to keep the space empty I'm subject to a ridiculous fine into the thousands of dollars so I'll be taking over the space for me and decommissioning it.

My gf just sold 6 rental units. It is absolutely crazy all these new laws. You have no mechanism to evict and, for instance one LL dishwasher broke. Because the Tenant had to 'hand wash' dishes for almost 2 weeks they went to the Gov't Rental Board and the LL ended up being FINED $50/week!!!!! Like a LL here on the Island keep spare dishwashers in their back pocket? And/or washing machines?

I've had to document ever effort I'm making to fix this bloody washing machine. I don't believe my Tenants will go to the Gov't AND I've allowed them into my house to wash their clothes and they are BUT if they get testy not only am I on the hook to fix this I will have to compensate them for THEIR inconvenience even though they basically BROKE a 3 yr old machine!!!!!!!!!

And 'why' am I down on Liberals and Democrats? :urm: :urm: :urm: Let me count the ways/reasons ........... ;) ;)
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Re: My Rant of Today

Post by FABlux »

LLL those rules are dreadful :xx The company I worked for in the UK had rental properties but they were all rented out unfurnished just to avoid the sort of issues you have run into. Would that be an option for you at the end of the tenancy?
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Re: My Rant of Today

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

One of the problems here is that for about the past 15 yrs virtually ALL new constructed houses have suites built into them. You can no longer buy a house as just a single residential house for 1 family. My house is big with a SMALL suite but I liked the location ;) The Real Estate Agents tout houses as having "mortgage helpers" and indeed most housing here without another source of income is impossible for anybody to purchase. My daughter & son-in-laws house has a 1 bedroom suite too.

This house had a 1 bedroom suite and is constructed such that I really don't SEE their entrance or them coming going and indeed this couple is very very good.

I've gone to the city, got the plans for my house and when this couple leaves I intend to make a door through into the suite essentially opening up the house so it is all ME and only ME! The house plans show I can do this. Then, as per house Insurance, if I take the cooking stove out of the suite it is no longer (as per them) considered a separate home. Via home insurance with only 1 kitchen in the building I can declare it to them as 1 house. I could have 10 fridges and 10 dishwashers and 10 microwaves and they don't care. One stove is the key.

So - I will structurally open the house and move out the stove. Interestingly the City doesn't know if I have just ME in the house or ME with 10 kids therefore needing all the rooms so they can't oppose it.

I have a gf who is a retired nurse living alone in her house. She has just done exactly this. Her long time tenant left so she "de-commissioned" the house by doing exactly as I described and now is living in her place herself.

My ONLY worry is IF the Gov't introduces new laws that will fine me. I can't leave the suite just locked and empty as I chance an inspection and them deeming I do have an empty living space but if the house is open - in other words I can walk from one end to the other covering all areas with no locking doors it is then MINE ;)

Honestly all these new laws are coming retro-active. They've totally bulldozed over 'contract law' in that some people had contract that said you move out on X date and now the Gov't completely invalidated these. Some people have gone to court but ??? Those will end up in thousands and thousands of dollars and probably won't even be hears for YEARS!

I always lived here with the exception of the 13 yrs I lived in the USA. I retired here but in about the last 2 to 3 years everything is changing dramatically. We have no housing or jobs. We now have a Prime Minister who, like Angela Merkyl is bringing in the world and keeps making speeches saying how we all WANT & WELCOME immigrants but it blatantly isn't true. The big Cities are now FULL. Two years ago just 1 month before Christmas they kicked out all the military families living ON BASE IN HOUSING and filled them up with his Syrian refugees. He sure didn't care about his own military people and displaced hundreds of families. He has continued to encourage all refugees to come here from everywhere and we have THOUSANDS walking in from the USA. I thank 20,000 this year so far alone with NO infrastructure.

Right now we have a Tent City here living on downtown vacant commercial property that is hazardous and toxic and they're demanding we provide housing NOW. Have attornies working for them and are now demanding WATER be put in as a Human Right.........

