It can be frustrating if an appliance breaks down, and if you need to have something repaired, costs can escalate quickly if the problem is not properly diagnosed the first time.
A woman from Markham contacted CTV News after her four-year-old oven quit working earlier this month.
Louise Renwick called what she thought was a local repair company. However, after spending almost $800, the oven still didn’t work, and the company she hired said they would need as much as another $800 or more to fix it.
“This is not acceptable to me,” said Renwick.
She contacted Samsung, the oven’s manufacturer, but then decided to go with what she thought was a local repair company.
A technician came to her home and charged her $798 to change a temperature sensor, but the oven still didn’t work.
“Before he left the apartment, I noticed the error sign was still on. I said, ‘Just wait a minute, I don’t think it’s working.’ So I tried it, and it’s exactly the way it was before he came in,” Renwick recounted.
She was then told it was the oven’s main board that needed replacing. That part was $690.
The company offered a 10 per cent discount on the part, but with taxes and labour, the repairs, along with what she had already paid, would be more than what the stove originally cost, which was $1,000.
“They won’t come back unless I agree to give them another $700 or $800 on top of the $800 I have already given them,” said Renwick.
She hired The A Team Appliance Repair, which was the first company to pop up in a Google search.
On the invoice, it states that the A Team Appliance Repair works out of a building in Markham. However, when CTV News visited the building, a security guard said the company had moved out of the building five months ago.
When CTV News reached out to the company, emails were not returned. The company also hung up when we called them and did not return our calls.
According to the Better Business Bureau of Central Ontario (BBB), in the past three years, there have been 732 complaints filed against the repair company, and it’s been given an ‘F,’ the lowest rating possible on the BBB website.
Angela Dennis, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Central Ontario, said there is a pattern of complaints against the company and that it does not respond to the BBB.
“Consumers are alleging the company is unable to properly diagnose and repair the appliances effectively. There is a lack of follow-up and resolution to the issue as well, and the cost of repairs is grossly inflated,” said Dennis.
The BBB suggests checking its website for reviews, calling a manufacturer directly if you need service and for consumers to realize some companies pay search engines like Google to be the first to pop up in online searches.
As for Renwick, she’s putting her money towards a new stove, not more repairs.
“I don’t want to spend any more on a stove, I can buy a new one for $1,200 that’s better than this stove,” said Renwick.
You can check your owner’s manual as well for a number to call if you need service and if the cost of a repair is more than half the price of a new appliance, you may be better off replacing it instead.
