In October I purchased a Kenmore Elite automatic clothes washer with CALYPSO Wash Motion from Sears and am feeling very ripped off! I had to replace the pump in June of '02 to the tune of $157.19. Ok, things happen and I can understand that.
In early September of this year it quit again and I called for a repairman. Mark came out and without opening it up said he was sure he knew what the problem was. He was sure it was all gummed up with detergent and lint and I needed a new leveler and a new U-joint.
The parts were both on back order and after several calls and complaining that it had been 3 weeks, etc., they located both parts. After missing one day's work for nothing due to a service scheduling mistake on their part, and then the next day receiving a call at 5pm saying he was running late and couldn't make it THAT day, another Mark arrived on the third day, Sept 25th.
I watched the whole process and asked lots of questions as he worked. When he opened the center agitator area where the parts were to be replaced, he commented that there was very little detergent buildup and it should not have caused a problem. When he took out the leveler assembly, we could see where it was worn on one side of the top. OK, that needed replacing. The part was $119.
He then took out the U-joint and when I asked what was wrong with it, he couldn't find anything wrong. I asked why he was going to change it if there was nothing wrong with it and he said there was a slight chance that it may have caused the leveler to go bad and it is standard practice to change them both at the same time, just in case. I told him I didn't want a new one if it was okay, but he said I HAD to get both! The part cost $147.81 and twice the labor time!
Both repairmen that were out wanted me to get an extended warranty after this was fixed and I said to him that I didn't want the U-joint and if it went out later, it would be covered by the warranty and save me a couple hundred dollars. He said "That would be unethical." Yeah right, unethical for who? He was TOLD to change that part at the same time so they could save the money in case that may have gone out later and I had paid for the warranty!
To me that is a real ripoff! He also told me not to go by the instructions in the book that comes with the machine as far as adding detergent and softener. BEWARE, if you own one of these machines, that according to him, use half the detergent that the book says and dilute any liquid softener with 2 parts water before adding. Also, if anything has any freys, or possibility of, put it in a bag before washing.
This cost me a total of$393.33!!
Why should I buy unnecessary parts?! Why didn't they send out a warning when they found the book was NOT correct?! He said he has changed parts in hundreds of washers with these items being the cause of the breakdown! Sears is a ripoff!!
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