Gerhard's

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
Regards,
[redacted]

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:As this was a oven that had a down draft, I immediately asked how much this installation would be  He stated $60 to 200.  I at that time said that amount was too high and I would have someone else install.  After receiving oven and saw all the guts were in the oven I  called back and aid I would accept the price he quoted for installation.   As he stated he gave me range of installation of 60 to 200, which he said was much higher than regular oven installation.,    That is what he quoted.  I said if I could get it down for less than the quoted price I would do so or call them back. which I did.  He sent out installer to look.  The sakes person changed the price and said it would be $645.  I said that is not price  quoted before purchase and that I would not pay the new price, and ask them to remove oven. which they did.I paid 2800 for oven knowing the installation would be 60 to 200. as stated by salesman if I needed them to install.  Had he stated 2800 for oven and an additional 647 for installation I would not have made purchase.   After this fiasco I called two local companies to see what their charge would be for installation of a down draft oven, (I had down draft floor opening as I was replacing a [redacted] down draft oven), I I was told by these two local companies  installation is from $75. to 225.   The unit was not delivered in a box, so do not understand what he is referring to out of the box.    Restocking fees because of a lie and misrepresentation is illegal.   They need to be upfront with clients.The sales person knows exactly what he quoted me period.  It was changed once I called back for that quoted service.
Regards,
[redacted]

To Whom It May Concern,   I am sorry to hear that the customer is having this ongoing issue. While it is certainly true that Gerhard's sold the appliance, it is an independent contractor that the customer had out to her home. As she previously stated she paid the contractor an additional...

$400.00 directly. We have contacted him and he stated that he is contacting the customer directly to finish the job. His company is called [redacted] and his telephone number is ###-###-####. While we will help in any way we can we do not control the contractors that we refer the work to. Sincerely,Sonia K[redacted]

Gerhard's has no response at this time with regard to this matter. We have picked the unit up and will issue a refund to the customer less original delivery charge of $39.95 + 6% tax and $50.00. At this time we consider this matter closed.Thank youDianne K[redacted]Customer Service RepresentativeGerhard's Inc.[redacted] x.[redacted]

We are deeply sorry that the customer has had these issues with their new machine. Under the manufacture warranty we were out a few times to repair the first unit and the problem was not going away. ** was then contacted as they handle ALL exchanges directly and would have to make a...

determination after their findings on the machine if the unit is to be exchanged, which they did determine that the unit needed to be exchanged.  The replacement unit came direct from the ** and Gerhard's was not involved in the exchange. The manufacture handled it themselves directly with the customer.  If there is another issue with the second replacement machine which ** provided the customer would have to contact them ** directly and only ** can refund the customer's monies at this point with a buyback as they supplied the second product. We would hope that the customer has already contacted ** and this has been resolved for them by now.Kind regardsDianne K[redacted]Customer Service RepresentitiveGerhard's Inc.###-###-####

To Whom It May Concern,
While I agree with the customer completely that there was a lack of communication, there was a person working on her case during this time. I apologize that no one got back to her and we will certainly handle that issue internally. As for the customers check, we did in...

fact receive it and have held it until we could figure out what client it belonged to. We have since realized the error and signed the check over to [redacted] and mailed it to her. She should see it in the mail any day next week. Should [redacted] have any further questions I would be more than happy to answer them. I hope this alleviates her concerns.

The customers complaint is that her appliances were not functioning, the answer to that it to have service. Service will correct the issue and replace a part as needed. Parts take up to 14 business days to arrive, this is something we have no control over. Often times, it will take up to a week to set a service date, the customer is correct, and we have done comparisons to make sure that we are on par with other service companies and they have the same exact wait time. What I am reading here is the customer has several appliance and has had a issue with each one, we do not make these appliances the factories do, had she bought them at any other store she would still have this problem with no in house service team to address the issues. We stand by our clients and that is the reason we have been able to stay in business as a family run organization in a corporate world. 
 The customer was at no point accused of misuse, I simply stated that this often causes ongoing issues such as the ones they have experienced. I will reiterate, service will continue and the unit will be repaired. I am aware that the customer is already scheduled for service, that being said , the wheels are already in motion to complete the repair. That the correct course of action. If service was not met in a timely manner previously I do apologize, this may have been due to the fact that the holidays were upon us and that always sets a back a bit. I assure all involved it is our only goal to make sure our customers leave us satisfied.
Thank You,
Sonia K[redacted]

