Call Kurtis: All Washed Up
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- A Sacramento mother is tired of being without her washing machine.She says the one she bought two years ago was defective and then they sent out a replacement, that was broken. It was time to call Kurtis.
She says that first GE washer not only didn't clean her clothes, it seemed possessed.
"Week, week, week, week... I guess... it would sound like it's alive.... urgh, urgh, urgh, urgh.. that's what I would hear," says Letricia Burrell, Sacramento resident.
Letricia says the GE washer she bought from Fry's two years ago has been trouble from the beginning with a life of its own.
"It started walking out of my garage where it would just shake all over and I thought, no that's not right, something's going on," says Letricia.
Even though it was only days after she bought the washer, she says Fry's told her to deal with General Electric. A GE tech worked on it, but the noises didn't go away.
"You can hear this banging," says Letricia.
Letricia says GE came out at least six more times over the span of more than a year.
Until finally, they agreed this October to replace her machine.
But on delivery day...
"He said it fell apart in the box. I was like, oh my gosh," says Letricia.
The new washer was broken so the delivery man drove off with it and her old washer. She was left with no washer at all, forcing her to hand wash clothes in her bathtub.
"Very angry because I spent a lot of money for a machine and I have to do this manually," says Letricia.
She says GE ignored her demands for a new washer. At one point, only offering $25 toward washing her clothes.
A sympathetic friend eventually loaned her this washer but she wants hers.
We thought we might be able to help make that happen.
When we contacted GE, they didn't have much of an explanation for what played out here but in an email, they told us:
"Based on the situation, we agreed to offer a refund to the consumer which has already been processed... "
"We regret any inconvenience this may have caused the consumer."
-- Allison Gatta, Media Relations
Letricia plans to use her $517.19 refund to buy any brand but GE.
"This time around, I'm going to be a little leary, you know, I'm going to be waiting for it to make a weird noise," says Letricia.
Here's the deal.
If you have an issue with an appliance like a washer, within the return period like she did, go to the store and ask for a refund.
In this case, Fry's told her to deal with the manufacturer.
I wouldn't do that. I'd say give me a new machine!
Force the store to take it back and stand by their product.
General Electric Statement
One of our consumer representatives reached out to the consumer to discuss the issue. Based on the situation, we agreed to offer a refund to the consumer which has already been processed. We regret any inconvenience this may have caused the consumer.
-- Allison Gatta, Media Relations
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Fry's Electronics Statement
Okay. This is a head-scratcher. Frankly, we are a bit perplexed as to why this customer would "purportedly" have been instructed to contact the manufacturer, when the unit was still within the 30-day window of purchase.
This appliance could have been returned/exchanged by our valued customer within the 30 days. Fry's also could have sent someone out to her home to re-check the installation and see if we could address the trouble she was encountering.
We can't, of course, speak on behalf of GE, as to why they were not able to correct the "problems," or provide her with an exchange after several service calls, but we would be very happy to assist her going forward, if she wishes our help.
To do so, we would need her name and contact information, so that we can have our Store personnel research the matter and determine the most appropriate option to satisfy her.
Please let our customer know that we apologize for any confusion with information about her purchase, and we stand ready to offer our assistance in trying to favorably resolve this matter.
Sincerely,
Manuel Valerio
Community Relations Manager
