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June 22, 2007

Cowardice asks: Is it safe?

Expediency asks: Is it politic?

But Conscience asks: Is it right?

William Punshon (1824–1881)
Wesleyan Methodist Minister

Family of Deployed National Guardsman:

What Is Wrong With This Picture?

We are noticing a disturbing trend in the communications we receive from our website.  Families of deployed military [already dealing with the stress of a husband, wife, mother, father, son, or daughter serving in the war] having to deal with GE's defective appliances.  When they contact GE for help, they're treated just as callously as the rest of us. 

This message did not come to us through the usual channels such as an email, phone call, etc.  Instead we received a tip asking us to look at a posting on a philanthropic website called The Robinhood Fund.  Please read this copy of the post:

"My refrigerator has been repaired 9 times in the past four years. It is only 4 years old and it just broke again. GE says there is a class action lawsuit involving this model for a door problem and that situation supersedes my warranty claims under any lemon laws. I don't understand why, but they will not replace it. They want me to buy the newer model that has replaced my rotten model at a 'prorated cost'  and pay them $760 for it! If I had that much money, why would I buy one of theirs? It takes about 3 weeks to get it fixed each time, and I must buy ice every day while I am waiting on them to 'order parts' and get them here. I have lost thousands of dollars worth of groceries because of this fridge."

"My husband is in the Air National Guard and (it seems) it always breaks when he is deployed. He comes home to unemployment, looks for work for a while, and then gets deployed again. If he was full time military, I probably could afford to replace this myself. But it is hard to find a good job when you are out of the country 7 to 8 months a year. He has served two tours of duty in Iraq and is now in Germany. We are in a vicious cycle of deployments and unemployment. He came home from Iraq the first time only to be laid off and has not been able to stay home and find a job. Funny, but people don't like to hire Reservists right now."

"I am living out of a cooler again for the 10th time. I have no options but to sue GE. I probably would win, but that doesn't help me get a new fridge SOON. Besides, I am not the type to sue someone, but after all this I don't know what else to do. I have 4 children at home, and we home school and eat 3 meals a day at home, so my refrigerator is very important to our family; we don't eat out much! Also, my two stepdaughters will be coming to live with us this summer, so I will have 8 people to keep fed. It sure would be nice to be able to go to the grocery store and know that the food will actually get eaten and not spoil for the fridge dying every 4 to 6 months when you least expect it! Usually right after a weekly trip to the grocery store! Thanks for reading this. I feel a bit better just writing about it! Say a prayer and thanks!"

On the The Robinhood Fund site, people can post their wishes. The Robinhood Community at large decides each week which wish is granted by voting via a star system.  A 'Wisher' needs many four star votes to say in the running. In addition, Community Members can donate to a specific Wisher's fund, which the Wisher will receive regardless of whether or not they win the week's vote.

We are trying to help this family through our own channels, if you are moved to consider helping her yourself, please visit her Wish Page [free registration required to participate].  Thank you.

June 17, 2007

Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege.

- Author Unknown

GE Recalls Monogram Professional Gas Ranges for the Second Time in 18 Months!

It's been two weeks since we discovered information about GE's newest recall and the news has barely registered a blip in the media.  Even Appliance Magazine [an industry periodical] has failed to mention this newest recall.

Information regarding the recall requires a bit of digging - even on GE's website.  The only additional information we have been able to find is this:

1. This is a serious defect.  According to GE, "Do not use the main oven (large oven on 48" models) until the repair is completed. Push the "OFF" oven selector switch and turn the oven thermostat control knob to "O" (off). To ensure that the oven is not used accidentally until the repair is complete, remove the thermostat control knob."
    
2. Call the GE Recall Hotline at (877) 546-0116 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Eastern Time, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, to arrange for a free service call. Before you call, write down the model and serial number of your range.

June 11, 2007

In December 2005, GE recalled their Monogram™ 36 and 48 inch Professional Gas Ranges because they posed a fire hazard. The recall involved almost 7,000 appliances because they were manufactured with a design flaw that could cause an electrical arc between the wiring and adjacent gas supply tubes at two locations in the control housing of the range, posing a fire hazard. GE had received reports of six incidents of fire in the control area of these ranges, but claimed no injuries or property damage was reported.

Fast forward to last week . . .

On June 6, the CPSC quietly announced another recall for the same models of GE's stainless steel Monogram Professional Gas Ranges with griddles. They are fueled either by LP or natural gas and manufactured from October 2005 through May 16, 2006.

The problem this time? 

"These ranges have a design flaw that can cause an electrical arc between the wiring and griddle gas supply tube, posing a fire hazard."

Sound familiar?

"GE has received reports of six incidents of gas leaking from the griddle gas supply tube, resulting in five fires under the range top. One consumer has reported burns to her hands and two consumers have reported smoke damage.

