Lowe's Customer Service Let Me Down

Curtis, maybe you should go back to Lowe's and explain this situation
to the store manager in person. They might actually be willing to do
something for you. And if not, you won't be any worse off than you
are now. I think it's worth a try.

Hi Curtis,

I'm sorry your a/c isn't working, er hasn't been working, um? Have
you ever even gotten to USE this unit?

I have to agree with the others, this is all on Samsung. People just
don't seem to grasp that when an item is defective, it's not the
retailer to blame, although they typically endure the brunt of the
frustration. They are but a link in the sales chain.

And others also said that MOST extended warranties kick in after the
mfg. warranty runs out (although not having read yours, I can only
suppose) That's why they are called EXTENDED warranties.

I hope they resolve this for you, I hear we're supposed to be in for a
scorcher of a summer and no one should be without their a/c.

But I don't know that I'd write Lowe's off just yet. So far, they
aren't at fault for your dilemma - Contact Samsung and this
independent repair shop and get on them. 9 months is absolutely
unacceptable!

Since the letter writer has been dealing with Samsung since September
and still has no air-conditioner, he probably feels it's safe to
assume he'll never see it again, which is probably why he wants a
refund from Lowe's for the extended warranty. He's already out the
money for the unit, and now Lowe's has his money for the extended
warranty, which he obviously will never be able to use.

As another poster mentioned, it would be great customer service if
Lowe's at least gave him credit for the warranty or transferred it to
another unit. That would result in another sale and one less
disgruntled customer.

It's easy to say Samsung or the repair shop should give him back a
working unit, but how exactly is he supposed to make that happen? You
can't make a company do something they refuse to do without taking it
to court, and I'm sure the price of the air-conditioner is not worth
going that route.

For a start, I'd go to the repair shop in person and demand an answer.
Or ask for the damaged unit back so I could take it somewhere else (to
someone who would actually fix it, not just keep it). And if the shop
refused to return the unit then, I'd call the police, because at that
point they've stolen it.

As for Samsung, all you can do is call, call, document, document. Send
registered letters so you have a paper trail of what you've told them
and when. Make yourself a polite nuisance. Let them know you will not
give up.

I see Planet Feedback as something consumers do to share information
with other consumers. Getting a problem resolved is best done in
person or on the phone, with the person best equipped to solve your
problem (someone with real power to effect change).

Finding the person who has the power to actually help you is a job in
itself. Personally, I suspect many companies simply hope we will give
up before we find that person.

I agree with Barbara T below: your beef is with Samsung and the repair
shop, not Lowe's.

But I'm curious as to why you won't be able to use the extended
warranty. As a poster below explained, extended warranties don't kick
in until after the manufacturer's warranty has expired. Since this
hasn't happened yet, how do you know you won't be able to use the
extended warranty?

Why hasn't the repair shop returned your unit after nine months?
That's the company to which I would be directing a letter, quite
frankly. No, I think I'd be haunting the doorstep of their shop until
I got my air conditioner back in working condition.

Lowe's doesn't have a dog in this fight so far. As others have
explained, their extended warranty does not kick in until the
manufacturer warranty expires. Contact the repair shop about your
unit, contact Samsung about your refund. Those are the businesses with
which you have a valid grievance.

While it would be an extraordinary gesture for the local Lowe's to
follow up with every customer who had an issue with a product that
they purchased - that isn't a very realistic expectation.

The warranty issue with Samsung is between you, the product owner, and
Samsung. Direct your energy at Samsung and the repair shop and you
have a better chance at getting a satisfactory result.

I'm confused about one thing here, why should Lowe's pay Samsung back?
It's the Samsung AC that's defective so , if anything, the loss
should be Samsung's, not Lowes. Lowe's had no way on knowing your AC
was defective when they sold it to you and should not take a loss for
Samsung's defective product.

I do believe they should either refund the extended warranty or allow
you to transfer it to another unit. I do think they should also
assist you with their supplier to help you get the money Samsung
promised.

That being said, I don't think Lowe's is the bad guy here. The
problem lies with Samsung and their contracted repair service
provider.

Curtis, you're back! I think you're rewrite is more concise, making
it easier to read.

If I understand this correctly, you paid Lowe's for an extended
warranty on an air-conditioner that was returned to Samsung for
service under the original warranty, but was never fixed, leaving you
with nothing but an extended warranty, which is obviously useless
because Samsung has not fixed or returned your air-conditioner.

That's interesting. I'm not sure what should be done in a case like
this, but I do think you have the right to feel cheated. You paid for
an air-conditioner and an extended warranty, and have nothing to show
for it.

I think in the interest of customer service, Lowe's should intervene
and try to help you out, one way or another.

Good luck with this and let us know what happens.

Curtis; if Lowe's extended warranties work anything like Home Depot's
do, they acted correctly. An extended warranty does not go into
effect until the manufacturer's warranty expires. Since your issues
arose while under the manufacturer's period of coverage, your issue is
with Samsung, not Lowe's. Lowe's obligation ended with the store
return period (if there is one for installed units), and picks up
again after the manufacturer's warranty period expires.