Speed Queen washers and dryers have a reputation for lasting forever. One woman says that reputation did not help her when a used dryer would not heat and the warranty process turned into an expensive lesson.
She shares the story on the LivingOnADimeToSaveADime channel on YouTube. In her words: “I really regret buying a Speed Queen. I’m just so livid. I still could just spit nails.”
She Bought A Used Set Because The Warranty Is Transferable
She says everyone loves Speed Queens, and that people call them the best machines made in the United States, with a wonderful warranty. She was thinking about buying a new set when a used washer and dryer popped up on her local Facebook Marketplace.
The set was a top loader. She says she confirmed that the Speed Queen warranty is transferable before she bought it. She brought the machines home and installed them, and then found the dryer’s heating element was not working. The dryer would not heat.
It Took 1 Hour And 20 Minutes Just To Start The Warranty
She says she spent about an hour and 20 minutes calling Speed Queen to get the claim started. Nobody answered at first, and she says the company forced a callback on her. After she had already waited 15 or 20 minutes, they called back about 20 minutes later.
Then she says it took another 30 to 45 minutes or more to set up the warranty. She describes the representative as super nice and helpful. The instructions were to call a repair person, pay for the repairs and then be reimbursed.
Then She Learned There Was No Authorized Repair Person In Her City
When she called a local repair company, they told her there is no authorized Speed Queen repair person or dealer in her city. She says the nearest might be two hours away, or as far as four or five.
The email she received from Alliance Laundry Systems, which she read to her viewers, said there was no authorized servicer in her area and recommended a provider of her choice. It also laid out the rules.
- The company said it would handle ordering parts once the service provider contacted its technical team.
- It said “we do not reimburse for parts” because those would be shipped by Speed Queen on request through the technical team.
- It said Speed Queen would reimburse up to $250 for labor once a paid invoice is submitted.
- If the estimate would run over the $250 limit, it said to contact customer care before agreeing to the repair.
The email also said that using an unauthorized servicer would not void the manufacturer warranty.
The Bill Was $785, And Speed Queen Said It Would Pay Only $250
She says her repair person called the technical support number with her ticket number, got the list of parts, ordered them and made the repair. Her bill came to $785. Of that, $260 was for coming out and fixing the dryer, and $525 was parts.
She paid, sent in the receipt, and got a reply. Speed Queen said it could reimburse only up to $250 and that it would provide the parts. It added that it was unable to reimburse any amount above $250.
She says she emailed back, expecting a check for $775.90 because the labor was $260 and she figured she would cover the $10 over. Then came silence. A week later, she called.
“You Didn’t Call Us, So We’re Not Covering It”
She says the washer failed too. Its lid was warped, the paint was worn and rust was forming under the lid and getting into the tub. Another hour on the phone started that warranty. This time the washer parts were shipped straight to her house, while the dryer parts had gone to the repair shop.
When she called about the dryer reimbursement, she says she waited on hold for an hour, and then another hour after that. The representative told her the email had said they do not reimburse for parts, and that she should have called customer care at the 1-800 number because the cost went over $250.
Her argument: the repair person had called technical support from in front of the machine, and the ticket number was the same everywhere. She says the representative told her technical support and customer care do not talk to each other. She says she was also told the washer parts were shipped to her because the repair person told technical support he was an unauthorized servicer, while the dryer call went in without that label.
She also says the representative told her thousands of repairs have followed the same process and that she was one of only a few people with this problem. She says she finds that hard to believe.
Her Warning To Anyone Shopping For A Speed Queen
She says she is now out $525 in parts for the dryer, with washer parts sitting in her laundry room. She adds that three hours of phone time went on the dryer and several more hours on the washer.
She says she is glad it happened with a used set instead of a brand new set that costs about $3,000. If she had spent that much, she says, “you can guarantee I would be in court,” and she and her husband are still deciding whether to take that step. She even considered selling the pair, but says she did not want her sons to have to haul in another washer and dryer.
Her bottom line: “If you are getting a Speed Queen and you don’t have an authorized repair person, don’t expect the warranty to be worth anything at all.”
What To Do Before You Buy Any Appliance With A Warranty
Her story holds lessons for any big purchase, whether new or used.
- Before you buy, find out whether an authorized repair person serves your city, and write down the name and phone number.
- Read the warranty terms, and ask what the labor cap is, what is covered for parts and who must approve a repair over the limit.
- Get every promise in an email, and keep ticket numbers, names, dates and times in one folder.
- Ask your repair person to give you a written estimate before work begins, and send it to the warranty company for approval first if the total could pass the labor limit.
If you buy used, ask the seller for the original receipt and model and serial numbers, and confirm with the manufacturer, in writing, that a warranty transfer is valid. A quick call before you hand over cash can save a hundreds-of-dollars headache.
The channel is LivingOnADimeToSaveADime, and her story is a good reminder that a famous brand name is only as good as the fine print behind it.
More Stories You May Like
- Gifts Bought Before November 1 May Fall Under The Standard 30 Day Return Window That Ends Before Christmas, While Amazon Lets Holiday Purchases Go Back Until January 31
- Canning Mom Digs Into Her Basement Emergency Pantry After A Warning To Stock Up And Finds 22 Cases, A Pile Of Nails And Cabinets She Never Opened In Five Years
- Walmart Signs A Multi Year Deal To Add 300 Drone Delivery Sites With Zipline, Promising Orders At Your Door In As Little As 30 Minutes Where Available
