Warranty + Fridge = Stress

Breaking Point

I’m about to reach my breaking point. We’ve had additional stress the last year and I’ve managed it okay, but now I’m snappable! Fridge Warranties = Stress!

We were in our new house 4 years ago in July. At closing we bought a big new fancy fridge. Almost two years ago it started shooting massive amounts of ice out onto the floor. It would occur middle of the night; when nobody was home, yes creepy I know! Well after 4 different repair guys and 7 service calls, the big box home center finally replaced our fridge. By then, the grout in front of fridge was darker then the rest of the floor due to all the water spilling out of the ice maker.

But we were still being thankful that the said big box company replaced it. This time with a different brand, although a little smaller fridge, yet comparable in features, etc. Still don’t understand why WE had to pay to repurchase another warranty.

Six months later the new fridge stops making ice and gradually we notice it was not as cold as it should be. Once again called warranty company. service guy comes out and looks, says he has to order parts which will take a week. So we use fridge as a giant cooler replacing huge bowls of ice daily just to keep it barely cool. The service guy tells us we have to empty fridge and totally defrost it 24 hrs before he returns. Every cooler we own was full! He replaces part, fridge quickly cools and begins making ice at rapid speed. We waited two weeks until payday to assure the fridge is definitely repaired before replenishing everything.

Three days later, I go into the kitchen and there’s water everywhere… ice bucket had melted…everything in freezer is not only defrosted but fridge is barely cool. And I’m at my breaking point! For a healthy person it wouldn’t be a big deal to go to the shed in 98 degree Louisiana heat, dig out coolers and empty the fridge. For me, that would have been huge but I didn’t even try since I have no car to get ice anyhow. If we were a double income family probably  wouldn’t be as big a deal to replace all that food, but we’re not, so it’s HUGE. As I sit here listening to the sounds of ice cracking and water dripping in my freezer, doing my best not to cry!

When stressed I color or cook. Since there’s no use cooking without a fridge to keep it in, resorting to the coloring.

How do you deal with stress? Let me know in the comments.

UPDATE: It’s been over 9 months since we filed the insurance food lose reimbursement claim that was purchased with the extended warranty (remember we’ve had to buy two of these warranties now), and we FINALLY got our money!

Mark has spent over 40 hours on the phone (not counting all the missed work when repair guys came), three trips to see our local store manager (who’s super nice), countless broken promises and out and out lies by the payment company. The biggest problem we’ve experienced is the warranty company is sub-contracted by the big box store, who then sub-trades the payment reimbursement company. Each time we speak to a different representative and have to repeat everything over again. The service reps make promises to call back but only one has. Apparently she was convicted after allowing Mark to hang up without any attempt to rectify, so she did some digging in order to understand our history, then called to apologize, saying ‘inexcusable’. Since, the same rep has called again to follow up, but still no money has been received. Since it’s now several days past the time we were told payment would be received, Mark will be once again notifying our local store manager. Further updates to follow.