Wednesday, August 27, 2014

If The Customer Service Sucks, Don't Spend Your Money On Their Products

Almost two years to the date that we purchased our Samsung microwave it stopped heating food. Everything else worked just fine. I followed the directions in the owners manual to reset and test to confirm that it was the magnetron (the part that heats) and then called Samsung to find out what I had to do to have the only part that was now still under warranty replaced.

That was December 2013.

Fast forward to today and I am now the proud owner of a Whirlpool microwave and will tell you that even if it's the lowest price on the face of the earth or even the only product of it's kind. If it's made by Samsung, DO. NOT. WASTE. YOUR. MONEY!!!

JUST DON'T

For eight months they have given me the run around. I have wasted countless hours on hold and dealt with some of the most incompetent customer service representatives on the face of the earth.

First they announced that I was out of warranty...I knew this.

Then they announced that if it was the magnetron it was covered...I also knew this.

Then they offered to sign me up for an extended service plan...cool.

Oops...no certified Samsung repair shops...ANYWHERE near here.

Then they transferred me to a Customer Service Agent who told me that I needed to take it to a Samsung certified repair shop. But wait...

Then they told me they would have to have someone call me within 1-2 days. It was approximately 1.5 WEEKS before I heard from anyone.

When someone finally did call me back they told me that 1. The machine was out of factory warranty but that the magnetron was still covered 2. I had to take it to a Samsung repair shop. They they put me on hold to look up said repair shop only to come back and tell me that one doesn't exist. I told them that I knew that and reminded them that I told them that when we first started the call.

I was then informed that our diagnosis of the magnetron had to be confirmed by a repair shop before they could do anything.

I asked why my hubby, who works on multi-million dollar equipment for a living, could do the diagnosis and was told that he wasn't certified by Samsung. I then pointed out that there was no one near us who was. They said that it had to be a repair shop, any repair shop. So I said, "What your telling me is that you will take a diagnosis from any Joe Blow about our microwave except from my husband despite his qualifications." They said yes.

They gave me a ticket number to reference and said that when I had the diagnosis to call back.

Approximately 48 hours later, before I could even find a repair shop, I got an email telling me that since they had not heard from me they were closing the ticket and I would have to start over when I was ready.

This went on for months.

They would give me the run around and then close out my ticket before I had the time to take the action they told me I had to take.

The repair shop that we took the machine to told me that they cancelled their Certified Affiliation  with Samsung because they were so difficult to work with.

No kidding?!

A month ago I spoke to someone in Executive Customer Relations and was told that they were going to do a pro-rated buy back of my machine since it had been such a "cluster" trying to get things taken care of. They would need the receipt to show what I paid and would then cut me a check.

Finally a light at the end of the tunnel.

Could I find this receipt? Nope. Of course I could find it until I needed it and then POOF it was gone!

I called Sears and they mailed me a copy of the original invoice.

In the meantime, I received an email from Samsung stating that since they had not received my receipt and were going to be closing my ticket.

WTF????

I received the receipt from Sears and called Samsung to find out where I send it and was given the choice of text messaging or Email. I took the information for both and immediately sent the receipt via text. Three days later when I had heard nothing back I sent another copy back via email.

I received a voicemail and email from the customer service team informing me that they had received the receipt and that it was out of factory warranty but that the magnetron was still covered and I had to take it to a Samsung Certified Repair Center.

Holy Crap!!! Are you freakin serious?! WTF did I do in my lifetime to deserve to deal with this level of incompetence?!

I called, waited more than 30 minutes just to speak with someone and when I finally got someone on the phone, guess what they said? Yup! You're right... The machine was out of warranty but the magnetron was still covered and I needed to take it to a Samsung Certified Repair Center.

O! M! G!

After a lengthy conversation with someone, who should never have been hired to have a job that requires verbal communication, I was transferred to the Executive Customer Relations where I held for at least another 15 minutes while being forced to listen to a pre-recorded message about how wonderful Samsung is. Yeah right.

