Whirlpool Refrigerator / Service Call - A&E Factory Service at 1-800-905-9505

A&E Factory Service at 1-800-905-9505

First off this is either the most unprofessional company I have ever dealt with, or they have hired a bunch of unprofessional service personnel. My wife stayed at home for their "allotted time frame for service" from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm today (9/22/2006). By 11:30 NO ONE had showed. My wife took soaking wet towels (from another problem due to the builder of our home) outside as well as pulled the garbage cans from the curb. This took all of maybe 10 minutes to do. SHE NEVER LEFT THE HOUSE/ADDRESS WHERE THE SERVICE WAS REQUESTED THE ENTIRE TIME. My wife went back in the house to find a message from some male individual WHO DID NOT LEAVE A RETURN NUMBER, and basically the message effected a "no show service call" because he didn't hear from someone. So I guess this means that you can't use the bathroom if you have a service call pending or you will miss the phone. Guess you have to hold it for 4 HOURS.

I called the number listed above and some call person (female who was quite nice and tried to handle everything, but I was upset so she may have caught the hard end of a message intended for a LAZY and INCOMPETENT SERVICE PERSON) tried to locate a supervisor. After 10 minutes on hold, the female call person came back on a politely explained to me that she couldn't find someone but took my call back number so a manager/supervisor could return the call.

If the call isn't returned in 10 minutes (which is what A & E service says you have to return a call or your service call has to be re-scheduled) then I am formatting a complaint letter that is going to both newspapers in the Hemet area, maybe even the LA times, the local television and radio affiliate, as well as an official complaint filed with the Bureau for Electronic and Appliance Repair/Better Business Bureau.

I am on Active Duty with the Navy and set to deploy to Japan for 3 years starting next week. These missed service calls because of a LAZY service person just adds more stress and stupidity onto an already stressful situation. Because a service person didn't want to get their LAZY rear end off of their main path/highway/route and drive to an address; I am now stuck with a refrigerator that is still broke and cost over $1000.

If Whirlpool uses A&E Factory Service for all their appliances, then Whirlpool JUST LOST ONE CUSTOMER FOR LIFE AND ANYONE ELSE I CAN SWAY FROM BUYING WHIRLPOOL APPLAINCES AS WELL!

Completely UNACCEPTABLE behavior and business practice.

Philip Burnett

881 Aria Road

Hemet, CA 92543

760-791-0108

Comment On This

I certainly agree with Philip Burnett's comment about A&E having totally unacceptable service.

We purchased a Maytag high end Refrigerator-freezer combination from Sears in July 2008. This was the most expensive one they had (bottom freezer, ice and water in door, "counter depth" so it took up less space in our walk-thru area.

We did not have it a month when we suspected something was wrong with the fridge temps. On occasion, we would see light freezing on a couple of items, lost vegetables, etc. I put a digital monitor in both the freezer and refrigerator sections. The freezer kept excellent temps - close to what the external front refrigerator display said (zero).

But the refrigerator section would vary from 29 to 44 degrees (with a setting on the front door external display of (initially - 38 degrees). I changed Refrigerator temp to show 42 degrees. That raised it to keep from 34 to 40 degrees most of the time. Suddenly in late October, it went to below freezing - 28 degrees. We lost all vegetables and some other items than froze. It was not like a short time freeze, it lasted several hours apparently.

I kept track by day of the max & min temp readings and called Whirlpool, attempting to get this unit exchanged to no avail (yet). I did agree to let them have a service company come out & determine what was wrong.

Whirlpool sent A&E Factory Service out. The technician determined that the circuit board (on the back of unit) was bad. He had one with him, but could not get it programmed to accept the codes for our model. Then said he had the wrong board. He did order what was supposedly the correct board & it came via next day delivery. We called back, they sent another technician out two days later (on a Saturday). He could not get the new board to accept the specific codes, then said that the "supposed incorrect board the previous A&E tech person had that was not correct was in fact the correct board".

So he ordered a new board to be sent and set up an appointment for four (4) days later again. But two days later, we received a call from A&E saying that Whirlpool was out of the part we needed and it would be two more weeks. I asked for someone to expedite this at A&E, they told me that was the best date & if I wanted to contact Whirlpool to do so (they gave me a phone number).

I "elevated" this to the VP of marketing, of course the call was intercepted, but the person at Whirlpool (Jay) was very sincere in his attempt to calm things down. (I wanted this replaced with a new one - tired of being run-around).

He did send out another company "Mr. Appliance" who we never heard of. I must say that both my wife and myself were very impressed by the apparent skill of Mr. Appliance repairman (Jonathan Pelous). First off, he put on white shoe covers to protect our floors (A&E never did this, in fact the 2nd A&E repairman left dirt all over our floors with his dirty, greasy shoes.)

Mr. Appliance did install the board that arrived at A&E's request. He questioned how it was determined that the board was at fault and did some checking, was very fast in his work.

The problem did not improve with the new board. He (Jonathan) gave us his personal cell number it call if the problem was not solved. When I called him, he immediately determined that the most likely culprit was the temperature sending unit (the internal temp monitor in the refrigerator section). He and I both questioned if this had been tested or eliminated as a possibility by A&E, but could never find out. Jonathan had the part ordered from his company, it arrived a couple of days later and he came right out & installed it.

Since the temp sending unit was replaced, the refrigerator has been operating "more normally". With a setting on the front door display of 42 degrees, our digital wireless temperature monitor shows a variation from 32.4 to 43.7 degrees. It did dip briefly to 29.2 degrees one day, but most of the time the temp is staying around 37 - 39 degrees. I do not know if this is correct for temperature deviations or not. I have checked my wireless monitor against a second wireless monitor and one stationary refrigerator temperature monitor. All three temperature monitors are within one degree of each other.

My final comment is not done yet. I am waiting a callback from Whirlpool - they did call to see if we were satisfied, I returned the call and left a voice mail message on Nov. 24, 2008.

I definitely would NOT recommend A&E for service though.

Comment On This

You are right my friend!

Whirlpool is very strange company!

My experience:

In the year 2004., I have bought Whirlpool combined refigerator with freezer. Big one (ARC4030)! Prior refrigerator lasts for OVER TWENTY YEARS without problems and could last with adding freon for meny years. But, I have wife ("When we will buy something new...") if You know what I mean...

Ok, I've visited ALL TECHNICAL STORES IN MY CITY (there is a lot of them) and, finally (what mistake!) I've decided to buy Whirlpool!

Big, new, well lighted, no frost system - what the hell, the life is only once! (It costs about 500 EUR.)

Before two weeks, it start malfunctioning: when You open door, the light inside starts to blinking and, what's worst the motor so!

When You close the door, everything is OK.

It happend after ONLY FOUR YEARS!

Ok, call service support...

I have explained problem and they said that the problem is in electronic (processor) board on the back side of the refrigerator!? (I have never had an idea that this masterpiece HAVE processor board! I didn't wont ANY electronic board and no one warned me when I was buying this robotic appliance. The old one have had motor - compressor and freon and it worked over twenty years without problems!)

OK, let's change damned processor, I've said to service stuff! No problem, but the price is about 150 EUR! About the one third of new one refrigerator!

No, thank You, I've said to them and with few bypasses I've made the refrigerator is working almoust properly (only, there is no light inside) but for saving 150 EUR it doesn't matter!

Another refrigerator when this one would be dead for shure WOULDN'T be WHIRLPOOL for shure! And wouldn't be with ANY ELECTRONIC inside - and it would be cheaper, that's for shure!

Don't buy anything from them, I wouldn't!

Zoran Radosavljevic, b.sc.e.e.