Sir,
I am sending this email concerning a situation I am having with one of your products and the inability of your sales representative in Okinawa Japan to address and solve
the situation. I am in shock that such a company, considered to be one of the best has someone like this representing you and your products. I do consider this person
to be unprofessional and lacking basic fundamental knowledge expected of someone representing such a known brand! I have been sending emails trying to contact anyone from the
Whirlpool brand for a week. Not only have I not been contacted, it seems you truly do not care about customer service.
MFG No# WRT571SMYW4802897
Purchase Date: 31 Jan 2012
Purchase time: 11:02
Price: $949.00
Adjusted Sales Price: $849.00
On 31 Jan 2012 I purchased a Whirlpool, 21 cubic foot refrigerator w/ ice maker and electric range from the furniture store located on Camp Foster, Okinawa Japan.
I scheduled and had the items delivered and installed on 3 February 2012. Initially both appliances operated correctly but after a couple of weeks, the refrigerator started making
A very loud noise. I checked and the noise seemed to be coming from the freezer fan unit. I contacted the furniture store on Camp Foster on or about the 29 of February.
They scheduled us an appointment with what they called the Whirlpool repairman to come and check out the unit, first available appointment was scheduled on 3 March 2012.
I initially wanted to return the item but was told that I couldn’t until the repairman looked at the item and provided documentation to the store.
On March 3, the repairman didn’t make it because the store gave him the old address and not the address where the items were delivered to. After re-contacting the store
We made arrangements for the repairman to come out the next day. The repairman showed up and stayed for about an hour looking it over, the refrigerator didn’t make any
noise during his first visit. We weren’t very impressed watching him try to figure things out. He didn’t test anything, he only removed the freezer fan panel, watched the fan and
replaced everything. Seeing that it didn’t make any noise he suggested that it was probably normal. He suggested that we purchase and place the refrigerator on a transformer.
He suggested that we wait and if the noise starts or gets worse we should make another appointment.
It wasn’t long after the first visit that the noise began and started to become more frequent and louder. Around 27 March 2012 I contacted the furniture store and scheduled another
appointment with the repairman to return. I asked the furniture store about returning the item but they said that we couldn’t until the repairman looked at the unit and completed the
required information for the store. I asked the sales person if they had additional refrigerators in stock and she stated that they did have one additional unit in stock. On the second visit
by the repairman, I was better prepared, this time I recorded the noise and kept a time line as to how often the noise would start and stop. On 30 March 2012 the repairman visited for
the second time and this time when he stepped in the door the noise started. By just looking into the freezer unit he determined that the freezer fan motor is bad and needs to be replaced.
He stated that we needed to contact the furniture store and let them know that the refrigerator is broken and that he will need to order a part from the states which will take several weeks
if not a month.
On March 30, around 4pm I contacted the furniture store and eventually spoke to the store manager Jacklyn. After explaining the entire situation to her, she said that she needed to wait
until the Whirlpool Representative received and filed the paperwork from the repairman. She stated that she does receive any of the paperwork and would need to speak with Ann.
Jacklyn stated that she was aware of the situation and that I needed to give her time to address the problem and once the paperwork was filed they would contact me. I told Jacklyn that Ann
and her could come over and listen to the noise and then let Jacklyn hear the noise over the phone. She said that she would have the Whirlpool representative “Ann” call me to explain the
entire process. I was never contacted by “ Ann” and waited until the 2nd of April before I called the store manager.
I spoke with Jaclyn on the 2nd of April and explained that we were never contacted, she began explaining that the part for our refrigerator was ordered and that it would arrive in two weeks.
At that point the repairman will return and replace the motor. She stated that if I have any additional concerns fell free to contact her anytime.
It is now the 9th of April, the part still has not arrived, the noise is becoming so loud that we cannot hear ourselves talk. Let alone it makes it almost impossible to sleep!!!! I contacted the
furniture store this morning around 9:30 am and talked to the Japanese manager. After explaining everything to her I asked her about returning the item and exchanging it for another refrigerator
or return it for a refund. She stated that she would need to talk to “Jaclyn and Ann” , then would return my phone call.
At around 6 pm on 9 April 2012, I received our first call from “ Ann” the Whirlpool representative. She proceeded to explain that we couldn’t return the item to the store because it was past the 30
Day return policy and it was now Whirlpools problem to deal with. I told her that the noise is getting louder and it is starting to smell like something is burning. I asked her am I supposed to wait until
the entire units quits and she stated that if that happens then the store would need to do something? She said that she does recall our situation and has already filed paperwork with her POC in the
states . She stated that all she can do is file a complaint with her POC’s in the states and await a response. I asked her about the part being ordered and she stated that she did complete the paperwork
and sent it to her POC but couldn’t tell me if it had been ordered and when will it arrive. I had her listen the noise on the phone and asked her what are we the CUSTOMER supposed to do? She suggested
that I contact the” military housing office and acquire a temp loan refrigerator that they provide to service members”. Though she was sympathetic she couldn’t offer any useful information. Lastly I asked
her where I can file a complaint with Whirlpool. First she suggested that I can complete a complaint against the store and if I wanted to file one with Whirlpool that I needed to search online for the closest
Whirlpool location and file a complaint with them and someone would contact me.
At one point I was interested in exchanging it for another refrigerator, but after spending $849.00 for something that never worked correctly, I am very DISATFIFED with your
product and those who represent your brand here locally, I simply would like to return it for a full refund.
Additionally I would like to formally file the following complaints.
1st Complaint – The Repairman, we were told that this is the only authorized repairman that the store and Ann could use. I find this very funny seeing he doesn’t speak any English
And if it weren’t for the Japanese workers at the stores no one can communicate with him. Additionally we were told that after he completed his visit that they would need to translate
His documents into English before they can take any action. Jacklyn and Ann have both stated this.
2nd Complaint – If you have a sales representative and a Whirlpool repairman located here why don’t they have replacement parts. Why does the customer have to wait weeks if not months
To have something repaired?
3rd Complaint – If Ann is the Whirlpool sales representative for Okinawa Japan, why isn’t she able to order and track repair parts and convey that information to the customer?
4th Complaint – Why is your Whirlpool sales representative telling customers to “search on line to fill out a complaint “?
5th Complaint - Why is your Whirlpool sales representative telling customers to commit “Fraud, waste and abuse”? Her simply suggesting that I can get a temp loan appliance from the
housing office is wrong and very unprofessional. The military here have it hard enough, due to weight restrictions we aren’t allowed to carry all of our house hold goods. That is why the
Housing office offer appliances to the active duty service members and their families.
Aug 13, 2020
Complaint marked as Resolved 
