Nearly two weeks after Samsung issued a nationwide recall of millions of washing machines, some customers say they’re having trouble getting their machines fixed or replaced.
Earlier this month, the company recalled nearly three million of its top loading washers after receiving more than 700 complaints about the faulty machines, including some that exploded, and shot metal and glass across a room.
A month before it was announced, NBC 5 Responds reported about the problems, featuring a complaint from customer Richelle Byrdy, who had an affected machine, and was afraid to use it. The Carpentersville woman said her calls to Samsung for a fix fell on deaf ears.
"I can't tell you how many times I called and didn't get a response. Then when I did? it was like talking to nobody," Byrdy recalled.
After NBC 5 Responds reached out to Samsung, Byrdy said the manufacturer promised her a refund. But nine days after the recall, Byrdy said she is once again stuck without answers. And she’s not alone.
Phil Scarimbolo of Chicago said he has been getting the run-around too, calling it “a nightmare of a time throughout all aspects of ‘the process’ of getting the machine repaired.” Scarimbolo said Samsung “is no help and cannot give answers or solutions,” and that he “was disconnected several times with no call back,” adding that he is “at a total loss at this point.”
The same sentiments were echoed in Susan Tenuta’s email to NBC 5 Responds. Tenuta said Samsung actually made an appointment with her, then didn’t show up. When she “tried to call the 800# there was a 2 hour wait.” And when she asked to speak to a supervisor, she said she “waited 4 minutes and 38 seconds and was disconnected.”
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The washing machine is not the only recall in effect for Samsung, which has also made global headlines for recalling more than 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 smartphones due to unexplained overheating problems. In fact, it is the third massive recall for the company in as many months.
Samsung would not answer questions about the status or the scope of the recall, but after NBC 5 Responds’ request, did reach out to help Scarimbolo and Tenuta. The manufacturer once again confirmed it is processing Byrdy’s refund.
In a statement, Samsung apologized for inconvenience to customers, adding it is ramping up its service network nationwide to expedite repairs and make sure disruption to customers is minimized.
“Samsung’s priority is to reduce any safety risks in the home and provide safe choices to consumers impacted by the recall," the statement read. "That is why, in coordination with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, we are offering consumers a choice between a free-in home repair for those that want to keep their current washer and an exchange rebate for those that prefer a new machine. Our goal is provide choices that are suited to the needs of anyone who may own a recalled top-load washer.
We are ramping up our service network nationwide to expedite repairs and make sure any disruption to our customers is minimized.
We apologize for any inconvenience this is causing our customers. Our customer care team is standing by to assist consumers with any questions or concerns at 1-866-264-5636, or they can visit http://www.samsung.com/us/TLW to learn more about the recall options that are available.”
