World of Washers

So I was feeling a little froggy the other day and decided to drop Whirlpool Corporation an email. You know, just say hello to an old friend, see how things have been (I used to sell the hell out of Whirlpool appliances when I worked for hhgregg years ago), see what they would tell me about their shitty Oasis/Cabrio/Bravos washing machines and the infamous f51 error codes.

I don't really think I was asking for much. The email is below.

I went to the Whirlpool website and found the contact information, filled out the form as requested.

My name is Brad and I write a blog about washing machines. I am writing to inquire about the f51 error codes that many users have experienced in their Cabrio/Oasis/Bravos machines. I have a few questions that I would like to ask, and a response would be greatly appreciated.

1) When did Whirlpool Corp realize there was a problem with the RPS on these machines?

2) Was a cause determined as to the cause of the problem?

3) Was this problem ever realized during the development phase of the machines?

4) How is Fisher & Paykel related to this problem? What I mean is, to what extent was F&P involved in the development/production of these machines?

5) For people who experience the F-51 after their warranty has expired, how will they be handled?

6) This problem has been ongoing for over a year, and yet machines are still hitting the market with the problem. How is this possible if the problem has been known about for so long?

7) When will the problem be fixed at the production level to ensure machines currently shipping do not develop this problem?

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I do not wish to be confrontational. Rather, I am simply trying to gather as much information as is possible.

I sent the above on Thursday of last week, and received a response this past Monday, 7/7/08. The response:

"Dear Brad: Thank you for visiting the Maytag web site. We appreciate hearing from you. We are sorry to learn of the problem you are experiencing with your Whirlpool washer. In order to further assist with your inquiry, please respond to the email with the following information. Model Number: Serial Number: Purchase Date: Thank you for allowing us to assist you today. You are a valued customer and we apologize for any inconvenience this concern may have caused. If you wish to schedule a service appointment, please contact our preferred service provider, A&E Factory Service, blah blah blah..."

Needless to say, that wasn't exactly the response I was looking for. I mean, I figured I would get a can of corporate bullshit, but I wasn't exactly thinking I would get it in such a manner as to completely bypass every single question I posed in the message. Silly me, I am so naive.

My reply:

I am not an owner of a machine. I write a blog about washing machines and have some questions which are listed below. Thank you.

Whirlpool's reply, which arrived today:

"Dear Brad:

We appreciate the interest you have in our products and services. However, each situation is evaluated at the time that it is reported. Consideration of assistance is dependent on variables such as past service history by a factory designated service representative, age, time lapsed since the last repair, nature of current problem diagnosed by a factory designated service representative, etc., at the time that the concern is reported.

According to our records Fisher & Paykel has not been involved with any aspect of production or design of our washers.

Thank you for allowing us to assist you today. We hope you find this information to be useful."

Surprisingly enough, I did not find the information to be the least bit useful. And as I write this, my phone just rang and it was an automated message from Whirlpool asking me to take part in a brief survey. At first I was mildly surprised, and I figured Whirlpool was letting me know (in their bland, corporate way) that they know who I am, and know where I live. Then I remembered I gave them my phone number when I sent them the email. Dumbass.

Anyway, the thing I found most interesting was the statement that Fisher & Paykel has not been involved "with any aspect of production or design of our washers". Now, I'm willing to give this person a pass, since it's not exactly common knowledge, although maybe it should be since she works for Whirlpool and all. It's been almost five years since Whirlpool and Fisher Paykel formed a strategic alliance in distribution and technology in order to stave off the Asians (LG, Samsung, and the ChiComm's Haier). The technology used in the Cabrio/Oasis/Bravos washers is the same technology used in the Fisher & Paykel washing machines.

I'm going to keep plugging away, moving up the ladder, and will keep you posted.