About 35 years ago my wife and I bought a new washer and dryer from an old established chain store that was known for its products and service.
Over the period of 35 years we had to phone them, maybe once or twice, because a switch or something else failed and our calls were always answered and the product was fixed within a couple of days.
After the passing of my wife, I sold the house and because my landlady was putting in all new appliances in the place I was renting, I left the old washer and dryer in the old house for the young couple who bought the house.
Because the washer and dryer my landlady bought was only a display unit we had to wait for the old established business to bring in the units she had purchased, so we waited and once a week when I did my laundry, my little place looks like an old Chinese laundry, with shorts, socks, and odds and ends, hanging around my place.
Finally after a month or so I got my new washer and dryer, but I had to wait for them to be installed. After waiting again everything was set up, with all the bells and whistles, so I did my washing.
The washer worked well, all the bells and whistles worked but the dryer wouldn't. The landlady phoned the warranty department of the Japanese manufacturer and talked to a person in Santa Domingo who said he would contact a repair person in Prince George and have it fixed.
After two weeks my landlady contacted the company that was supposed to fix my dryer and was told they couldn't get the part.
Now I'm sitting here, with laundry hanging around my little place, waiting for a new dryer to come in and for them to find someone to install it, they tell me it won't be until Sept. 20.
My advice to anyone who is considering buying new appliances is to fix the old stuff because you can fix it and you won't have the frustration of dealing with manufacturers halfway around the world and retailers who don't give a damn about you once they have your money.
Mel McConaghy, Prince George
