Feb 09, 2011 01:38 PM
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Having used two Whirlpool products and experiencing their HORRIBLE SERVICES for both the product, now it is time that I share my experience with fellow MS readers. This is one company which can successfully give you a feeling very apt to the name – WHIRLPOOL. After few days, you will definitely feel that you have been caught in a whirlpool!
FIRST EXPERIENCE(RATHER A MISTAKE) – WHIRLPOOL FULLY AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINE: The first whirlpool product to enter my house was a washing machine. Till then we were using a Videocon(model VNA-811) which gave up after more than SIX YEARS of amusing service, that too just because my parents tried to get it repaired by an unauthorized technician. The product was exceptional and never needed any major repairs in all those years. The service center was very prompt and never gave any reason to complain. When we wanted to replace, Videocon was literally out of the market. Therefore preference was given to Whirlpool which had a big name in the market at that time. During the initial days of owning Whirlpool, I noticed that the lights in the room where this machine was placed would dim when the machine starts working. The reason for the same was evident in my electricity bill which was up by some margin! In less than a year, the washing quality was just awful, especially if you put dark clothes. There would be white stains all over the clothes, which would require a manual method of cleaning. I got the same feedback from several others who were using Whirlpool. There was no solution to this. Then one day the switch gave up. Whirlpool’s service center personnel attended the complaint and replaced the switch. We thought we would be getting the same kind of services as Videocon used to give us. The feeling was tarnished very soon as the machine required some other maintenance for which we finally had to yell, to get the assistance. The experiences then on made me feel that we have done a very big mistake and decided not to purchase any more Whirlpool. Therefore, as soon as I got the chance, I exchanged the machine(read that as THREW AWAY) and purchased an LG fully automatic. No issues for the past approximately two years.
CURRENT EXPERIENCE(A BIGGER MISTAKE) – WHIRLPOOL MICROWAVE OVEN(MW 22C): In the mean time, one day when I returned home, I was amazed to see that my parents have made the mistake of buying another Whirlpool, this time a micro wave oven. When I asked them why, they told me that they have been assured by the sales man that the support is excellent now a days! Very much like the washing machine, in less than a year, the product started showing troubles. This time my irritation was puffed up when the service center would never send a technician to attend to the trouble. The machine would not switch on. That time, the complaint was rectified upon request and under warranty.
Troubles started to crop up soon after the machine was out of warranty. Once in six months, the machine would breakdown (three times till now after warranty) and we would have to spent almost Rs.2000/- to Rs.3000/- to get it repaired (The same part used to get damaged always). To add to our dissatisfaction, the service center would never respond properly. Even YELLING proved to be worthless. We would call them for about four days. They would definitely promise to send someone in 24 hours, but would NEVER KEEP THE PROMISE. Then we would send the product using our mode of transportation to the service center. It would always take more than two weeks to get the thing repaired and there would never be any updates from the service center even after work completion.
Recently, i.e. about one month back, the product gave up again and as usual, we tried for almost a week to get assistance. Needless to say, there was no response from the service people even after one week. This time we avoided yelling since we were ashamed to(even though the service center isn’t!) and had made it sure that I would definitely write to Whirlpool if the repair is delayed, and the service center did make us do that. Even after one week, the product was not ready, and I wrote to Whirlpool. As per their reply mail, since they wanted to speak to the customer, I asked them to contact my mother who was in a better position to update them regarding this and my mother gave a clear picture. After this there was no response from Whirlpool either, but after three days when we contacted the service center, the product was ready! Then when my driver went to take the product back, the attitude of the service center was like we have done some big mistake of writing to Whirlpool. Yes, we have really done a BIG MISTAKE, i.e. buying a second Whirlpool product even after having a negative experience in one product. I have made it sure THAT THIS IS THE END OF IT. I have products from Philips(TV 5 years old and DVD player 8 years old), LG(Refrigerator 3.5 years old and washing machine almost two years old) etc. in my house hold, and none of these products have ever gave me a single reason to complain. I definitely would never buy or recommend Whirlpool to anyone. This company really upkeeps its name. You will surely feel the experience when you are trapped in a Whirlpool; absolutely helpless! I will be exchanging(read that again as THROWING AWAY) this idiotic microwave soon for a better product in a month.
