Monday, October 4, 2010

That Part Is On Backorder

WR60X10009 I am a very frustrated owner of a GE refrigerator that’s been sick since mid-August.  It won’t make ice, and the fresh food compartment won’t keep milk cold enough to keep it from going sour.  Turns out it needs a new motor for the evaporator fan, at least according to the GE man who looked at it back in August.

He didn’t have the part on his truck at the time, so he ordered it and set up a day to come back.  The day before our scheduled appointment, someone called to say that the part was on backorder until mid-September.  Okay.  I’d just have to buy more ice and continue tromping up and down the stairs to take milk to the old refrigerator in the basement.

Mid-September came and went.  The part was now on backorder until October 1.  More ice, more tromping, more spoiled milk when I forgot to take it back to the basement.

Today’s October 4, so I called to check on the status of my part.  Still on backorder.  Now until December 22.  I’m tired of buying ice, tired of tromping up and down the basement stairs and tired of spoiled milk.  December 22 is totally unacceptable.

They referred me to a consumer advocate.  I’d been this route before back in September.  All they can do is sympathize.  I mean they’re not in the business of manufacturing parts, are they?

Turns out that Shiloe had a better idea.  Just Google the part and see if you can find it yourself.  Why didn’t someone suggest this a month ago?  It took me all of five minutes to find the part, speak to someone in sales to verify that they did indeed have it in stock, give them my credit card number and get it on its way to Birmingham, Alabama.  It’s scheduled to arrive Thursday.

Now let’s see if the GE repairman shows up first thing Friday morning as scheduled.

Moral of this story.  If they tell you the part is on backorder, get the part number and see if you can locate it yourself.

8 comments:

Tricia said...

What a great tip! So sorry you've gotten so much extra exercise going to the basement fridge!

Baumbastic said...

Oh good grief. Now you can give the GE repairmen lessons on how to do their jobs!

Sarah said...

We had a similar experience with our dishwasher this summer. They came out to repair, had to order the part, part on backorder, repairman returns with ordered part weeks later, wrong part is sent because they no longer make the part our dishwasher needs, we start looking for a new dishwasher. So I washed dishes the old fashioned way for over a month, and now I have a brand new dishwasher. Not the same as a refrigerator situation, I realize, but it irriated me that I had to buy a new dishwasher. Such is life. LOL

nanny said...

that is just unreal....why didn't he do that and sell it to you? duh!

Debby@Just Breathe said...

That is such a long time. Hope it all goes well and that it's finally repaired.

Mid-Atlantic Martha said...

Wow -- who knew? What a great tip!

Robin said...

WOW! That is a great idea! I glad you suggested doing that, because I never would have thought to do that!

eResponse@ge said...

Kathy, this is Vikki with GE. I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am for what you've been through with your GE refrigerator. Please email the details to us at eResponse@ge.com and let us see how we can assist you.