Hallelujah!! The brain surgery is done, and we tucked a very-groggy-but-still-smiling Miss Katie into her bed in the ICU last night around 7pm. 🙂
It was a loooong day, but the surgeon said he’s very happy with how everything went, and *fingers crossed*, we’ll get to bring her home tomorrow! I spoke with her via FaceTime this morning and she was just as giggly as ever! 😀
Thank y’all again for your prayers! XO
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On the fridge front- the plot has thickened, y’all.
I called S&S (the people who were scheduled to come back and take a THIRD look at the fridge today.) I knew they were going to be coming from Birmingham again (which is a couple of hours away), so I wanted to make sure they knew they had already seen our fridge (twice) and that it was Whirlpool sending them this time- not Lowes. (I was thinking I could save them a trip since they had already diagnosed it.) Well, long story short, the lady I spoke with said that the “Second Through Fifth Year” warranty is something we would’ve had to pay for when we bought the fridge…and that our records show that we didn’t purchase it.
Oops.
Soooooo, I *think* we’re back to square one….a.k.a- fridge shopping. 🙁
I’m going to go back and revisit the comment thread where so many of y’all shared which refrigerators you were happy/not happy with. It seems like Kenmore (or was it Samsung?) was the name that got the most positive reviews so I’m going to start there. And needless to say, we WILL be purchasing the extended warranty this time around! #LessonLearned
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Up next on the blog- a presto change-o! A reader name Kourtney sent me these photos of their master bedroom and asked if I was up for throwing in my two cents:
Her email said, “I have attached a few photos of our BLAH master bedroom. We love the planking and the color of the walls (Gray Lake by Benjamin Moore). The open door is our bathroom where we are wanting to put a barn door and add french doors that go out onto the patio. We are planning on getting a king-sized upholstered headboard. I was thinking a nice grey linen one? We are willing to change pretty much everything else! We are on a budget, but we want to make this room a place of relaxation. We would love to add a few romantic touches, and want it to feel comfortable and more ‘us’.“
Off to have some fun in Photoshop! (Thanks for the opportunity, Kourtney!) 😀
Layla,
I think if you can let Whirlpool know how many people read your blog and now know what a lemon they sold you, you may find they might be much more “helpful” resolving this problem.
You may also have a state division of consumer protection that may intervene too.
I can tell you I’ll not be replacing my thirtyyear old Whirlpool fridge that died with another from them.
(Bad ratings via Consumer Reports.)
Did you purchase it with a credit card? Some cc’s automatically give you one year additional year warranty as a free member benefit. You just need to file a claim with them.
Nope. We used our debit card, Kat. :-/
Bummer. Well maybe you could call the debit card issuer to confirm whether they also extend that benefit? (Worth a shot at this point 🙂 ) Good luck!!
So glad to hear this good report about Miss Katie!
I have tried e-mailing before, but I didn’t hear back. Do you do local room consultations? I LOVE your style!
All of the “experts” tell us not to get extended warranties, but I think some items need them. I have an extended four year warranty on my washer and dryer. So glad I did it, because I have had a technician come out on my dryer twice and my washer four times. My washer was rusting below the gasket. I had one technician say nothing was wrong, another that said to sand it and put nail polish on it!!! Lowes rep told me to call again and ask for a different vendor. BINGO! It worked.
Keep in mind that Kenmore is not the Kenmore of yrs ago when they really lasted many yrs. And Kenmore is just the Sears name on appliances made by a large manufactutor. I’m not positive but it seems that is Whirlpool now. Maybe another reader has the most current name. I owned Kenmore for many yrs but swithed to Samsung for my last fridge and love it. French doors, and really like the freezer on the bottom. Extended warranties are pretty much a requirement now. Also buying from Costco is a good choice with their additional warranty and great service. Good Luck.
Ya know what? It may have been Samsung that got so many great comments, Dee! I’m going to go back and check now! Thanks! 😀
Glad Miss Katie is doing well.
I have the Samsung french door with deli drawer and freezer drawer and I LOVE it. I have only had it 10 months but all good so far. I didn’t know if I would like the extra frig drawer but I love it. I’m pretty sure Kenmore is now made by Whirlpool. I recently bought a Whirlpool White Ice for my guest house and the ice maker stopped working in 2 weeks so I sent it back and now have a Kitchen Aid.
