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mindstorm_gw

need help vetting miele w3037 delivery

mindstorm
10 years ago

Wondering if you can help shed some light on what to do.

We purchased a Miele washer/dryer - w3037 / T8003 recently from a reputable appliance shop in the Boston area - Yale Appliance and Lighting. These were delivered yesterday but not installed - partly because they wanted the plumber to fix the water valves (okay) and partly because they did not have the 4 to 3 prong plug adapter for the dryer plug. So, they will come out and install later after the plumber has fixed the plumbing side of the equation.

We were looking over the installation and going over the installation instructions, however, and found out that the shipping struts that were supposed to be in the machine until final installation and to be housed in the back of the machine upon removal to be used for any future move, were not there. Husband, who was there for most of the delivery, says that the shipping struts never even entered the house; so they were removed, at best, on the truck. This concerned us because bringing the units in to the laundry area had meant bringing it up a set of stairs (dozen or so) into the house and then down a set of stairs (10 or so) into the basement and then dolly to the back of the room for their final placement. All this see-sawing and off-axis tilting without the washer's shipping struts in place.

We spoke to someone (from sales) at Yale about this and he says that the machine is fully unpacked with all shipping material removed before it leaves the warehouse! If this was the case, then the machines have really travelled w/o the struts.

The machines have not even been installed. Would you accept this delivery? What would you recommend we do?

When I (mis-) understood my husband to have said that the shipping struts had just not been left behind, I had called the Miele design centre on Saturday who said that we absolutely should have the shipping struts for future moves. But it was only today that I learnt that what DH was telling me was more than just that they hadn't left the struts for us! Of course, no one at Miele today to help us sort out what's what.

Would really appreciate if you have any insight and/or recommendations on whether or not to make heavy weather of this.

Comments (4)

  • georgect
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I would refuse the delivery but discus this with the persons below.

    Tell them that you spoke to Miele and they instructed that the shipping bolts should be intact until they are in their installation area AND you get to keep them once removed.

    Otherwise you'll take your business elsewhere and demand a full refund.

    They either want your business or they don't.
    Don't be rude but tell them exactly what you want to be a "happy customer".

    I'm sure they'll accommodate you.

    Contact
    George Novo �" Customer Service/Fleet Manager: george.novo@yaleappliance.com 617-822-5337

    or
    Phil Conroy �" Fleet Supervisor: philip.conroy@yaleappliance.com 617-822-5358

  • rococogurl
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    They removed mine on the truck but then walked the washer and dryer in through the garage and the back door using a sling for each. Two guys did it.

    We don't have the shipping struts -- never saw them. But I wouldn't be looking to take the w/d with us and if I did I suppose Miele could provide that sort of thing, no? I did keep the strut for the rotary iron -- that came fully crated.

    If you do get to the installation stage, you will know about the washer immediately. When they set it up, they do a sanitary wash which runs for 2 hours. Must-do before use.

    The tech told me the machine has a "brain" LOL! and that if it's not level or if there is anything really wrong it machine won't turn on.

    These were very experienced installers who did a super job and very quickly.

    We also had to change out the plug -- the appliance store guy had alerted me to that. I also was concerned since the previous washer (Asko) was cold-water only hook up. But the inlet thingy worked perfectly. This gets cold and hot hookup.

    I got the 3035.

  • mindstorm
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    George and Rococogurl (*hi there!*)

    Thank you so much for your responses and my apologies for not responding sooner. Gardenweb has been made "site non grata" at the lab where I work and so I can no longer visit here during the daytime at work. I was able to read your responses on my iphone but not able to respond (log-in) on it until today when I could get on via my home computers.

    George, thank you so much for the contact info. DH tried to contact those folks but I think he wound up talking to the agent for the installation department only.

    I did speak to the design centre at wellesley about this delivery as well as to a Miele tech service agent on the phone. Both said as you do that (a) the shipping struts should be on until the final move and should remain with the units and (b) repeated as Rococogurl has that if there was a problem that we'd "know in the first use".

    Also, DH and I will assert that we have no proof when or where the struts were removed (or even that they weren't removed in our house) other than that (a) we didn't see them remove it in the basement, (b) that they weren't handed over or housed in the normal place, and that (c) in speaking to a couple of the Yale sales agents they declared that their customary practice is to remove shipping material earlier (one chap said in the warehouse the other said, in the truck). Well, we weren't looking to trip the delivery guys up and we aren't looking to create a tempest in a teapot so we accepted their verdict that this would be okay and allowed for the test to tell us if the machine survived these clowns.

    Sort of. Today they came to effect the install. And in the process, broke a part in the back from yanking things around without looking. Not a part that is needed for the machine to function - but still. One chap also declared to DH that while they go get the Miele install training, that really Miele is just super fussy and that the machines don't really require the meticulousness that Miele insists on. So they take the training but just install as they do any other machine. DH told them that he was a stickler for process and that they'd better do what their Miele minder told them to do. But who knows what they actually do.

    Frankly, I'm disgusted with Yale's installation division. We bought all our appliances from there when we did our kitchen and didn't even think to look elsewhere for these units. Now, there isn't a chance I will patronise Yale again.

    I told Miele Design Centre about our experience and they were super nice - gave us some signs to look for for trouble, did not slag Yale off at all, confirmed that this was extremely cavalier operation and gave us two places to go to to submit our reports - at Yale and at Miele. We plan to do just that.

    At the end of the day, I had the opposite experience from Rocs about these delivery chaps. Nor professional at all - cavalier slackers who seem to take no pride whatsoever in their job.

    Miele DC also told me today that to get around just these sort of experiences, that Miele has instituted a policy of warehousing, selling and installing their products with the customers directly - not through retail outfits. That this practice hasn't been implemented here yet because dealers have a strangle-hold on business in the NE, so it won't be until about next year that Miele will do the same here. After this experience, frankly, I applaud the move. Unless of course, this policy is like some other "white-glove" deliveries we've read about in these parts ...

    Anyhow, most of that was pointless venting. I wanted to thank you both for your insights. They both were very helpful to us. We did get the machines installed afterall and they are functioning.

  • rococogurl
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    mindstorm -- hi ~~~~

    Glad you are over the install and that all is well. That aside, I'm 6 months in with my pair and super pleased. Wishing you the same.