Today, it feels like fridges, dishwashers, and other household appliances don’t last as long as they used to.
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There’s some data to support this idea. According to the Washington Post, “Thanks to how complex they are, [appliances] require maintenance sooner, and the cost of repair often rivals the price tag of a new appliance altogether.” Not only that, but modern appliances are frequently made of cheaper materials than their older counterparts.
As a result, an appliance that used to last a decade or more may now only last a few years. Still, one would hope that they get at least a little bit of time with their appliance before it dies. But, as TikTok user Ms. Tracy (@ms.tracy57) recently shared in a video with over 84,000 views, that isn’t always the case.
What went wrong with this Lowe’s refrigerator purchase?
In her video, Tracy explains that she was in the market for a new refrigerator when she spotted one at Lowe’s that was made by the company Hisense. Seeing as it had been marked down to $650, Tracy says she thought it was a good deal and decided to purchase it. The purchase was made on a Sunday. And she says Lowe’s said they would deliver it by Wednesday.
However, when the fridge arrived, it didn’t work. According to Tracy, while the fridge initially cooled down, it simply would not stay cold.
“It’s been in my house for…about a week and a half, and it does not work,” she says. As a result, she says that she’s been having to use an Igloo ice cooler as a fridge replacement. She shows off the blue cooler in her video.
“This is my current refrigerator situation,” she says, opening the cooler to show some refrigerated goods inside. “I’m using an ice chest.”
Although Lowe’s initially seemed like they would be helpful in solving the problem, Tracy says that getting the company to actually pick up the old refrigerator and deliver a new one has been a headache.
Because Lowe’s uses third-party delivery contractors, Tracy says that she had to wait until the following Wednesday—the only delivery day in her area. When that day arrived, the delivery team called at 6:30pm to inform her they were behind schedule, she says.
“’It’s going to be about 9 or 10 o’clock before we would deliver,’” she recalls being told. Frustrated, she says her husband declined, asking for delivery the next day.
The refrigerator never came on Thursday or in the following days, despite assurances from the company of a “special delivery,” Tracy continues.
“It’s Sunday. We still have no new refrigerator,” Tracy states.
What happened next?
In a series of follow-up videos, Tracy documents the experience of trying to get the situation resolved.
First, she says a delivery driver came to drop off a new fridge but found he was unable to back into the driveway. As a result, Tracy says he had to bring in a forklift and take the fridge off the truck.
However, this delivery driver didn’t realize that he was supposed to pick up the old fridge, and so he left Tracy with both refrigerators, she says.
Tracy’s husband then took it upon himself to move the old refrigerator out, which the pair documented in a subsequent video.
Thankfully, after he had done so and they had installed the new refrigerator, they discovered that the new unit worked as promised.
“It works!” Tracy exclaims in her final video on the topic. “It got cold and stayed cold!”
Still, she says her experience has turned her away from the major DIY and home appliances chain.
“Don’t trust Lowe’s,” she concludes.
Tracy isn’t the only one to go viral with complaints about Lowe’s delivery. Previously, an internet user sparked discussion after showing video evidence that Lowe’s avoided making a delivery at her home, instead leaving a note saying that they couldn’t reach her without even knocking. As noted by the Daily Dot at the time, the third-party companies handling Lowe’s deliveries have received numerous complaints from customers.
@ms.tracy57 Don’t trust Lowe’s! @Lowe’s ♬ original sound – ms.tracy
In the comments section, some users advised against shopping at the chain. Others said that issues like Tracy’s were simply due to the poor quality of modern refrigerators.
“It’s not just Lowe’s. It’s all refrigerators baby. All the new ones are horrible,” wrote a user.
“Have him pick it up and return for a full refund. Go somewhere else and get one not Home Depot,” added another.
“I used to be a manager at Lowe’s back in the day. We would have been out later the same day or definitely the next day,” said a third. “I will not do business with them today. It’s that bad.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Lowe’s and Tracy via email. We also reached out to Hisense via website contact form.
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