After finally getting a human I was informed that the other human who told me that I would receive a pro-rated buyback was wrong, translation lying and/or incompetent, and they wouldn't be doing that since the machine was no longer under warranty. I pointed out that they only reason the machine didn't work was because of the only part that was still under warranty and was told that that didn't matter and after wasting two hours of my life on the phone, there was nothing she could do to help me and there was no one else I could speak to since she was in the Executive Customer Relations department and was as high up the chain as I could go.

So in essence, eight months, countless phone calls and countless hours later Samsung has basically told me to F-off and they don't care whether or not I am a happy or disgruntled customer.

Samsung is like the abusive domestic partner who will punch you in the face, not apologize and then tell you they don't care all while trying to make you feel like you did something wrong.

So, if you want to feel like an abused piece of crap go ahead, by all means buy a Samsung.

If however, you prefer to be able to trust what you've purchased, stay away from them...far away from them. There are lots and lots of appliance companies out there. Samsung neither wants nor needs your business. They are not willing to stand by their products so you shouldn't give them your hard earned money.

I will NEVER, EVER, EVER own anything that says Samsung on it again as long as I live. AND, I will be more than happy to tell everyone I know how crappy their product was and how terribly I was treated by their grossly incompetent Customer Service Department.

If you know me, you know I mean it.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Powerless

Seems that this is the week for loss.

I recently posted about a former friend's father passing and now we have lost one of the greatest funny men and actors of all time: Robin Williams.

I remember when he took the world by storm on Mork & Mindy. Being a child of the 80s, I also remember watching countless comedy specials with him in them and even bought one of his albums!

I sat in the theater at the end of Dead Poets' Society with tears streaming down my face completely numbed and awed that the man who had made me laugh could act so brilliantly that he could also make me cry while simultaneously wanting to run out and take the world by storm.

Carpe Diem!

I too try to seize the day but it's not always possible because I too have depression.

I have battled it for years.

Most of the time I win but there are times that all I want to do is go to sleep and never wake up.

People who do not have or who have never been exposed to depression think that it's something you can control with sheer will.

They are wrong.

There are many types and severities of depression but few if any can be dealt with by physical exercise, a clean house, change of attitude or any other suggestion from someone who means well but is clueless.

This may come as a surprise to some, but I have been on antidepressants since May of 1999.

I originally began taking them as a means to help quit smoking. Once done, I stopped taking them, and sank into a depression that rendered me nearly helpless.

I began to cry...and couldn't stop.

My (then) husband got me to the doctor and I started on the antidepressants in earnest.

The only time I've been off them was while I was going through IVF to get pregnant. Which by the way made a miserable pregnancy even worse.

I know that I need them. I know that I'm better with them. I know that having to take them has nothing to do with who I am morally.

So why do I still hiccup when the topic comes up?

Because not everyone does.

People still think you can work off depression.

The only way that works is if you are unemployed and depressed as a result. If you get a job, yes you will feel better but that's situational depression and not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the chemical kind.

People still think that depression is "all in your head."

Well yes, but it's a synapse thing and nothing like what they think it is.

When the demon roars it's head I can feel the weight and gloom envelope me like a nasty, wet, woolen blanket that I can do nothing to keep from coming into contact with.

I am powerless to stop it.

It will bear down and stay until it dries out and I can push it off.

I am not weak and I don't do pity parties.

Depression has nothing to do with strength and "positive thinking."

Most days are very manageable. But then there are others...

My father passed away in December of 2010. In January, despite taking my daily dose of antidepressant, I had slipped into a depression where I started to cry and couldn't stop. It was lunchtime and I was behind the wheel of the car.

No knowing what else to do I started driving toward my doctor's office.

They were closed for lunch so I called a friend who stayed on the phone with me until the office opened.

Once I was able to get through to my doctor's office she got on the phone with me and stayed there until I walked into the office building.

