Citywide Appliance City Wide Appliance Took payment for parts and labor without completing job, lied, refused full or partial refund Ellenville New York

I rarely write online reviews (though I read them all the time!), but the incredibly horrible service we received from City Wide Appliance has prompted me to post.

On April 25th, Darius from City Wide came out to our house to repair an LG Washer/Dryer combo unit that was not drying properly. He identified the problem as being the PCB User Display and said he would return the next week with the part and do the repair. This is a weekend house and turns out we wouldn’t be on site when he returned. He indicated that we needed to pay in full prior to the repair so we wrote a check for the full amount of $261.78, gave him our lockbox code and thanked him for his time.

5/2/14 – City Wide calls us to say they went to our house but, upon arrival, discovered “the manufacturer sent us the wrong part.” Strange that they wouldn’t check that they had the correct part before driving all the way out to our house. They say they have ordered the correct part and it should arrive shortly.

Between 5/2 and 5/12 we call City Wide multiple times to follow-up and check on the status of our repair. We speak to Carolyn who continues to inform us the part is “on its way.” In the meantime we are paying our cleaning service (who helps us manage the rental property) $13/load of laundry that they are doing off site. On 5/12 Carolyn says that the part is backordered and the “manufacturer is not releasing the part to the vendor.” She says the part will arrive in 12-15 days and assures us she will keep us updated by phone.

5/15 – We give birth to our daughter.

5/26 – I call City Wide again b/c we have heard nothing. I indicate that it has been ONE FULL MONTH since our first date of service. Carolyn says there is “nothing” she can do b/c the “manufacturer is not releasing the part to the vendor.” She then says it will arrive in 12-14 days.  I remind her that she said that on 5/12. She says she has no way of keeping track of which customers are waiting for backordered parts. Really? Perhaps writing it down on a piece of paper would be a good start? Or even – crazy idea here – creating a spreadsheet?

We make calls to City Wide throughout the month of June to attempt to get service. Carolyn keeps telling us the part is backordered and impossible to obtain.  I eventually decide to take matters into my own hands.

On 6/16 I call Carolyn asking her to tell me the exact part number for the part they are waiting on. She says she does not have that information but that a technician will call me later that day with the number. I do not receive a call.

On 6/17 I call again asking Carolyn for the part number. She says a technician will call me. I do not receive a call.

On 6/18 I call again (this is getting repetitive, right?) and Carolyn is surprised – “What? You haven’t heard from the technician?” No, Carolyn. I have not.  She says there is good news….wait for it….our part will arrive in – you guessed it – 12-14 days!  I tell her I just want the part number and she says….. “I didn’t know you need the part number. I have it right here.” Oh my God.

She gives me the part number. I call LG and they inform me there is no problem obtaining that part. It is widely available online. I use this amazing invention called GOOGLE to find said part on PartSelect.com I order it for an additional $91 + shipping and it arrives via FedEx overnight. This part that was somehow unobtainable by professionals who do this for a living! Somehow I managed to find, order, and obtain it within 24 hours. My husband calls Carolyn to request a refund of our money and to cancel all service with them. Carolyn explains that the payment is NON-REFUNDABLE and they are just “waiting on the part.” He explains that we HAVE the part they are supposedly waiting on. No refund can be issued b/c we signed a service agreement saying payment is non-refundable. Seems like one of us did not keep up their end of the "service" agreement.  Alas.

On 6/23 I call Carolyn to say, against our better judgment, we would like them to come out and install the part since they are refusing to refund our money. She says, “What is the part number of the part you ordered?” I say it is the same number she GAVE ME. She says she needs me to read her the part number. I say that I will call her back in a few minutes once I am done caring for my newborn (who is now 5 weeks old). I call back in 5 minutes and leave a message with the part number. She calls me back and we set up service for 6/27.

We are not at the property when the technician comes but Carolyn calls to inform me WE DO NOT HAVE THE CORRECT PART. Mind you, it is the part Carolyn TOLD ME to order. It is the part she verified on 6/23.  I ask to speak to the manager. Carolyn is the office manager. The service manager is out of the office. There is no one to talk to who can actually help me.

Okaaaaay.

We decide we are DONE with City Wide Appliance. Why did it take us so long? Silly us.

Here’s the best part….today (6/30) a technician from A & E Factory Service came out to fix our machine. He explained that the draining mechanism was simply full of lint. He disassembled the machine, washed it out with a hose in our front yard, and now the machine works PERFECTLY.  No new parts needed. I just did a load of laundry and it is perfectly dry. Happy six week birthday to our daughter!