Layla, PLEASE PLEASE do not buy Samsung. They break within the 1st 10 months and their customer service is below zero!!!I have a older GE profile and I love it. Most of my family and friends have GE profile as well and they love it
Just wanted to let you know that Kenmore=Whirlpool. With that said, our 30 year old Whirlpool fridge is still going strong. No problems. Good luck in your search. My next fridge will be double doors with the freezer on the bottom. Until then, I’ll have to make do with what I have.
Love your blog, by the way. 🙂
It’s hard to believe Ms. Katie had brain surgery yesterday and is coming home tomorrow! So glad she did so well, will keep her in my prayers for speedy recovery.
My mother has a Kenmore oven which is about 12 years old. The same part has gone out several times since the warranty expired. She would love to replace it but it’s a wall mounted oven & the only one she can find that fits in the space. I’d avoid Kenmore.
Blessings, Laura
Oh, my! I missed the post about your sweet Miss Katie. I’m so sorry. And wow! Going home so soon is wonderful! Praying for a complete recovery and great health. <3
So relieved to hear Miss Katie came through okay and I hope she recovers quickly! Sorry to hear about the fridge. :-\
Samsung…counter depth
French door style
I wouldn’t get a GE Profile:( Both our fridge and our dishwasher were GE Profile and the dishwasher had issues and finally died we replaced with Kitchen Aid Our fridge is having issues for over 2 years and we have had several different techs come and look at it and know one seems to know what’s going on. The Ice maker in the door freezes and we end up having to defrost every other month. When we can afford to getting a Kitchen Aid fridge I think:).
We bought not one but two refrigerators this year. The new one at home is LG. My husband is not happy that it doesn’t tell the frig or freezer temp. He doesn’t think it is as cold as it should be. I like the layout and room. Then the cottage frig died….and it is built in (not as deep) so we were limited in choices. Hubby bought a KitchenAide (while I was at home, helping my Mom after a fall). We are really pleased (so far) with everything about it. The ice maker even kept up with having nine guests last weekend! Good luck!
Both are french door with freezer on the bottom…email if you have any questions!
Not sure if this is relevant or not, but if you paid with a major credit card sometimes as a service of your card they will extend the warranty on items purchased. Maybe worth looking into. This article gives a brief rundown:
https://get.com/creditcards/free-extended-warranty/
So happy to hear Katie is doing well. Will continue to pray for her recovery.
Wish you the best on the fridge stuff. I still wouldn’t give up on the manufacture doing something for such a “new” fridge not lasting.
So many of our products of today are cheaply made with far too much plastic parts. Nothing nothing is manufactured like 30 years ago!! So any extended warranty is good on major appliances. 🙂
We have a Maytag washer that is at least 25 years old and will not buy new before it’s last wash! I am saving $$$ just because it was built well!!! 🙂
We purchased a new French Door with freezer on the bottom Whirlpool refrigerator from Lowes last year, along with a warranty. It started making noises last fall so we called Lowes warranty and they said a man would come look at it. He never came or contacted us… soon the noise stopped. Then this past May it got VERY noisy and was not freezing properly. Called Lowes again. They sent a repairman who did not fix it but instead broke a piece off from the interior of the freezer… said oops and that he would order the part for us. A week later he had still not contacted us regarding the part he broke. So, I called Lowes again and we told them to send out someone who knows what they are doing and I also sent emails to all of the CEO’s and ,marketing VP’s at Lowes and at Whirlpool advising them to fix it or else we would file a small claims and go to our local TV station, etc. Whirlpool home office called me immediately as did the head honchoes at Lowes and they sent out new repair people… they ordered the broken part and it was installed one month after the start of this fiasco. A few days later it was not freezing properly and our ice cream was soft as cool whip. I called Whirlpool AGAIN. They sent the same repair people out who said the diagnostics showed nothing wrong. I said YES… SOMETHING IS WRONG because our ice cream is soft. The guy finally checked the freon… it had leaked out. Called Whirlpool and they have ordered us a new refrigerator since this one is a lemon. It is supposed to be delivered on the 18th of this month which is 90 days after the start of all of this. So frustrating, So glad we bought the warranty. I don’t think we will EVER purchase another Whirlpool product to be honest. Good luck with yours and so sorry for this long but very honest rant.
