Did you roll your eyes? If you read my post on changing my refrigerator light bulb you are wondering how I can squeeze another post out of it. Nothing goes as planned. This was so crazy I am forced to post again.
You can read the original story here or I will recap. Our refrigerator light went out. Technically it’s not a bulb but an LED panel connected to a low voltage transformer. To replace the panel cost $200 (no, there is not an extra “0” there) and according to our instruction manual it also requires a service guy (extra charge for that). Cha-ching, cha-ching.
Although we explained the problem to the phone person and the beloved husband asked if they have light panels on their truck (she said they do), the guy did not have the replacement part. It had to be ordered.
The service guy was back two days later. He asked if we had the part. We did not. It turns out they shipped it to his home and his wife “put” it somewhere.
The service guy was back the next day. He installs the panel. It doesn’t work. Now he has to “trace” the problem. It’s not the door switches. He thinks it’s the transformer (which he doesn’t have in his truck either). He ordered the part to be delivered to our house (since his wife cannot be trusted).
He will be back today to install the transformer. Four trips. This is even better (or worse) than the old “how many people does it take to change a light bulb” joke. In this case it would be “how many service visits does it take to change a light bulb?” (This is also why it cost over $300 to repair!)
Keep in mind that every trip requires someone to be home waiting and the top part of the refrigerator cleared so he can work.
Our particular model has a “different” system than the other models. Our service guy thought that it was changed after a year because it was problematic. I’ll ask the same question that I asked last week. GE what were you thinking?
We see the repairman more often than we see family. Perhaps I should invite him to our family reunion. I won’t have him bring anything. His wife can’t be trusted to place it somewhere they will remember.
This is a scream!
Let it be known that our refrigerator light went out about six months ago. I’m not sure we ever considered replacing it. Mostly we go by feel or muscle memory. In a pinch we use a flashlight – cost: $4.
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We talk about selling the house and if we do, we’d have to repair it. That was the thinking that made us go forward along with the naivety that it couldn’t possibly be that expensive. Flashlights work too!
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I have no words…:)
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I had enough for both of us. Some were bad words.
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They wouldn’t need to charge so much for the service calls if they could just get it right the first time. It’s absolutely hilarious to learn that they sent the part to the repairman’s house and his wife misplaced it. Your story made me think of the old show, “Candid Camera.” I hope this light comes with a multi-year guarantee!
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The repair is guaranteed (I think for 90 days). Not sure about transformer.
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I (respectfully) disagree with Luanne. This is a little bit funny…. Okay, a lot of bit funny! I truly could not stop laughing!! But I do feel your pain and think that GE should now be forced to give you a brand new refrigerator!
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I think they should too! I get her reaction though. I was like that for a while. The repairman said the newer refrigerators have the lights integral in the wall panels. He has no idea how they would get replaced. The concept is that the lights don’t burn out (and ours didn’t). However, the transformer did (and he says they stopped using separate transformers too). It was good for two (very expensive) posts.
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I definitely understand Luanne’s reaction too. And I know that she is a better person than me….I just couldn’t stop laughing. Your delivery was so funny!
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You gotta laugh or you’ll cry!
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That sounds really frustrating!
The bipeds aren’t happy when a light bulb needs changing in our new home. A few so far have been a problem – things like the fitting falling apart and having to be replaced. Nothing’s ever as simple as it should be!
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In this house, nothing is simple!
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Well you know that I totally relate to your predicament. Considering how many changes are going on in our house right now, I’m up to my eyeballs in such nonsense. I feel your pain, and boredom– as you wait for things to be made right. *sigh*
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Your project was ambitious since it’s several areas. Hats off to you but it will be wonderful when it’s done.
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This is why I haven’t bothered to replace the light in my dryer. This was a hoot this morning!
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In the dryer I wouldn’t bother either. Except for that occasional sock that gets away, you don’t need to see in.
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Ronnie asked if you want your old refrigerator back. The light bulb still works!! Lol.
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I’m thinking about it……. 🙂
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I’m sorry but this isn’t even funny. It makes me angry to think of this because this stuff is happening to so many of us and with all our gadgets and whatnots, we are being bankrupted by stuff that ought to work for 10 years without needing repair. Maybe I’m in a bad mood? But it’s outrageous. It’s a freaken light.
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Hmmm….you sound like me for the first 48 hours. Eventually I had to let it go. Going forward I will be more interested in repair records but as our repairman said, this rarely happens. Most of the stuff that happens rarely happens to us.
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I understand about letting it go, but in the overall scheme of things “things is outta control”!
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I heard the GE share price just plummeted. Now I know why!
The best laughs are when we can share the same frustration in life 😎
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I do not take responsibility for any stock price drops! I speak the truth. It shouldn’t cost that much to change a light bulb. 🙂
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Dear lord, this is turning into high comedy! Thank goodness you blog, so you have someplace to share the absurdity!!!
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It is over. He fixed it this morning and there was light!
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Just the laugh I needed on this long car ride. 🙂
Keep smiling! Still shaking my head about his wife. 🙂 But sadly enough I can identify with her. Though with something like that, I would be more sure to put it in a safe place!
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It’s a mystery for sure. He does this every day so I’m not sure why she didn’t put it where he would see it.
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The only good thing about this whole fiasco is that you got two blog posts out of it and your readers got a chuckle. I’m pretty sure that if this happened to our refrigerator, my husband would have attached a flashlight to a string suspended from the handle. Boom, done.
