World of Washers

Everybody is looking for a good deal. And everybody knows that the best deals can be found by shopping around online. We are a culture intent on getting as much stuff for as little $$$ as possible. And with the downturn in the economy, people are looking to save as much money as they can, whenever possible.

So you're in the market for a new washing machine or dryer. That is, after all, probably why you are reading this blog. So should you take the plunge and order online? After all, you buy books and clothes and music other stuff online, why not appliances?

I came across an interesting thread at Gardenweb the other day that details one person's experience with AJ Madison, one of the largest appliance sellers online. Read on to hear what this AJ Madison customer, as well as others, have to say.

As detailed in the thread at GardenWeb, the customer "ordered from A J Madison a DCS range, Bosch dishwasher, and a GE washing machine. The order arrived 3 days late with a corner knocked off the washing machine box resulting in a gouge to the front corner of the machine.

"The delivery people informed us they were not permitted to unbox nor wait while the owner unboxes the appliances. The GE damage was minor compared to our problems with the DCS range. The sides were scratched, the plastic protective covering for the griddle cover was missing. The griddle cover was scratched. But far worse, the top is lop-sided. There is a gap of at least 3/16th" on the front left side between the top and the knob panel. The sheet metal is dimpled where it is screwed in on that side. It seems to be twisted. Whether the top is too high on the left side or the knob panel is too low on that side, the result is a glaring and obvious gap---on an expensive range."

The customer was forced to postpone their move while they went to battle with AJ Madison. Phone calls were missed, a tech came out and determined the range was not repairable, and yet they have not received a commitment from AJ Madison to pick the damaged range up and deliver a new one.

So I went to Epinions to see if there are any reviews on AJ Madison. Yup, there are.Check some of these quotes out:

"Overall, after my experience with this company, I would have been happy to pay a little more money for a more favorably reviewed seller. I suggest avoiding AJ Madison if possible."

"ONE word HORRIBLE! Customer service is the worst!! If you try to contact them about an order, I hope you have plenty of time, because you will be on hold for awhile. Very Very UNPROFESSIONAL!! Please do not waste your time with this company. It would be better off going do the big box store and spending a few extra dollars and get better service." (Note: the fact that they are advising a big box store to get better service should say a lot!)

"Don't bother trying to call them (if you're not buying something you''ll never talk to anyone or get them to return a call). I cannot believe the hours that I have wasted dealing with them. It's at least 30 hours on a relatively simple group of orders. DO NOT BUY FROM THIS COMPANY!! THEY ARE LIARS, CHEATS AND THIEVES! If you do and have problems (which are common) do not expect this company to help you at all. Your only recourse will be to file a claim with your credit card company."

And it goes on and on and on.

It goes without saying that you have to take a lot of what you read online with a pound of salt. But when you see a pattern start to develop, then you should probably pay attention to that pattern. And yes, there are some positive reviews on Epinions, and other sites, about AJ Madison. However, that just goes to show that even the most inept bunch of people can do things right once in a while. Or maybe they are simply scouring the Internet and dumping in their own fake reviews.

Ask yourself if the few dollars you can save will be worth the aggravation of dealing with this company, or any other online seller, when something goes wrong.