P.S. Let me know if you need the email addresses of all the CEO’s and VP’s I sent notice to. I also have the name of the gal at Whirlpool ad probably her phone number too if you need that… xox
So sorry about the frig but SO happy that your Miss Katie is doing well! She is one blessed lady to have you on her side : )
You might try posting a comment on Whirlpool’s Facebook page, stating your problem and adding that your thousands of readers are anxious to know how Whirlpool resolves your problem. Also, PM them. I did see a few posts stating that different parts like compressors have longer warranties. Not sure about this but it’s worth investigating if it helps. Good Luck!
I’m so happy to learn Miss Katie is doing well post-surgery.
As for warranties, I always buy them if the item is over a couple hundred dollars. They are reasonable, and often times not needed but when they are needed, what a relief to have! Good luck fridge shopping! I have a Samsung that I love (for as much as one can love such a thing). 🙂
Kourtney’s bedroom is very similar to my mid-80s lofted condo bedroom. I cannot wait to see what you do with it!!!!!
I’m late to the fridge debate, but have you searched online to see if there are any general complaints about the model you bought or a product recall? A fridge should NOT be completely ruined after a year and a half, warranty or no.
Bless Katies heart. She is a keeper, that one!!!! I was up at 1, 2 and 3 a.m. Checking in and saying my prayer for her. She is simply a doll and a fighter. No wonder she is so loved.
Hope she comes home tomorrow…….and that all this is behind her.
Xoxoxoxoxoxox
Feel free to let Whirlpool know that this is one fan of yours who would never buy any Whirlpool product after learning about the way they have handled your problem. One and a half years for a refrigerator is ridiculous. And the fact that they are not willing to replace it makes me fearful to my a Whirlpool. I have a Kenmore that failed after 4 years. Sears brought me a new one and took the old one away. Even though it was out of warranty, the store manager said no refrigerator properly made should fail in 4 years. Good luck and happy shopping.
Bummer about the fridge, and sorry I wasn’t able to chime in on the post about what type of fridge to get. We bought a new fridge last year and had it narrowed down to LG and Samsung – those were the ones that had the highest ratings (and everyone kept telling us that). We are so far very happy with the counter-depth french door LG that we got.
omg…….DO NOT BUY SAMSUNG!!! I have no time right now but will be back to give you the horror story of my TWO….2…..yes, I said TWO Samsung fridges that were both lemons. Not to mention the horrible non-service I got from them …. and the ones who make them over in that other country?? they could care less about us..the owners.
Now, I have one just like yours in the post and I’m starting to sweat bullets that something will happen to it……….Oh My!!
I don’t know if this will help you but I was talking to a repairman (now deceased) a few years ago and he said that Kenmore was hard to get parts for as they had to send for them. So, when we went to get our fridge we chose a Samsung. It is not the one with the drawer as we felt that we had better storage without it. Mine is the next one down and has a full drawer across the bottom inside anyway. I love the double ice maker and the filter makes the best drinking water. I hope you like yours as it is a big investment and so important. Good luck. I will be watching the blog to see what you got and anymore information on your adoption. I hope this helps. Lisa Peterson
Hi Layla,
Just wanted to share how the picture of Kevin with Miss Katie affected me. I am reminded of how Jesus offered physical touch to those he encountered and healed. What a precious picture. That’s love. Have yourself a cup overflowing day, no matter what’s going on with the fridge.
Best advice is to purchase a whole house warranty. Many people think they are just for new buyers, but you can purchase one any time. We have had several different companies (currently with First American) and have been happy with them. They usually cover all appliances, furnaces, plumbing issues, air conditioners. Ours is about 600 a year with a 60 service fee, but it easily pays for itself every year. We live in an older house and always have plumbing issues and issues with our old appliances. Most companies will replace your appliance if they can’t fix it.
So glad to hear Miss Katie is doing so well. Good luck with the fridge. We have a Samsung and its worked great. My next one will be french doors with the small fridge drawer and freezer on bottom. Good Luck!
Layla,
Glad you got good news from Miss Katie and her docs!
Time to make your own good news with Whirlpool. My mom used to sell appliances for Lowe’s…you have to twist their, and the appliance companies’, arms in order to get warranty coverage. They just don’t want to help you! I would argue with Whirlpool that the “Second Through Fifth Year” warranty, as stated in the official warranty information, makes no mention of it being offered only at an extra cost. It appears to be part of their standard warranty program. As others have stated, I would also take the opportunity to let them know your numerous readers are reminding you of this information, and that you are willing to make a consumer complaint to the appropriate agencies in order to seek satisfaction on their warranted product.