Gerhard's understands the need to stand behind their sales and we do this to the best of our ability. We have contacted [redacted] as previously stated and he assures us that he is in fact getting the job completed and in touch with the client. He is very good at his job and that is the reason he is referred to our clientele. We will continue to act as liaison between the customer and her contractor as long as need be, however, we don't ave the power to force him to their home by a certain date and time. He is not under our employ. I hope this helps to clarify the situation.Thank You

Good afternoon and thank you for granting us the opportunity to reply to this dispute.  [redacted] placed an order with Gerhard's for several appliances.  The appliances were to be delivered out of state and therefore the delivery fee was $125.00.  From what I have read in the...

customer's complaint, it appears the customer is now stating that he believed the installation of these product was included in the delivery fee.  Actually, the customer states in his complaint that his sales representative, Josh G[redacted], told him that there were no extra fees for installation and that the delivery fee covered both the delivery and the install.  Josh has been with the company for more than 20 years and he knows that  there are always extra charges for installations as a contractor is then required.  He is knowledgeable and he is honest.    Actually, the sales representative specifically noted on the order that the customer is aware they are to pay a contractor directly.  And, the customer signed the paperwork that clearly states the following; "contractor to install dishwasher and hood per Jon G. - customer aware they pay contractor directly."      Too, I should mention that Josh, the sales representative managed to get this customer more than $1,000.00 in rebates on this order.  Gerhard's has been in business for 70 years and we  honestly do strive to give excellent customer service and we truly want our customers to be happy with their appliances and with their experience with our company.  As you can imagine, the installation of a hood and a dishwasher requires a contractor who has experience with gas, electric, plumbing etc..  Our delivery drivers are not contractors, their job is to deliver the appliances.  We stand by our sales representative and we truly feel it is evident in the scanned paperwork included in this email transmission that the customer was aware that he would have to pay a contractor for the installation of these appliances.Again, thank you for the opportunity to respond and our hope is that this issue can be resolved.  Respectfully,Carol

In regard to Case # [redacted] please be advised that this unit was exchanged on 9/11/15.  There are guidelines required by the manufacturer, that must be fulfilled, before we can even request an exchange.  The unit has to be deem non-repairable and if our service technician doesn’t make a...

minimum of 3 service calls for the exact same problem, the manufacturer will not even consider an exchange.  Our service representative continued to reach out to the manufacturer and finally got the approval for this customer to receive a brand new unit.  We do apologize for any inconvenience this caused the customer. Thank you,Carol G[redacted]

To Whom It May Concern,     I was sorry to hear of the ongoing issues with delivery. It is our understanding that service contracts were offered to the customer as compensation for the inconvenience to them. I have written the contracts up and enclosed the sale. I am also mailing copies directly to the customer along with the pertinent information needed. I would like to assure **. and [redacted] that we are consistently striving to  perfect our customer service and communication skills to the best of our availability. Please feel free to contact me with any further questions.Sincerely,[redacted]

To whom it may concern, We received a call from the customer on October 1st, 2015 in regards to the unit leaking. We scheduled a warrantied call for October 10th, 2015. The customer also explained to the service person who took the call that he called a plumber out to look at the unit before he...

called us. The customer had a authorized contractor which Gerhard's suggested to him to install the unit in 2014 The contractor is authorized and self insured as is paid directly for the insulation by the customer's for work provided.  If the customer felt he needed a plumber before he called us he should have contacted the original installer which he had a receipt for along with a phone# or called us for service first.  Under normal circumstances having a non authorized contractor look at a warrantied machine would void any manufacture or installation warranty.We sent a technician in good faith and he found that the dishwasher was not leaking and that there was no problem found with the unit itself. He found and issue with the inlet fill hoses which a plumber installs and is not part of the unit or the units warranty and he can not service it as he is not a authorized plumber.  He informed the customer that he would report his findings back to the office or Mr. Gerhard which is standard procedure.  He did report his findings and we contacted the installer that did the original installation. We do not have any record of the calls [redacted] says he made or who he spoke to which we would keep records of on his customer file.  Our service manager Rich J[redacted] and Dawn in the service department spoke with the customer on this matter and explained our position prior to the original installer Brian calling [redacted].  It is an unfortunate situation. This is not a failure of the unit and we can't be sure if it may have been an installation issue. Had the original installer been called first or Gerhard's been called first we would have contacted the installer on the customer's behalf and have him deal directly with him as he was paid for the original installation. The customer called a non warranty authorized outside plumber during the warranty period before contacting our office which can also void the manufacture warranty on the unit itself. The original installer did contact the customer via phone and explained that he can't warranty the work after the customer had another plumber out which therefore voids whatever installation warranty was on the unit by the contractor.Gerhard's would like to assist the customer in this matter if it was a failure of the unit but it was not. We can not assist with an installation issue as he paid the contractor to do the installation and the plumber warrants their own installations. Also as previuosly stated there was no failure of the unit itself which was purchased at our store which is covered under a full one year warranty if failure occurs prior to November 7, 2015 when the warranty expires. Respectfully yours Dianne K[redacted]

