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Wedding Etiquette Forum
Help me argue
Our stupid stupid dryer is still malfunctioning. We bought it in August with wedding money, and it has been turning itself off (and shutting the whole machine down) at least twice every time we use it.
Lowe's has sent three repair people, and GE has sent one. Multiple parts have been replaced, and it still isn't fixed. I want a replacement dryer, a brand new one, and I want it now.
Does anyone have tips for dealing with either Lowe's or GE? The dryer is still within its warranty period, but no one seems to want to replace it. I'm just at the end of my rope with it, and not just because it looks like I won't have any dry pants to wear to class today.
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Re: Help me argue
generic blog link.
Wedding stuff.
- Have all of your warranty info
- Repair information
- What parts were repaired
- When they were repaired
If you have your original order number from Lowe's as well, that could be beneficial.
Wedding stuff.
Teachery Blog
[QUOTE]I was hoping the folks at Lowe's would be willing to replace the dryer and then deal with GE themselves, but I'm probably being delusional.
Posted by GeauxTigers17[/QUOTE]
That's definitely delusional. :D
I used to work for Whirlpool doing order management for Home Depot. You have to call the company to get anywhere.
Wedding stuff.
[QUOTE]H has a spreadsheet with all the dates and times of calls and visits, as well as what was replaced. This should help. If they won't take care of it, I'm tempted to go all Office Space on this thing in a field, though that would definitely void my warranty. :(
Posted by specialk84[/QUOTE]
I wouldn't do anything that would void your warranty. Because if something ELSE breaks on it that should be covered, then your screwed. You shouldn't pay out ofyour pocket for someone else to fix it. You just need to be firm with them (but not in a rude way). You can do it!
Teachery Blog
[QUOTE]I had good luck with getting Best Buy to do that once, so that's a bummer.
Posted by GeauxTigers17[/QUOTE]
Best Buy provides their own warranty, separate and apart from the manufacturer warranty, so they have more flexibility in deciding to replace a product. It's one of the things I love about Best Buy.
[QUOTE]Taking notes: buy new appliances from BB.
Posted by specialk84[/QUOTE]
Seriously - I only buy from stores that have a store warranty at this point (P.C. Richards also has store warranties, but I think they may be a Long Island-only chain). Plus, I think Best Buy may do price-matching?
Trying to work with manufacturers is a nightmare. Good luck!
2.) Does it still turn off randomly on a timed dry?
3.) Do you use dryer sheets? Right behind the area where you pull the filter in and out there are two metal bars that are parallell to each other that are your dry sensors. Often dryer sheets will cause a film residue on there and it will have issues sensing. Once a month its a good idea to take some rubbing alcohol and rub those down. Wipe with a paper towel and you are good if that is it.
4.) Do you get any error codes on your machine? Like at F# or whatnot.
5.) Have you had your vent system cleaned prior to installing the dryer? If there is blockage (birds nest or just lint) it can cause air flow problems and the unit will not be able to circulate air properly.
A note about manufacturer's warranty-- it will only cover repairs (and rarely replacements) if there is a manfacturer's defect identified. Those are extremely rare & usually its something like above is going on. If the repair man has been out and replaced parts you have to start looking at some other factors.
Have you tried resetting the breaker yet? Gas or Electric? If it is electric there are two breaker switches that control two separate functions. One is rotation and one is heat. If you turn both breaker switches off for five minutes and then flip back on then it should reset everything. That might work.
Also, another thing to consider is your voltage. The unit cannot continue (and many of the newer ones are energy efficient, but still require minimum installation voltage to go) if it experiences any interruption in power. Low voltage (sometimes a PF shows up or an F error code) is a common issue with new dryers.
***did you do a self-install? if so there are those three prongs on the back that connect to the back of the dryer from the power cord. If those are loose then you will get false readings of low voltage. You can tighten them by unplugging the cord, and then unscrewing the screw there. Make sure the little wires (they are like old school stereo wires to the speaker where you lift the little tab) are secure and tight contact. Then screw on the screw again tightly but not too tightly (might strip it). Often this is what I see and its an easy fix***
You can try to get a replacement from GE but the thing about that is that a certified GE repairman has to come out and declare the unit unrepairable. That very rarely happens without crossing off all other factors first. I know it is frustrating, but consider the above things.
I used to be a repair woman and I can tell you that many of my customers thought that they had a faulty machine. In fact, it was some other factor (not really the dryer's fault) that was causing issues and once we identified it then they were good to go.
What model number is your GE? I can look it up.
I hope this helps. Manufacturers warranty (the one year one that comes with it) is a very bare-bones type warranty. It only covers malfunction or manufacturer's defects. If it is a user issue (not saying it is, but it is VERY common) then they wouldn't issue a replacement for it.
I hope that helps!
