What Would Druff Do? Refrigerator Flaw Edition

[Dan Druff]

A radio listener sent me this question today:

I had a question about a discussion between my wife and I. We bought a refrigerator 6 months ago and recently the door started scraping. I called the manufacturer and they sent a tech. They replaced the hinge and told me I can’t put milk in the specially built milk holder in the door because there’s a design flaw. My wife says to let it go but I paid 2k for this fridge and think that’s not acceptable. What would Druff do?

In case you're suspicious I'm actually writing about myself, I can assure you this was a legit question sent to me. I have not bought a refrigerator in several years. Answer to follow.

[Dan Druff]

When you buy an appliance, you are supposed to get exactly what you pay for.

"Sorry, this doesn't work because of a design flaw" is not an acceptable answer. They need to either fix the flaw under warranty, give you compensation for the unfixable problem, or take the entire item back and give you a full refund.

If the refrigerator door is supposed to hold a reasonable amount of weight which would typically go in a refrigerator door, and it can't, then you need to be compensated. Simply instructing you to keep it light is not sufficient.

But let's say you don't want the hassle of returning the refrigerator and buying a new one. What then?

You should call the retailer which sold you the refrigerator. Make sure to emphasize how inconvenient this is for you, and you can even embellish the matter by saying something like, "It's very important to me to be able to put a lot of things in the door. That was one of the big reasons I bought this refrigerator in the first place."

Tell them you'd like some money back because of this problem. If they ask how much, state, "I'd like something fair, given that I'm going to have to live with this situation for the life of the refrigerator."

Let them throw out the first number! Sometimes it will be much more than you'd expect. Furthermore, unless the number is incredibly high (like 40%), you should try to negotiate for a bit more, with a statement like, "Well, to be honest I was hoping for more than that, given how much trouble this is going to be for many years." If they won't budge from that number, and it sounds satisfactory to you, accept it. If they offer something more upon your objection, you'll get that much more of a refund, so accept it (unless it's only a tiny bump-up, at which point you might want to push a bit harder).

Note that corporations selling appliances don't have feelings. You don't have to worry about them getting mad and taking back the original offer. That never happens in a situation like this. It's basically a freeroll. If they don't go up from the number they originally offer, they will always let you accept that offer, even if you originally claimed to be unhappy with it. This isn't like a job salary negotiation, where you have to worry they won't hire you if they think you're resentful about your pay. This is just a cold, corporate, 1-time negotiation, so try for the most possible!

Should you feel bad about getting BACK a lot of money here? No. You didn't cause this. You bought the refrigerator in good faith, and believed it to function properly. It didn't. The retailer can go after the manufacturer if they want to get compensated on their end.

Never feel afraid to go to a retailer to demand a partial refund regarding an appliance which did not function as expected. You're leaving money on the table, and you have a right to it.

[limitles]

A radio listener sent me this question today:

I had a question about a discussion between my wife and I. We bought a refrigerator 6 months ago and recently the door started scraping. I called the manufacturer and they sent a tech. They replaced the hinge and told me I can’t put milk in the specially built milk holder in the door because there’s a design flaw. My wife says to let it go but I paid 2k for this fridge and think that’s not acceptable. What would Druff do?

In case you're suspicious I'm actually writing about myself, I can assure you this was a legit question sent to me. I have not bought a refrigerator in several years. Answer to follow.

You pay 2 grand for a fridge and have problems within a year? Come and get it, full refund.
Only alternative is a replacement of this model or any other of your choosing

[BlunderMaker]

Retailers will almost always fork over a pretty sizable discount if you complain. In many instances they do not even ask for proof of the defects.

[tgull]

Refrigerators are dangerous. It's the ice maker. You always have to push back a fridge every few months and inspect the wall its connected to. I am being completely serious and no I am no plumber. Fact remains most toxic mold cases come from ice makers, because they run like 10 times a day. You have a leak and it gets into your sheet rock and it spreads because the water its non-stop from the ice-maker. Then is spreads through your walls and ventilation and kills you over time, next thing you know you have lung cancer.

See you learned something.

Twice a year in your house pull back your fridge and take a hard look.