There was nothing that day that triggered it. There was nothing I could have done to stop it. All I knew was that my doctor could help and my friend fights the beast too and would understand my panic.

I'd been down this road before.

I was terrified.

There is much talk about depression now that Robin Williams has committed suicide and I hope and pray that the conversation will last more than the standard 72 hours that most people seem to think is appropriate.

If we believe social media Robin is now "free" and "at peace." I'm not really sure about that.

Social media and religion also lead us to believe that our loved ones who have passed are "watching over us" and "always with us."

If that is the case and Robin is indeed "watching over" his family, I have no doubt that he is not at peace as he watches his family endure their pain as a result of his taking his own life.

There is no peace for anyone.

Suicide begets suicide.

Those who are "thinking about it" or that "have a plan" can easily be swayed to exercise that plan if they believe that their answers lie in their own death.

I ask that everyone be careful to not romanticize death or to act as if it's the answer.

It's not.

Be responsible and be proactive.

Don't wait for your friends or loved ones to call you. They won't.

Call them. Make sure they know you love them. That they are important to you. That they matter.

We'd all rather hear those things while we are alive than have it said as a eulogy.

Monday, August 11, 2014

Loss

I recently learned that a former friend has lost his father, a man that I also knew and remember with great fondness.

I know that everyone eventually dies and yet that knowledge does little, if anything, to quell the sadness that has washed over me.

The loss for the family is great as he was a really great guy.

Anytime I hear of someone losing their father the pain returns. I can fully empathize with that person's loss as I have "been there, done that."

In fact, there is not a day that goes by that I don't miss my dad.

Yes, I know that he "is with me all the time," blah, blah, blah...

Nice thought but it's just not the same as hearing him laugh.

I miss him.

I really, really miss him.

Some days the pain is nearly crippling. Other days it's just a dull throb but the pain always seems to be there always rearing up when something triggers it.

Today it was the loss of a former US F-Class Rifle Team member. We shot together in South Africa in 2005. We shot together on teams in Canada. We were teammates, competitors and friends.

He made me laugh.

His loss takes just a little bit of laughter out of my life.

May he rest in peace and may his family find comfort in the thought that his passing through the heavenly gates has restored him to health.

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Pee Pee

For the first time in nearly two years I have the house completely to myself.

Hubby and the boys are at his nephew's graduation/bon voyage to college party. They won't be home for a while.

I'm at a complete loss as to what to do with myself.

Of course I'm doing laundry. Duh!

I could read a book, knit, surf the web, troll Facebook...whatever I want but I have no idea what I want.

I'm restless and fidgety.

I want to write but without all the background noise to filter out I can't concentrate and my mind is racing. Thoughts come and go like lightning bugs in the dark and I can seem to zero in on any particular topic.

So much has gone on lately and time seems to speed up.

I blinked and the boys went from one to almost 21 months.

They are adorable and funny.

They repeat everything...and I mean EVERYTHING!!!

All of a sudden the words "crap" and "damn" have taken on greater meaning and my use of them has been curbed...considerably.

We are attempting the potting training part of child-rearing.

Right now it's more of a "thing" than actual training. We'll get there eventually but for now "pee pee" is just something that they like to say.

Until they are in the bathtub.

Then they like to pee in the cup that we use to rinse their hair. We have tried to have them pee on the potty before they get into the tub but they hold it until they get in the tub and then pee in the cup.

The Stuntman will repeatedly pee in the cup. He has enough control to grab the cup and hold it in the right place to make the attempt.

The other night after repeatedly attempting to no avail he looked up at me and declared, "empty."

Smart kid!

Bath time is a particular favorite of ours.

Hubby usually strips the kids while I go upstairs to run the bath. Once naked and given the "all clear" he opens the gate and lets them climb up.

The other night after undressing one and while undressing another, the first came over and peed on hubby's foot.

He yelled.

The culprit sprinted through the house buck naked giggling and screaming the entire time.

I laughed.

How can you not laugh?