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Help me argue : Seriously - I only buy from stores that have a store warranty at this point (<strong>P.C. Richards also has store warranties, but I think they may be a Long Island-only chain</strong>). Plus, I think Best Buy may do price-matching? Trying to work with manufacturers is a nightmare. Good luck!
Posted by StephBeanWed61502[/QUOTE]
PC Richards has stores all over NY, NJ, CT and even one in PA. I've gotten a few things from there too. Unfortunately, I don't think the OP lives in any of those states :(
My Bio
[QUOTE]1.) Are you doing a light load of laundry or one big item? A lot of new dryers have load sensing/dry sensors on the inside. They will stop if they sense part of a large item is dry or if there are not enough clothing to pass by the sensor. The solution is to add more clothing and dry like items. <div><strong>We usually do a normal load, like towels or permanent press. The dryer turns itself off within the first two minutes of ANY cycle, and the machine will not turn back on for 5-7 minutes, even after resetting breakers.</strong></div><div>2.) Does it still turn off randomly on a timed dry? </div><div><strong>It does it on any cycle, though less often on Speed Dry, but I'm not going to use that for my jeans.</strong></div><div>3.) Do you use dryer sheets? Right behind the area where you pull the filter in and out there are two metal bars that are parallell to each other that are your dry sensors. Often dryer sheets will cause a film residue on there and it will have issues sensing. Once a month its a good idea to take some rubbing alcohol and rub those down. Wipe with a paper towel and you are good if that is it. </div><div><strong>Rarely do we use dryer sheets.</strong></div><div>4.) Do you get any error codes on your machine? Like at F# or whatnot. </div><div><strong>Not to my knowledge. I'm not here when the repair guy comes, though. H is.</strong></div><div>5.) Have you had your vent system cleaned prior to installing the dryer? If there is blockage (birds nest or just lint) it can cause air flow problems and the unit will not be able to circulate air properly. </div><div><strong>Yes. One repair man said there was a lot of lint in the chute (the one the lint screen goes into), but we clean it out after every load and vacuum the chute once or twice a week. The screen itself seems to be designed poorly, where much of the lint doesn't actually get into the screen, but stays in the chute.</strong></div><div>A note about manufacturer's warranty-- it will only cover repairs (and rarely replacements) if there is a manfacturer's defect identified. Those are extremely rare & usually its something like above is going on. If the repair man has been out and replaced parts you have to start looking at some other factors. Have you tried resetting the breaker yet? <strong>Yes. </strong>Gas or Electric? <strong>Electric. </strong>If it is electric there are two breaker switches that control two separate functions. One is rotation and one is heat. If you turn both breaker switches off for five minutes and then flip back on then it should reset everything. That might work. Also, another thing to consider is your voltage. The unit cannot continue (and many of the newer ones are energy efficient, but still require minimum installation voltage to go) if it experiences any interruption in power. Low voltage (sometimes a PF shows up or an F error code) is a common issue with new dryers. <strong>The old dryer was also energy efficient, was plugged into the same outlet, and never had a problem. </strong>***did you do a self-install? <strong>Yes. </strong>if so there are those three prongs on the back that connect to the back of the dryer from the power cord. If those are loose then you will get false readings of low voltage. You can tighten them by unplugging the cord, and then unscrewing the screw there. Make sure the little wires (they are like old school stereo wires to the speaker where you lift the little tab) are secure and tight contact. Then screw on the screw again tightly but not too tightly (might strip it). Often this is what I see and its an easy fix*** <strong> I know what H is doing tonight. </strong>You can try to get a replacement from GE but the thing about that is that a certified GE repairman has to come out and declare the unit unrepairable. That very rarely happens without crossing off all other factors first. I know it is frustrating, but consider the above things. I used to be a repair woman and I can tell you that many of my customers thought that they had a faulty machine. In fact, it was some other factor (not really the dryer's fault) that was causing issues and once we identified it then they were good to go. What model number is your GE? <strong>DCVH480EK0WW</strong> I can look it up. :) I hope this helps. Manufacturers warranty (the one year one that comes with it) is a very bare-bones type warranty. It only covers malfunction or manufacturer's defects. If it is a user issue (not saying it is, but it is VERY common) then they wouldn't issue a replacement for it. I hope that helps!
Posted by BettyBookworm[/QUOTE]
</div><div>Thanks, Betty!</div>
He'll get it fixed for you!
hth
However, without being able to take it apart & look at it its hard to know.
You might have to work the store & MOD angle because manufacturer's warranty only covers parts as needed-- not necessarily the entire machine.
Definitely check the power cord connection at that back panel.
http://www.managemylife.com/mmh/owner_manuals/134635/GE-Residential-Dryer-1101269L?brand_name_search=DCVH480EK0WW+