[Resolved]  Viveks / Tatas Chennai — Whirlpool Fridge FF450 supplied by Viveks

Viveks at Madras being the No. 1 dealer of all consumer products and appliances AS THEY CLAIM, I have been their customer for more than 15 years. NOW I FOUND THEY ARE USELESS AND EXPRESSED THEIR CONCERN THAT THEY DO NOT SERVICE FRIDGES AND THE CUSTOMERS HAVE TO GO THRU THE MANUFACTURERS, WHICH IS WHIRLPOOL.

VIVEKS HAVE BECOME VERY UNRELIABLE AND INCOMPETENT BY SAYING SO; MY QUESTION TO THEM IS WHEN MANUFACTURER THEMSELF NOT ABLE TO SERVICE THE HIGH END MODELS OF FRIDGES LIKE FF450, WHY VIVEKS ARE SHOW CASING THEIR PRODUCTS ?



This is the letter sent to the concernds as follows:

May 14, 2009


The Managing Director
Whirlpool of India Ltd.,
Gurgaon
Haryana. Fax: [protected]


Sir:

We have purchased a refrigerator FF 450 from Vivek & Co in Chennai on 07/01/2005. We were provided by a free one year warranty. During this time the fridge failed two times and the time taken by your authorized agencies was more than two weeks to rectify, saying that they do not store the spare parts for high end models and it has to be arranged.

Later on after one year we have entered into PMP Plan with Sairam Referigeration from 07/01/07 for five years. Again and again many problems and break downs happened in the past two years. Recently on 05/05/2009 the fridge did not work. We tried calling up the customer service numbers stuck in the fridge and also from the documentation we had received from Sairam Refrigeration but we could not reach any body. Finally we called up the supplier Vivek and found that Sairam does not exist and we have to call whirlpool Customer care.

We called them and registered the complaint with your call center by case No: 17422 dated 10/05/2009. On 12th one Mr. Sundar from Maruthi came and inspected and he told us that the fridge has to be defrosted for at least 6 hours, then only he will be able to remove the cover inside the freezer and hence we had to switch off the fridge, even though it is not cooling. Evening on the same day he opened it and told us that some part is not functioning and it may take two to three days to get the parts.

Today we called up your call center and found they could not get the spare and it may take some more days as it is expected from Hyderabad, quoting the reason that they do not keep spares for these high end models. If that being the case, why you market these products.

I am of the opinion that your call center people are very irresponsible, right from the call takers till the supervisors. It is very pathetic to see Whirlpool of America is functioning in India like this. When I called your HQ[protected] and asked for the MD, the lady who picked up the phone talks very rough and trying to teach me to be polite and hung up the line as if we are under your mercy.

I being a CEO of an American Software company lived for 23 years in the US, the business ties we had with Whirlpool, I thought I will enjoy the same quality of service in India, but it is pathetic. This has created a serious mental agony and torture dealing with irresponsible people of your call centre and your franchise.

In these Circumstances, why I cannot take legal action in the Consumer Redressal forum for the problems I faced with your company, for having bought a product, which you could not support. I will also put up the matter in Internet, Media etc.

Yours truly,



SKA Rahman