There are 2,600 units involved in the recall that were sold through home builders and appliance stores nationwide from October 2005 through February 2007 for between $4,000 and $6,000. The models included in this recall are:

• ZDP48N6DHSS

• ZDP48L6DHSS

• ZDP36N4DHSS

• ZDP36L4DHSS 

The serial numbers of these modes are:

To find the manufacture date, and model and serial numbers, look underneath the top ledge (the “bull nose”) above the range controls.

We will update this page over the weekend with more information and links for contacting GE.

May 23, 2007

This is like déjà vu all over again

- Yogi Berra

Surprise! GE Recall Hotline is Overwhelmed.

When we first addressed the issue of GE's defective refrigerators in 2005, our learning curve was steep - straight up actually. But after two years, we   confidently declare, "We're smarter than we look!" So when the latest recall was announced Wednesday, we only had to wait a few hours before the emails started pouring in describing consumers' off-the-charts frustration with GE's Recall Hotline.  Following is one example:

A CPSC/manufacturer recall does not happen overnight.  There are periods of reporting, investigating, negotiating, preparing for the recall, etc.  Since GE knew the scope of the recall was 2.5 million dishwashers, you would think the call center set-up would anticipate the deluge.  Perhaps they did.  But true to GE form, no thought, planning, or expense was worth maximizing consumer satisfaction. Once again, the GE bean-counter mentality did not consider the ROI [Return on Investment] worth the effort.

In his article "GE completely inept at handling dish-washer fire hazard recall", Eli Portnoy, President of the Portnoy Group states,

"My GE Profile dishwasher was among those recalled. The process to get it fixed has been a nightmare proving how companies like GE have NO interest in customer satisfaction. A great example of over promise and under deliver damaging the GE appliance brand significantly. I certainly will NOT buy another one of their products. Nor should you."

After highlighting the significant elements of his personal experience dealing with the recall, Eli goes on to comment, "No wonder GE ended the run of its famous slogan, "Brings good things to life", NOT!"

What makes Eli Portnoy's comments so significant is he is the voice of The Brand Man Speaks:

"A dialogue about the consuming world in which we live and a guide to successfully navigating it. The goal is to educate people and companies about branding, the most powerful yet misunderstood business tool."

Founder and CEO of the Portnoy Group Inc., Brand Architecture; a Brand Strategy Consultancy,  he is a branding expert, commentator on consumer trends, marketing and behavior, and Focus Group Facilitator.  The Portnoy Group "builds brands that transcend existing competition and marketplace boundaries by creating new unparalleled profitable opportunities while engendering loyal, binding relationships with current customers and successfully luring new prospects."

Thank you Eli.

May 16, 2007

Consumer Alert!

General Electric Recalls Dishwashers
Due to Fire Hazard!

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, announced a recall today of 2.5 million General Electric dishwashers. The recall includes GE built-in dishwashers manufactured and sold at department and appliance stores from September 1997 through December 2001 for about $400. Brand names include: Eterna, GE, GE Profile®, GE Monogram™, Hotpoint™, and Sears-Kenmore. The dishwashers were sold in white, black, almond, bisque, and stainless steel. If you own one of the models included in the recall, stop using it immediately!

The recall is based upon a defect in the liquid rinse-aid dispenser¹ which can  leak onto the dishwasher’s internal wiring and can cause an electrical short and overheating, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

Editor's Note:  According to the CPSC announcement, GE has disclosed 191 reports of overheated wiring including 56 reports of property damage and 12 reports of fires that escaped the dishwasher causing fire damage.  Further, GE states that damage was limited to the dishwasher or the adjacent area and that no injuries have been reported. 

In our experience, GE underreports both the number of incidents, and the severity of property damage and/or personal injuries. So please, do not be complacent about the "few" reports of "actual" fires compared to the scope of the recall. You do NOT want your dishwasher to be "one of the few".

The brand name of the effected dishwashers [Eterna, GE, GE Profile®, GE Monogram™, Hotpoint™, or Sears-Kenmore] is printed on the dishwasher’s front control panel.

The model and serial number can be found inside the dishwasher tub on the front left side of the dishwasher.

If you find your model and serial number (prefix) on the table below, you  should immediately stop using the dishwasher and contact General Electric for:

• a free repair, OR

• a $150 rebate towards the purchase of a new GE dishwasher, OR

• a $300 rebate towards the purchase of a new GE Profile or GE Monogram dishwasher. 

For additional information, contact General Electric toll-free at:

1 - 877 - 607 - 6395

from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday.   When you call, you must have your model and serial numbers ready to give to the GE Customer Service Representative.  Take notes as you speak with the GE/CSR and be sure to get their name [check proper spelling], and ask for their direct telephone line.

Finally, we would be very interested in hearing from anyone who owns one of these dishwashers and their experience in dealing with GE and the recall.  You can share your information through the form located on this page.

For a printable version of the model list click here.