Refrigerator repair

[Otto_2000]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
North Carolina

My refrigerator drawers control panel was not working so I called for a repair service to look at them. They sent two men to service my dishwasher. They took out a pc board and replaced them. They didn't fix the problem so they took out another board the following week and replaced that, but that didn't fix the problem, either. Then the owner of the business called me and told me that the problem seems to be the motherboard and that would cost $800 and he didn't think I would want to replace that because I could buy a new refrigerator as the other boards were $450 and this motherboard is $800! I told him I definitely did not want anymore work done. Anyway, the refrigerator drawers were cooling and always were cooling, but just the control panel wasn't working. I was not happy because the drawers no longer close properly since the "repairmen" looked at the problem. So, not only did they not fix the problem, they made it worse.

Now, the owner of the company has been calling for about a month or two looking for his $450 for the repairmen's work and probably whatever boards they did change (which weren't faulty). I haven't answered his calls because I do not feel I should pay since they didn't fix the problem. He said in his message that he sent two men to my house to tell me to call his office about the payment due. ???? Crazy. I guess I wasn't home. Then he said if he doesn't hear from me today, he's sending this account to collections.

Update: My husband called the owner and the owner is backing down somewhat. He no longer wants $450 but he wants $275 for the boards that he put in and are now a part of our refrigerator. Theold boards were not faulty to begin with and he threw them out. He either wants payment for the replacements or he wants the boards back.

What should we do?

Must I pay for this or is he all wet?

 

[antrc170]

Of course you have to pay. Why in the world do you think that you don't have to pay someone who contracted to perform a service? You called and created a verbal contract when you accepted the repairmen into your home and allowed them to work on your appliance. The contract being that they would repair, or attempt to repair, the appliance and you would pay. They held up their end of the deal. You have to pay. Appliances can be complicated and it sounds like yours certainly is complicated. The first, or second, or third solution doesn't always work. The repairman gave you a revised estimate which you declined, thats your right. However, you still have to pay for the services rendered.

 

[Zigner]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
North Carolina

My refrigerator drawers control panel was not working so I called for a repair service to look at them. They sent two men to service my dishwasher. They took out a pc board and replaced them. They didn't fix the problem so they took out another board the following week and replaced that, but that didn't fix the problem, either. Then the owner of the business called me and told me that the problem seems to be the motherboard and that would cost $800 and he didn't think I would want to replace that because I could buy a new refrigerator as the other boards were $450 and this motherboard is $800! I told him I definitely did not want anymore work done. Anyway, the refrigerator drawers were cooling and always were cooling, but just the control panel wasn't working. I was not happy because the drawers no longer close properly since the "repairmen" looked at the problem. So, not only did they not fix the problem, they made it worse.

Now, the owner of the company has been calling for about a month or two looking for his $450 for the repairmen's work and probably whatever boards they did change (which weren't faulty). I haven't answered his calls because I do not feel I should pay since they didn't fix the problem. He said in his message that he sent two men to my house to tell me to call his office about the payment due. ???? Crazy. I guess I wasn't home. Then he said if he doesn't hear from me today, he's sending this account to collections.

Update: My husband called the owner and the owner is backing down somewhat. He no longer wants $450 but he wants $275 for the boards that he put in and are now a part of our refrigerator. Theold boards were not faulty to begin with and he threw them out. He either wants payment for the replacements or he wants the boards back.

What should we do?

Must I pay for this or is he all wet?

I guess the REAL question is...how's the dishwasher working now?

 

[Otto_2000]

reply

The refrigerator is working as it did before, in that it still cools. The repairmen jambed it under a granite countertop so it does not open smoothly anymore and the light doesn't work anymore. So, they caused more damage on top of the control panel problem that they came to fix.

The owner of the company said to my husband on the phone, "I want payment for completing the job." My husband asked him to clarify what he meant by completing the job and he just said, "They changed the boards." Well, that is not a completed job if that didn't solve the problem. Also, they threw out the old boards which were not the problem. They should have kept the old boards until the problem was fixed. How do we know that they didn't hook the boards up wrong and cause a problem. My husband told the owner that the repairmen were incompetent as they should be able to test the boards to see if they were working instead of assuming they were bad and throwing them out. There are steps to take when troubleshooting and they didn't take any of them. They just kept adding boards and expenses!

Perhaps we should pay for the boards and then ask him to pay for the additional problems his people caused, like hiring 10 men to come and lift the granite countertop so we can pull the refrigerator out from under it!

 

[Hot Topic]

Let them take you to court. You can then prove by virtue of your experience with, and knowledge of, refrigerators that they're wrong and you're right. Be sure to bring a picture of your refrigerator jammed under the granite counter.

 

[Otto_2000]

reply

Well, the problem with the refrigerator isn't the actual functioning of the cooling system...that functions. The problem is the control panel that regulates the temperature. That is a computer problem as you would have in a car where lights and warnings go off even when there is no problem. My husband is an engineer and an expert in controls and if he says they were incompetent and didn't take the proper steps to troubleshoot, then I believe him as he's been working in the controls field for 45 yrs. He would have fixed the problem himself if he had the time, but he's in NY alot and can't be here to handle this stuff. So, it is possible for him to make an argument before a judge, and a persuasive one at that.