9 points to consider before buying appliances
Legal LawThe history
As soon as Mrs. X and her husband entered the flagship electronics store, they headed straight to the appliance section. Having lived up to the idiosyncrasies of her old mixer grinder for a few months, they were itching to replace it with a new food processor. They had both spent considerable time thinking about it. Mrs. X, being an accomplished housewife and an excellent cook, knew exactly what she wanted. On the other hand, Mr. X, who was tech savvy, was looking at the mechanical aspects.
At the store, the eager salesman showed them the entire range, including what he claimed was his latest model.
The food processor looked beautiful, Mrs X thought, barely able to contain her excitement.
“Unlike others, it didn’t use a belt drive,” Mr. X noted, his eyes twinkling. Not only had the company priced it competitively, but more importantly, it had features and functionality that Ms. X wanted.
But they had a doubt lurking in their mind. After sales service was uncharted territory. Taking comfort in the fact that the company had a reputation, they decided to overlook another fact that it had recently entered the appliance business.
“Things hardly go wrong these days,” the tech man mumbled to justify his choice. “After all, his old grinder-blender was still standing after serving them for over a decade and, except for a few minor repairs that were easily carried out at his neighborhood store, they had been fine. very useful”. Mrs. whispered to the man, keeping her voice low so other shoppers wouldn’t hear them. Putting aside their reservations, they went ahead and bought it.
Your fears come true
One month after the warranty expired, the engine refused to start. Taking it to the electrician, who had been helping them repair their old mixer-grinder, they were shocked.
“The spare part for this particular model is not available locally. The company has used a new design even for basic parts.” reported the mechanic. “Perhaps a policy to make customers visit their service centers even for mundane repairs when the product was out of warranty.” He added as an afterthought.
With no other choice, Mr. X took it to the authorized service center, where the friendly staff, after checking the appliance, informed him that the part that needed replacement was not in stock and would take 7-10 days to arrive.
A week later, they get a call that their food processor is ready. Having paid the bill, which was predictably higher, she was brought home. But her happiness was short-lived.
Return to the starting point
5-6 months later the engine stopped working again. A month or so later, he is still waiting at home waiting for the time when either of them would be free to take him to the service center. Meanwhile Mrs and Mr X bought another basic grinder after making doubly sure from the local vendor that it fits the universal design, that its parts are readily available and that it can be repaired at any workshop.
We sincerely hope that you do not suffer like Mrs. and Mr. X and that is why, before buying an appliance, ask yourself these questions:
- How popular the particular model is (the higher the popularity, the easier it is to get parts)
- Terms and conditions of service (either on the site or you will have to take it to the service center)
- Sellers in their rush to close the deal often make big compromises (try to verify their claims)
- In case of on-site warranty, confirm charges for service, handling, delivery time, etc.
- Distance of the service center from your home/office
- The time of attempt they take for routine repairs.
- Try to find out the availability of spare parts
- User experiences and references (if possible talk to your local technician about the practicality of buying a particular make or model)
- If it can be easily repaired in your neighborhood after the warranty expires
Keeping these points in mind will surely lead to many years of loving association with your appliance. Nothing can be more relaxing than the satisfaction of money well spent.
(Names changed to protect privacy)