Appliance Repairman

Stay away from this company. I wish I had read the reviews from here beforehand.

I called for repair service and was told on the phone that a person would show up at a given time. The visit would cost $80 and the person would diagnose the problem and let me know the cost to repair.

I said I had a Whirlpool washing machine that didn't drain. It was also making a weird noise when turned on and made a burning smell, but I didn't mention that.

I also said I had an oven who's broiler wasn't turning on. I didn't know the make (I was at work), but I told them I thought it was Electrolux.

The repair guy showed up. So I have to give the company 1 star. Everything else was down hill from there.

1. First, he spent 1 minute with my washing machine (didn't try various cycles or cycle changes) and said it wasn't draining and it would cost $280 to fix plus parts. He said he had 80% of the parts in his car.

Okay, I said. How much do the parts cost. He couldn't tell me. He said in order to quote the price he would have to order the part. I asked why he had to order the part if he had it in his car? He said he doesn't know the model number of the washing machine so he can't confirm he has that specific part.

I then told him I didn't think he looked at the washing machine well enough to know what was wrong. He scoffed. I said the washer makes a weird sound when spinning and doesn't spin fast. He turned the cycle to spin. It spun, albeit slowly, with the weird noise. He turns back to me and said, it's spinning. I explained that it doesn't normally spin like this. He said it's all related to the draining like he said in the first place. $280 plus parts but he can't tell me how much those parts will cost.

Hmmm. Okay, let's see if you can help with the oven.

He goes to the oven and immediately opens the back. He doesn't turn the oven on to test the broiler. He doesn't look inside the oven for signs of physical damage. He just opens the back and starts tinkering. And he says he knows what's wrong. The signal isn't going to the control board. It's also a $280 job plus parts. If I get both fixed then the second job is reduced to $220.

Okay, how much are the parts for this oven? Again, he says, I can't say. There are too many possible parts that may need replacing. Really, I respond. Can you just tell me the most expensive part so I can determine if it's worth it? No. I'd have to order the part. Electrolux has a lot of components.

This is where my wife chimes in. Our oven isn't Electrolux. Yes it is, he replies. My wife points to the front of the oven, then why does it have a GE badge? Oh, because He and Electrolux are the same company.

So you want me to commit to $500 in labour plus unknown parts costs? You don't even seem to know what's wrong with the oven.

He shakes his head. Yes I do. I just told you the control board isn't getting signal.

Sorry man, I'm not going to commit to that. So I pay him the $80 and he leaves. I then Google what an Electrolux oven looks like and it doesn't have the GE badge. He was just relying on what I reported without verifying it himself.

Now I'm upset.

I call the company to complain. I say the repair guy didn't diagnose anything. He just repeated what I reported and wanted me to commit to $500 in labour plus parts with no estime on the parts cost.

The manager I spoke to said the $80 is not to diagnose problems. It's to get someone to your house. I said that's not what I was told by the phone dispatcher or the repair guy. The manager said it sounds like miscommunication.

Obviously nothing will come of this.

As for the epilogue, another repair company came by and fixed both appliances with parts for $350+HST.

And in doing so, noticed the thermostat in the oven was disconnected. So had we tried to bake (as opposed to broil) the oven would not have worked. All works now. I suppose that was the Appliance Repair Guys parting gift to me.

Stay away.