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We thought about that. A lot! The thing is if we go to sell the house, the fridge goes with it and the new owners wouldn’t be excited about a flashlight next to it.
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Sell it as a “rustic” design feature 🙂
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Thanks for putting an amusing spin on a frustrating situation. I hope the cats are being inconvenienced.
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Whoops . . hope the cats are NOT being inconvenienced.
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They were…sort of. They had to eat breakfast a little earlier (poor babies) because they needed to be under the bed when he came in the house. Except for Gracie who doesn’t know that yet.
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Hahahaha! I love how you make changing a light bulb so funny – although I’m sorry about the aggravation and the ridiculous charge.
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Glad I could entertain so we got something besides a light out of the ridiculous charge.
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I know this wasn’t funny at the time but thanks for sharing the humor!
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The blog post was the only funny thing about it.
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Hahahaha! To think there is hilarity in changing a light bulb – although you have my sympathy for the aggravation and ridiculous charge.
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Offer to give his wife some lessons in organization in exchange for fixing the fridge. I seriously will think twice (and maybe three times) about the type of refrigerator we get, if we ever get a new one.
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You can be sure we will check out the light!
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When we moved from our townhouse to our little house, the old Whirlpool refrigerator was too big for the space in the new kitchen. So we put it in the garage and got a new, smaller GE ‘fridge. The new GE ‘fridge died after a few years. The Whirlpool is still humming away in the garage.
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I don’t know what it is but the new ones don’t last like the old ones. Some say it’s all the regulations that changed what they can use to make it. Not sure myself.
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Yay for Whirlpool… knock on wood! This is the second house I have bought all Whirlpool appliances and the one in this house are still chugging after 12 years. We know the peeps who bought our house in St. Lou and all the Whirlpool appliances are still working there… they were new in 1992!
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We had to change out our Whirlpool washer after 13 years. I was ok with it because they aren’t too outrageously expensive. The dryer will outlast me.
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I am sorry Kate that you had to go through this ridiculous situation but it did make for an interesting blog post. But, truly sorry for the expense. I always buy the cheap commercial top loader washing machines… Kenmore brand. Our washing machine kept working even after the movers dropped it down the steps. But I am not talking about AC units… 🙂 BUT now I have an American Standard heat pump and air handler and it is behaving well… knock on wood!
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I don’t buy expensive washers either. We are only two. How dirty can we be? Yep, we replaced our heat pump too. The first one lasted 12 years and we found out that the contractor put in the bottom of the line. The one we have should last 20 to 25 years. So yes, let’s knock on wood!
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I would have tried one of those stick on the wall battery operated lights first–LOL! 😉
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A flashlight was tempting.
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Maybe it would have been cheaper to end Hubby over??? lol
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🙂
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All these visits, ca ching, ca ching, ca ching. I’d hold him to ransom (full board) until the right working part arrives. 🙂
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He didn’t charge extra for the multiple visits. It was all included in the first outrageous quote he gave us.
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At least that was something then! Over here, they’d probaby charge per visit.
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This is almost hard to believe, Kate. I wonder if GE knows how many people you may influence. I, for one, will never consider a GE appliance again.
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I don’t know if GE is any worse than any other manufacturer. We originally had a GE top line dishwasher and range. Those have been replaced. Our first fridge was an Amana and that lasted 6 years.
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Up till now, we’ve had good luck with large appliances. The ones here are probably originals with the house, and likely to be about 11 years old. That doesn’t sound good, does it?
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Yes. Aside from our fridge, the original appliances were replaced between 10 and 12 years. The range was wonky. The burners didn’t heat up correctly and it was a glasstop so the repair was expensive. I was glad to see that go. The dishwasher crashed. Also glad to see that go too as back then the GE appliances had a strip of pebbly finish plastic that turned yellow and looked dirty no matter how hard you cleaned. Both the range and d/w looked older than their years. Love the new range (Kenmore) but I got the extended warranty. They had to replace the motherboard at 2 years so it was worth it. The dishwasher has a mind of it’s own but we work around it. Occasionally we need to turn off the breaker and “reboot” it. Looks good and I just don’t want to replace until it stops cleaning.
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Ideally, we’d never think or speak of appliances. Taking them for granted is best.
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It is. Not worth the time or effort!
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I’m going to be nicer to our old fridge which is so ancient I’m afraid to say it out loud. (memo to self: when forced to buy a new one, ask to see a list of costs to repair parts…although this old one has never fussed or required more than a few cheap bulbs, the new trendy ones seem to be more demanding – and gosh, darn They think they are worth it)
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When I read the info on-line, the LED is supposed to give better ambience on the food. Seriously? I don’t need ambience on my food. I just need to know where it is.
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I can see right now, if mine goes out and it is an led, I’ll be using a small flashlight!
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Wise choice! He’s here right now. The light is working but he’s hearing a vibration. Argh!
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What Jill said!
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Argh! Bleah! (I’m running out of sound words!)
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I think I’d be ready to buy a new refrigerator, Kate.
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We need a counter depth refrigerator and they are very expensive. Perhaps the choices are to buy a new one or set up a guest room.
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Thanks for yet another chuckle… you’ve got a quick wit, girl!!
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And really bad luck with appliances!
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maybe you can prepare the guest room for the fridge-guy? and maybe you can adopt him… in case it has an influence on the bill? ..it makes your fridge technically to his fridge too, so he has to takje care of it LOL
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Your suggestions aren’t as crazy as they seem!
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