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Fridge failures: LG says angry owners can't sue, company points to cardboard box
NBC Bay Area ^ | Feb. 28, 2024 | Chris Chmura, Stephanie Lucero, Alyssa Goard and Camille Lopez Rodriguez

Posted on 03/18/2024 6:32:09 AM PDT by Leaning Right

Frank Rodriguez in San Francisco says he has been dealing with a difficult LG fridge since 2021. “This one cost me $2,000 and it’s been a nightmare,” he said.

He says it’s not freezing well. Techs have repeatedly tried to fix it, but haven’t. Frank says he’s asked for a replacement or a refund. But that hasn’t happened.

*snip*

LG says it put an arbitration notice on the box. It’s now asking a federal judge to require individual fridge owners to move their case to arbitration -- in private. But owners we interviewed say they never saw the box because delivery people unboxed their fridge.

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcbayarea.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Chit/Chat; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: appliances; contractofadhesion; lg; refrigerator; refrigerators
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To: Ikeon

Yes, my 15-year-old LG washer and dryer are still going strong. I suspect the problems are with the five-year-old “climate friendly” editions. :)


41 posted on 03/18/2024 7:36:14 AM PDT by Mr. Jeeves ([CTRL]-[GALT]-[DELETE])
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To: Leaning Right

From just reading general articles over the years, arbitration agreements seem to be difficult to enforce even when the both parties have signed the agreements. I’m not seeing courts allowing LG to get away with this given the fact LG can’t prove that buyers were ever aware of the stipulation.

And yeah, LG is risking losing a lot of business over this. We’ve actually got an LG refrigerator that’s 4.5 years old, never had an issue with it. Got two LG OLED tvs, and LG double wall ovens, no issue with them either. I would buy another LG tv or oven, but not gonna buy another LG refrigerator.


42 posted on 03/18/2024 7:38:09 AM PDT by Roadrunner383 (m)
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To: Leaning Right

I think I’ve had some fun with fridges this past year that is relevant to this discussion….

I have a 12 year old Kenmore that stopped working one day about a year ago. A bit of troubleshooting revealed that the starter was done on it and so I set about ordering one online. The wrong part got delivered and I ended up going back and forth with the parts place several times before I got the right part. The lady who I was working with at the online parts place at one point had said to me “we’re absolutely going to get you the right parts… you don’t want to have to purchase a new fridge for the sake of us not getting the starter. The new fridges are absolutely junk!” Well, one can only go so long without a fridge so while I was waiting for the starter, I purchased a Whirlpool.

Eventually the right starter arrived, and I popped it in and sure enough, the Kenmore started working properly right away. It’s a good thing because a month later, the Whirlpool stopped working…. And this time, my troubleshooting of it told me that it was irreparable.


43 posted on 03/18/2024 7:45:02 AM PDT by hecticskeptic
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To: Red Badger; All

LG fridges had what was called LINEAR COMPRESSORS.
All of them failed after six months to two years. Not all LG fridges had them.
It was such a major issue there was a class action lawsuit.
So, they put a clause in the purchase/sales contract that basically said they were not responsible for the problem.

They put it on the cardboard box too. However, the box usually stays in the truck of the company that delivers it. So, when they bring it into your kitchen, you never see it.

I do not believe they use these LINEAL COMPRESSORS in any of the current models. It gave them a really bad reputation. FYI, this has been all over YouTube for a couple years.

This is the issue of buying appliances from the Big Box retailers. They do not service the appliances they sell.
Although a buddy who ran the appliance department a HD told me to never buy any Samsung products.
I have always purchased from a local dealer who now ONLY services the machines they sell.

Lastly, there are only a few actual manufactures left.
GE/Hotpoint are now made in Mexico.
LG and Samsung are made in South Korea.
Whirlpool/Amana/Maytag/Kitchen Aid are made in Iowa. All in the same factory.
Speed Queen are all made in the USA somewhere.
Fisher Paykel are made in New Zealand.
Bosch are made in Germany/EU.

Even the few above that are still assembled in the USA are still made from parts made everywhere. I recently fixed my Speed Queen washer. After having the lid lock replaced twice under warranty. They also replaced the board once already.
The hack I used to fix the lid lock I found on YouTube. It involved putting a zip tie around the lid lock mechanism so that it would “think” the lid was closed and go into the wash/spin cycles. I am sure that this mechanism/gizmo was probably made somewhere outside of the USA. As was the board.

FYI, Speed Queen now makes a washer and dryer with analog technology only. There is a dial on the right to change the cycles. just like they had back in the 1960s when a machine last 25 years.