In the meantime crime has also gone through the roof and police have held here community meetings of home owners advising us how to watch and creating street Captains to call into them if we're being robbed, vandalized etc. They are trying to cut down on the sheer volume of calls (1 per sreet) via a Captain as they can't cope with everybody calling in.......Life is getting crazier and crazier!
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Re: My Rant of Today

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

To conclude this saga -

The correct part did finally arrive and "Ta Da" it did have the posts.......... YES!!!!!

The repair guy arrived ......... YES!!!!!

AND

AND

AND

The BLOODY THING DIDN'T/DOESN'T WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :xx :xx :xx :xx :x :x :xx :dv :xx :x :xx :xx :xx :xx :xx

In the interim I found out that GE did a major overhaul of the design of this washing machine (probably the day I bought it!) and sent out "memos" to all Appliance Vendors and Parts Repair places saying this interior design wasn't good so they're re-designing it and no more parts would be available!!!! Although after getting the two big Appliance Parts stores onto my cause here (and one of them found this info out from GE) they also determined in the entire country there was 1 ring part available from Edmonton and 1 in Calgary. I was actually considering purchasing a spare part in case this happened again.

My dilemma was if I fixed it I'd have to have another part OR I considered fixing and selling it BUT the moral dilemma was selling it working to somebody else but knowing if it broke again they'd never be able to fix it so essentially I'd be flogging off a lemon. And it would have killed me if the purchaser was a young couple + children starting out buying it blah blah blah blah.....

Long story short last night I purchased another machine with a FIVE YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY and it will be delivered on the 21st.

NOW the letter writing to Head Office GE begins. Think I'm starting with the one in the USA cause I know 100% they are going to be much more receptive than here.

NOW what to do with this big white albatross that is hanging about my neck........ :urm: :urm: :urm: :ni: :ni: :xx :xx :urm: :urm: :xx
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Re: My Rant of Today

Post by Horus »

Can you not just give it away, or even ask the delivery people to remove it? we get those sort of deals here when old freezers etc will be taken away at the time of delivery providing it is ready to go.
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Re: My Rant of Today

Post by Mad Dilys »

I'd put it outside on my garden wall - recent stuff has been gone in a couple of hours.

Sorry that doesn't help you and looks like I'm gloating. :oops:
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Re: My Rant of Today

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

All stores here contract out to Delivery people. The Deliveries will take it away but they charge $80 to do that. I'll ultimately get rid of it but just annoying big time.
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Re: My Rant of Today

Post by Mad Dilys »

I'm just amazed at the casual attitude of the manufacturer. Sounds like the machine wasn't actually "fit for the purpose" since they withdrew it. B******s :x
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Re: My Rant of Today

Post by Horus »

Here in the UK we could take the manufacturers to the 'Small Claims Court' which is relatively cheap and easy to do, as MD points out it is not as described i.e. it is not "fit for purpose" basically a court will decide if the item was as described or suitable to do the job. Time does come into it and is based upon reasonable passage of time, so a vacuum cleaner may be deemed to have a 3 - 5 year useful life, but something like a gas cooker or refrigerator may be deemed to have an expected useful life of say 15 years. So the claim is basically "I was sold a refrigerator and after 2 years it does not stay cold, is that a reasonable passage of time? Because a refrigerator that does not stay cold is by definition NOT a refrigerator and therefore 'not fit for purpose' I would make a claim against the manufacturers pointing out the poor quality of the part, its failure during normal use and the fact that spares are no longer available even after a short time has passed, therefore it is unfit for the purpose you bought it for, a washing machine that cannot wash is not a washing machine.
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Re: My Rant of Today

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

To my knowledge there is nothing like that here but I LOVE the verbiage and am going to use it in my letter to GE. This is now sitting as a yard ornament on the patio below cause if I end up giving it away for parts I don't want anybody wrestling it out of the house.

What gets me is that they're not making this part ......

The story of this is not over yet............but those phrases will get fit into my formal concerns to the manufacturer.
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