Telephone Loops from Hell

The loop lessons, we all get to learn from them.  Here is one very persistent lesson I am still working on.  I am pretty mild-mannered, like Clark Kent, aka superman, for those not old enough to remember.  Nutshell version, as you read paint these emotions into the tone: frustration, outrage, anger.

4 years ago we bought appliances at Best Buy/Pacific Sales.  The LG frig was a middle of the line, very Zen really. We purchased a 5-year warranty.  The first year it shut down, broke.  All the food spoiled, and because it was the first year we had to deal directly with LG, which is a hotter level of hell, deeper, more intense!  After 3 weeks we were up and running, the defective mother board replaced.  (In the future I would find that the warranty assessment for lemons will not include any breakdowns the first year.)

During the next 3 years that LG french door frig has required repair 4 times, yep 4.  Usually for a new problem.  Last week when it was leaking liquid all over the interior and onto the wood floor, I decided to go and stand in front of the manager at Best Buy/Pacific Sales.  He told me he could do nothing– the warranty company had to make the assessment on a repair or replacement.  Nor would he make any calls for me, but assured me he had given me correct information including phone number and new warranty company.

So I went home and reentered telephone loop hell.  Round and round from person to person who had to refer me to another department, which then had to refer me to another department and so on.  No person can give a direct phone number to any of the solution departments, they can only route internally.  Back and forth from internet chats to phone chats, and three hours pass.  At the end of that circular maze there was finally a warranty resolution.  The manager who had given me the company and phone number had given me incorrect information, not even close to accurate.  The original Pacific Sales contractor who has been here 3 times already, will be coming again.  Only have to wait a week!  They informed me there is a ‘systemic’ formula for LG replacements for ‘lemons’ and my poor fractured frig does not qualify.

I could tell you that I learned my lesson and this time I was quiet and peaceful with everyone who had the pleasure of speaking with me.  Not even close.  Mild manners dissolved in the face of the telephone loop from hell.   You know these loops very well, ever large company has them in place, designed so that consumers will give up and go away.  So, if you want practical advice, do not purchase large appliance warranties, and if you do ask very specific questions, then keep impeccable records so that you can provide a history of your own personal ‘lemon’ device.

Most importantly know that repeated lessons are on some kind of an infinite loop waiting to enter your world so that you finally ‘get it’ and move on into a new level of peaceful mind.