To Whom It May Concern,
I have been in close contact with the customer since she sent in her complaint and I believe we have resolved all of her issues. We are addressing the issue of lack of communication internally and [redacted] is aware of this. I contacted GE on [redacted]'s behalf and they...

have agreed to give us a return authorization for the unit. Once we receive this we will then issue a refund to [redacted] so that she may proceed with purchasing a new unit. Our main goal here was to get the customer as satisfied as possible after her bad experiences. Should she have any further questions I would be happy to address them. I hope this helps assure [redacted] that Gerhard's is committed to customer service and appreciation.

[redacted]  [redacted]
[redacted]
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
I withdraw the complaint, I made the complaint too quickly. gerhards was not at fault. 
[redacted]
[redacted]

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
Gerhard’s
continues to amaze me at the arrogance and disregard for the consumer.  As I read their response to your inquiry I
was sickened that a company can be so dishonest about what has occurred.
 It was not
Gerhard’s who authorized the exchange of the [redacted] freezer it was me.  I am attaching correspondence between myself
and representatives from [redacted] regarding what has transpired and the acceptance
letter between [redacted] and myself for the new freezer.  Gerhard’s did not initiate the replacement
nor were they included in any of the correspondence with [redacted].  Also, you will read in the correspondence that
I requested Gerhard’s not be the installer of my new freezer because I did not
trust them and their service levels are not even adequate.  When I learned that Gerhard’s was going to be
the installer, I contacted [redacted] directly and was informed by them that I
did not have a choice; they were the only company who had the freezer in stock
and an available installer.  So I had no
choice, but to allow them to install the freezer.  I had to take a day off work to keep a close
on them.  After the installation on
September 11, 2015, I was told by Gerhard’s that someone would be by later that
day to pick up the old freezer (it was sitting in the middle of my kitchen).  No one from Gerhard’s came to pick up the old
freezer or called to give an update or apologize.  I contacted Gerhard’s first thing in the
morning, around 9:00AM, on Saturday, September 12, and asked when someone would
pick up the freezer.  The Gerhard’s
representative informed me she would have to check and would get back to
me.  I called back around 11:00AM the
same day, because once again no one returned my call, to get a time when the
freezer would be picked up. The representative on the phone did not have an
answer on a time, but stated someone would definitely be out on Saturday.  Someone finally came late afternoon to
dispose of the freezer.
 Once again
Gerhard’s has proven that they are not competent nor do they care about the
consumer or understand that consumers have rights.
 I believe
the only reason they responded to you now was because they wanted to take
credit for something they had no involvement in resolving.
 This company
needs to be accountable for the actions and not disregard consumers when they
attempt to resolve situations they created. 
They are wasting a lot of my time and now your time trying to resolve an
issue with me that should have taken five minutes. 
 Thank you
again for your assistance in the matter.
 
Best
Regards,
[redacted]
Ps. there
are six pages of attachments.

