The business website claims that all used appliances have a 3 year guarantee. The website states: "Brien's Appliance, Inc. Is the first, only and original dealer to offer a 3 Year Guarantee at no additional cost for rebuilt washers and dryers stating at only $98.00. The website further states: "We offer in-home service or in-shop service."
I was impressed with their statements and after speaking to the sales rep on the telephone, I bought a used Kitchen Aid Washer from their website on April 18. I have been very happy with the machine. Told all my friends and neighbors about Brien's.
On Sunday, August 17, four months after I bought the washer, the machine stopped working after the rinse cycle, leaving a half a tub of water.
When I contacted Brien's Appliance on Monday, the general manager told me that the guarantee would not be honored unless I brought the washing machine to the store to be fixed. I explained that I lived 25 miles away and offered to pay his company to make a house call to repair the machine. He told me no, I had to bring the machine to the store for repair.
I mentioned the website guarantee and he told me to look at the bill of sale, which I did not have a chance to examine the day I bought the washer by telephone order, and at the bottom of the receipt it says, "We will only service items brought to the shop by purchaser at purchaser's expense." It goes on to say, "No warranties are expressed or implied. No exeptions."
He told me it was too bad that I couldn't get the machine to the store, and no, I could not talk to Brien, the owner.
After work I decided to drive to the store and and to try to talk to him face to face to try to resolve the problem. When I arrived, the general manager, Wally, would not cooperate and kept yelling at me. I asked to speak to the owner, whom I had seen at the back of the store (his picture is on the website).
Wally went to the back office and as the door was closing, I saw him throw up his hands and shake his head as he was talking to the owner. It was apparent he was agitated.
The owner, Brian Pippen, came bounding out of the room and started yelling. He called me a stupid asshole and said he would not, in any way, honor what the website says. He wouldn't let me pay them to come to my apartment, he wouldn't let me pay them to pick the machine up, he would not honor the guarantee unless I personally brought it into the store. He told me to "rent a van and go find a man, which shouldn't be too hard with the economy the way it is, and bring the washer to his store and he would fix the damn thing."
After another tirade, he told me to leave his store or he would have me arrested. I refused to leave and asked him to calm down so that we could discuss it in a civil fashion. He then called the police. I didn't leave the store, I waited on the officers to arrive. All the while he kept telling me what a stupid asshole I was.
I told him that I was going to inform others as to what sort of business man he was and he told me that he hoped I would because he didn't want my business or any of my stupid friends' business either.
I told him I wanted satisfaction and I might take him to court. He told me to do it because he had more money than I did and we both know who would win—the man with the most money.
When the police came (they were very polite) I showed them the receipt and a copy of the website page regarding the guarantee. The officer looked it over and told me that the website did appear to be misleading. He told me it was a civil matter and if I wanted to take further action, to do so.
Here is the website where the guarantee is discussed: http://www.ckappliance.com/services.html. Because I purchased by telephone, I was not able to read the bill of sale and the salesperson did not explain to me what was entailed in the guarantee. There is a difference between what is stated on the website and what is stated on the receipt. I do believe this is fraudulent conduct by the company.
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