Layla, sorry about the frig problems. I suggest a bit more research before you purchase an extended warranty. Most financial folks & consumer guides will tell you they are not a good financial decision. I know it feels like a good idea now when you are about to be forced to make an unplanned purchase, but do the math before you sign up. Pray Miss Katie recovers quickly. Best to all of you.
I love my Fisher & Paykel refrigerators…..they are manufactured in New Zealand, and I got mine at Lowes (special order) but the price is so good compared to other refrigerators out there, and they are counter depth. I have two of them put side by side and, they look very professional. I’ve had mine for five years and no problems. Great space inside….not fancy just simple and efficient freezer on the bottom. The stainless steel finish is so easy to clean with a nice smooth finish…..I guess I can’t say enough good stuff about my fridges!
AHHHH Layla! I am sooo excited to see what you come up with! Thank you so so so much! XO.
How is our Katie doing this morning?
is she recuperating with you and Kev.
I hope she is doing really well and taking it easy.
Pls hug her for me.
Check with Consumer Reports before you buy any major appliance next time. Kenmore appliances are consistently in the top ratings, and yes Whirlpool does make Kenmore appliances, but there seems to be a distinct difference in the quality for some bizarre reason. And for heavens sake DON’T make the mistake of getting sucked into buying an extended warranty, they really are not worth it……..again per Consumer Reports.
We have bought all of our appliances from Sears Canada and you can buy an extended warranty at any time for any appliance you have purchased there, even if it was bought years ago. Our seven year old dishwasher broke down and we were still able to buy a warranty and get it fixed a couple of days later. I realize that you bought yours at Lowe’s, but I would ask if there is any kind of after market warranty. I am also interested to know if Sears in the US also sells extended warranties well after the appliance was purchased. It’s one of the reasons why we keep buying our major appliances there.
Here’s wishing a speedy recovery for Miss Katie and I can’t wait to see what you come up with for your presto change-o.
Go with the Sears Kenmoore. You will not be sorry like we are. We have a 3-year old, very expensive Samsung counter-depth that we will be replacing soon no doubt. When they installed it, it frosted up in the bottom freezer. The repairman sent by the company said it just was a fluke and he shut it off and defrosted it and said call me if there’s still a problem. Well, no it’s out of warranty and leaking water from under the fridge due to excessive frosting in the freezer. The water leaking out of the bottom has seeped into the trim next to the fridge and warped it, so now we will have to have the trim removed and replaced. I will only buy Kenmoores in the future.
I didn’t comment the last time on the fridge, but I feel I need to now. The compressor in our Kenmore fridge died. We decided to purchase a new compressor through Sears (~$150 or $200?? I can’t remember). They sent us a compressor, which we had a friend install (licensed refrigeration) and we paid him $100. It didn’t work. We took it to a Mom and Pop shop and they tested the compressor. It was bad! We contact Sears. They ended up sending us 4 compressors (the first three were bad) at no extra charge. The Mom and Pop shop charged us another $100 to install the good compressor. A long story to come to this point: our refrigerator works perfectly and if we had started with the Mom and Pop shop repair folks, it would have been $300 to get it fixed. As it was, $400 isn’t a bad deal to repair your French door refrigerator to like-new condition. And it’s a lot cheaper than a new $1300 fridge (which this one would’ve cost to buy again). Have you checked out the local Mom and Pop repair places in your area?
I totally agree with Theresa. Do not just give up on the warranty! There is no mention of it costing more money up front. We would just not take no for an answer and we ended up getting a brand new refrigerator. They are just not wanting to help you. They will do everything they can to just make you go away….Don’t! I also agree with others you need to let them know about your blog and the bad publicity this is causing them!
Also, I was told by a repairman, Kenmore, many years ago, was made by Whirlpool, but not anymore. Lots of different companies make Kenmore now and one never knows who the maker is.
I know you’re keeping your fingers crossed with Whirlpool, which is what we had for years and years. But just in case it doesn’t work out with them, we replaced our Whirlpool with an LG a little over a year ago, and it is WONDERFUL, Fantastic. Can’t say enough about it. When I bought it, I specifically asked which ones people are the happiest with, and was told LG. I can now say that I agree. But I wish you ALL THE BEST with your Whirlpool, Layla!