Purchasing an appliance is a big decision.
There's comparison shopping and waiting for a sale. Figuring out the best brand and the best place to shop. And, then you have to figure out if what you want can get into the house.
Sometimes, the when to buy, is not your choice. For instance when a fridge won't work anymore.
That's what happened a week ago. I went to the freezer Sunday night for some ice cream and discovered that the freezer stopped.
With the weather getting colder, we were able to use the back porch and an ice chest to keep milk cold.
On Monday morning, I did my due diligence and measured my fridge. I also measured the doorway. Armed with the numbers, I researched fridges that would replace my dead one and stay under budget.
I realized that what I needed was the same price everywhere. This leads me to the neighborhood Home Depot. Home Depot was around the corner and offered free delivery.
Already annoyed that I had to buy a fridge. I walked into the store determined not to feel pressured into buying something more than what I needed.
Browsing the fridges, I found the one I wanted at the perfect price. The salesman went over the measurements with me. He warned me that it may be too tight for the delivery company to deliver. I went with a smaller model.
Paid for the fridge, got my delivery date for that Thursday, and went on my way.
We ate take-out most of the week looking forward to having groceries in the house on Thursday.
Except, our fridge never made it off the truck Thursday.
The delivery person measured the front door and declared the fridge wouldn't fit. Not willing to try another door or to offer to leave it. The only thing to do was to go back to the store for a smaller one. She talked my husband into refusing the delivery.
I was at work when I got the call.
The fridge never came off the truck. But, the company took our broken fridge away. Through the back door. But, failed to record that detail in their paperwork.
This so-called reliable appliance delivery company didn't measure the back door. But, took the broken fridge out the back door.
They took the fridge out the back door, down the steps to the truck; hauling it away.
I wasn't even mad at this point. We went back to Home Depot after I got off work.
Turns out, the fridge was the right size for the back door. It should have fit in the house.
The Home Depot associate helping got on the phone with the delivery company. The associate had hoped that the return would not go through and we could still get it delivered.
We even got a phone call the following morning saying the fridge would come Saturday. I called to confirm that afternoon that they had my number and not the Husbands.
Saturday evening, I called the delivery company looking for my fridge. The delivery was no longer on the schedule as of that morning.
I fussed until I got on the phone with someone who was more than customer service. It went nowhere. I went to Home Depot.
Home Depot was amazing. I went right to customer service and asked to talk to a manager. I wasn't going to repeat my story more than I had to repeat it.
The manager took notes, offered me water and a hug, and I got answers. None of it was what I wanted to hear, but a solution was in the works.
My fridge was no longer mine. And, I wouldn't get a refund for at least a week. I paid on my debit card. I didn't have any extra cash laying around to buy another fridge while I waited for the refund to clear. We would be living out of the ice chest for another week or more.
Home Depot offered a loaner fridge and delivered it on a Sunday.
We had a fridge! Home Depot saved Thanksgiving!
And, it wasn't easy for the delivery guys to get it in the back door. The loaner is larger than the one I ordered and they still got it in the house. Not by a lot, but enough that the doors to my house and the fridge had to come off first.
There was no reason that fridge should not be in my house right now. Fingers crossed that the next delivery attempt will result with my new fridge in my house.