[redacted]
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.when will I receive a check for   50% of the service bills that I paid 
[redacted]
[redacted]

To Whom It May Concern,
As previously stated, we received credit for the unit we replaced because we paid for it ahead of time. This is a normal process. The door has a scratch! There is no damage to this unit other than a scratch. **. [redacted] can go through [redacted] and have them replace the doors for him as we have always said. We will not work with this man any longer and have every right to refuse to. He has a brand new unit, and the doors will be replaced by factory service leaving him with exactly what he paid for. A legal suit is being pursued against **. [redacted] for harassment due to all that has transpired. We will no longer respond to these any longer.
Thank You

The two products mentioned by the customer Microwave & Range were purchased for the customer 10/15/16. There was a delay on these two items as the customer was not ready for these items yet and only had delivery of the refrigerator and dishwasher. The two items finally did arrive in our...

warehouse in November and set for delivery. When the Range arrived it was unfortunately damaged. We tried to reorder the range only to find it was now on a back order. We had the same unit in our warehouse stock and the order was fulfilled using this unit.  Yes we should have left the decision up to the customer or offered them a discount on the model we had in our stock. Yes there was a breakdown in this communication. The unit was and is still viable, the unit still came with a full manufacture warranty. Gerhard's should have called the customer to let her know what had happened and again left the decision up to them and unfortunately we did not. Current model numbers for many different manufacturers can be manufactured over a period of years. New units can have a manufacture date that is one, two or more years old however the units are new and come with a full manufacture warranty regardless. The microwave is a prime example of this. The unit arrived here at the same time as the damaged range and is a current model with an older manufacture date. We have no way of knowing when a current item was manufactured especially if the model number of these products are currently valid. A manufacture may carry the same model# for a number of years. At this time we want to report that the unit (range) was returned on 12/22/16 and a full refund was issued.We apologize for the customer's experience with this order.Kind regardsDianne K[redacted]Customer Service RepresentiveGerhard's Inc.###-###-####

To Whom It May Concern,    While I certainly understand the frustration that the customer is experiencing, I would like to make note that the appliances come directly from the factory and then to the customers home. As the customer mentioned her units are all different brands, it is...

not an issue of a defective brand it is an issue of all appliances malfunctioning. this can happen for any number of reasons, the biggest of which is generally wear and tear on the unit from misuse. Having service contracts is exactly the right answer, it gives the customer insurance that the unit will be fixed with no charge to them. It is completely normal for a technician to diagnosis an issue prior to ordering parts, the reason being  many different parts can cause the same symptoms. So while the customer may know what is happening, a qualified and trained technician has to visually see it before knowing what part to replace. our service department gets to every customer as quickly and efficiently as possible. We will continue to work with the customer to get the issue rectified, we will not be replacing the appliances after nearly five years.
Sincerely,
Sonia K[redacted]

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted].  In addition, I called Gerhard's on Monday, January 12 and requested to speak to Gerry Gerhart, who is the head of the service department to set up a meeting between me, Gerhart's and a [redacted] representative.  As of today, Friday, January 16, I have not received a phone call back. I placed another call to Sonia K[redacted], whose name was on the response complaint. Again, I asked for a meeting, but she refused to set it up, saying that she could only get either their technician or a certified [redacted] technician to service the appliance.  In addition, she informed me that there needs to be 3 service calls before [redacted] would consider replacing the item and despite the fact that I have now set aside 2 days of my time to have this addressed, it does not count as a "service call" until the service is completed, and since this is a "new" unit (having replaced the former unit), I now need to have 3 service calls before [redacted] will consider replacement. 
I decided to (once again) set up a time for service, this time with the [redacted] technician.  I await Sonia's return call for a scheduling date.  However, I find it extremely frustrating that I have to set aside 2 days of my time for each service call and have now invested at least a dozen days over the last 2 years for repairs on two different units, both having the same issues. Furthermore, I will need to have at least 2 more service visits, an additional 4 days of my time, before replacement.  In addition, the units have only worked properly for, at best, a year out of the two years since installation causing additional frustration each time I prepare a meal.
I have been extremely patient over the last two years in dealing with this issue.  I am no longer patient, just angry at Gerharts for refusing to stand by products that they sell. I am sure I am not the only person who has had an issue with this appliance.  As a dealership that sells [redacted], I am sure they have some ability to address [redacted] on behalf of the consumer when a product does not meet expectations to get issues resolved.  It is mind boggling that the service manager and part owner does not return calls, nor ask anyone to return calls on his behalf to address these issues. It is further mind-boggling that, even if they do not want to deal with the issue, they would refuse to set up a meeting between the representative of [redacted] and the customer.
Please advise me as to how many complaints have been filed with the Revdex.com regarding Gerharts Appliances.  It is hard to believe that I would be the only one.  We went there specifically because they were a local and family owned vendor, not a big box store and expected to be treated as valued customers.  The reality has been quite the opposite.
Regards,
[redacted]