[gut]

Wtf is a milk holder?

[Entropy]

[FRANKRIZZO]

my microwave frizzed whirlpool sent me didn't work got new one asked for a supervisor snap sent, still working 15 years later. Otherwise, I buy all my shit at best buy. Bought refrigerator, tv, computer washer , dryer at bestbuy never disappointed. I run really good with customer service type issue. Wen't to drivethru other day. Specifically asked for large dr pepper gave me small. Asked and said keep it and here is a xlarge. Only really had one memorable issue with ld tv when they had just come out , I couldn't reason with rep and kept sending me to various different customer reps. Exception is Wendys who always fuck up my order.

[tyde]

if this guy is that stressed out and the worst crisis in his life is a faulty milk holder in a $2000.00 refrigerator, well he needs to just get AIDS already

sounds like a pretentious self entitled dickbag to me

tell him to donate the fridge to charity and volunteer for the Peace Corp or adopt a baby with Down Syndrome or something that might add more purpose to his shallow life, because seriously who in the world would let such a minor inconvenience cause so much anxiety

Go buy an ice chest for your precious milk ffs

[Sloppy Joe]

Are we allowed to inquire about the size of the milk container, or is that secret information like when Druff went Raymond Babbitt over the type of food that gave his family food poisoning?

LOL being a grown adult drinking milk and needing advice on how to proceed.

[Dan Druff]

I do not have more info than was shown in my first post.

My advice stands either way.

[Jaysunjm]

Are we allowed to inquire about the size of the milk container, or is that secret information like when Druff went Raymond Babbitt over the type of food that gave his family food poisoning?

LOL being a grown adult drinking milk and needing advice on how to proceed.

Milk holder may have been too specific a term. It’s just a shelf built into the door that fits two gallons of milk perfectly.

[Bilbodoggins]

Don't know how many times I've asked for breast and wing and gotten leg and thigh. So traumatized I couldn't eat. Tried to get the whole crew fired but no luck there. Might have to leave the country. Canada maybe. Do they have chicken in Canada?

[Sanlmar]

Don't know how many times I've asked for breast and wing and gotten leg and thigh. So traumatized I couldn't eat. Tried to get the whole crew fired but no luck there. Might have to leave the country. Canada maybe. Do they have chicken in Canada?

Milk comes in a bag in Canada

[BetCheckBet]

Just use milk bags end of problem.

Edit someone already beat me to it

Also for those that don’t know in Canada we buy individual milk bags about the size of a coke can. You simply stick a straw in them when ready and carry them around in your pocket. No cup needed and saves on dishes hence reducing green house gases.

[dwai]

Just use milk bags end of problem.

Edit someone already beat me to it

Also for those that don’t know in Canada we buy individual milk bags about the size of a coke can. You simply stick a straw in them when ready and carry them around in your pocket. No cup needed and saves on dishes hence reducing green house gases.

[Jaysunjm]

Just use milk bags end of problem.

Edit someone already beat me to it

Also for those that don’t know in Canada we buy individual milk bags about the size of a coke can. You simply stick a straw in them when ready and carry them around in your pocket. No cup needed and saves on dishes hence reducing green house gases.

That’s how we handle juice down here. How do you stand with your juice dispersal?

[simpdog]

Just use milk bags end of problem.

Edit someone already beat me to it

Also for those that don’t know in Canada we buy individual milk bags about the size of a coke can. You simply stick a straw in them when ready and carry them around in your pocket. No cup needed and saves on dishes hence reducing green house gases.

That’s how we handle juice down here. How do you stand with your juice dispersal?

French prostitutes from Montreal freshly squeeze fruit directly into our mouths. Who needs containers?

LOL @ milk bags the size of coke cans. Wonder how many people fell for it.

[Jaysunjm]

That’s how we handle juice down here. How do you stand with your juice dispersal?

French prostitutes from Montreal freshly squeeze fruit directly into our mouths. Who needs containers?

LOL @ milk bags the size of coke cans. Wonder how many people fell for it.

Well I googled Canadian milk bags and now I have to do a week of sensitivity training at work…