44 posted on 03/18/2024 7:46:11 AM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: Leaning Right

LG appliances – Living Good - is a major South Korean electronics company that evolved from GoldStar appliances. GoldStar entered US markets about 1970 with TV’s and small home appliances sold through discount retailers. GoldStar products were better known for low price as opposed to quality or durability. The LG name was adopted around 1995.


45 posted on 03/18/2024 7:49:28 AM PDT by Huaynero
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To: Leaning Right

The LG response is absolute crappola, and illegal.

When you make a deal all terms have to be made available, even warranty. Putting such on a box that is only visible when delivered is illegal in most states.
If you try this you HAVE to offer compensatory conditions — like a discount. Otherwise, even a local judge will kill you in court.


46 posted on 03/18/2024 7:49:51 AM PDT by bobbo666 (Baizuo, )
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To: woodbutcher1963

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whirlpool_Corporation#

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Queen


47 posted on 03/18/2024 7:53:20 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: fini

I have a Harman Pellet stove insert. It also has a circuit board. Which got fried during the a summer thunderstorm the second year we had it. It actually had a fuse that burned through too. I replaced the fuse but the stove would not turn off after it cooled down. I ended up replacing the board and bought an expensive surge protector. The same kind I have on my flat screen TV.


48 posted on 03/18/2024 7:54:13 AM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: Leaning Right

I’m from the government, and I am here to help

https://www.epa.gov/climate-hfcs-reduction/frequent-questions-phasedown-hydrofluorocarbons


49 posted on 03/18/2024 7:54:21 AM PDT by mission9 (It is by the fruit ye shall know.)
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To: Yo-Yo

The wheels for the lower rack on my Kitchen Aid dishwasher broke off too. It was just the plastic axle that broke. So, I replaced them with a stainless steel screen/bolt and a SS lock nut.


50 posted on 03/18/2024 7:57:23 AM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: Red Badger

“It will slowly get to the point where the freezer will no longer maintain the temp below 0° F.”

As it gets to that point I suppose you’d notice that the refrigerator was running almost continuously.

There’s no reason for refrigerator compressor to wear out that quickly except low quality, correct? We’ve never had a compressor failure in our refrigerators or air conditioners.


51 posted on 03/18/2024 7:58:34 AM PDT by cymbeline
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To: woodbutcher1963

They are still using linear compressors in some models. We bought a new one a couple of months ago...but before it was delivered, I learned it had a linear compressor and about all the problems with linear compressors...so we canceled the order and went with a different brand.


52 posted on 03/18/2024 7:58:48 AM PDT by yukong
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To: Leaning Right

I won’t buy anything from LG. The family owned appliance dealer we go to said to stay away from them and they are hard to get parts for.

-SB


53 posted on 03/18/2024 8:00:01 AM PDT by Snowybear (Liberalism is a mental disorder)
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To: woodbutcher1963

The mfrs could make a simple washing machine like we had in the 50’s, a on/off switch and a drain hose.

That thing lasted for over 20+ years...............


54 posted on 03/18/2024 8:00:22 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: cymbeline

LG has/had a special ‘linear compressor’ whatever that is.

I doesn’t last..................


55 posted on 03/18/2024 8:01:23 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Leaning Right
My wife wanted the big LG washer without the agitator. We had it for a few years. I did large loads just fine, but smaller loads consistently went off balance. After years of frustration spending all day restarting a small load, we ditched it for a Maytag with an agitator. It works flawlessly. The LG was a poor implementation.

I have many LG monitors and TVs. All are just fine.

56 posted on 03/18/2024 8:02:09 AM PDT by Myrddin
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To: cymbeline

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_compressor


57 posted on 03/18/2024 8:03:46 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Leaning Right

I’ve never received a refrigerator box. The appliance has always been delivered and unpacked on the truck and brought inside and installed by the delivery guys (always guys). Then they take the trash away and dispose of it, leaving behind the warranty booklet and all the enclosed manuals.


58 posted on 03/18/2024 8:05:57 AM PDT by Sgt_Schultze (When your business model depends on slave labor, you're always going to need more slaves.)
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To: old-ager

I have GE dual wall ovens that I think are from the mid 80s. We have only lived in this house 13 years. I replaced the element on the top oven about ten years ago. The lower oven does not get a lot of use.

There was a Hotpoint/GE side by side fridge in my previous house 30 years ago. We replace it with an Amana French door model. Our electric bill dropped $20/month. Keep in mind this was when a big electric bill was $100/month. So, our bill dropped 20%.


59 posted on 03/18/2024 8:06:10 AM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: woodbutcher1963

I wish I could perform an easy fix, but the hole where the wheel axle screws into broke off of the rest of the shelf slide. On three different shelves. The plastic is literally crumbling apart.


60 posted on 03/18/2024 8:12:18 AM PDT by Yo-Yo (Is the /Sarc tag really necessary? Pray for President Biden: Psalm 109:8)
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