Buying a clearance floor display refrigerator. Should I be concerned? (humidifier, dishwashers)
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My Kenmore refrigerator died about a week ago, since then, I've been researching left and right on a replacement. From Consumer Reports on to individual home improvement center reviews, I was shocked to see the owners complain so much about their frigs. It seem that nothing was worth getting (or at least within the price range I was looking for (nothing more than $1200). Every day I would go to another store to see what model would be on sale and then research it at home. I finally came across a home depot here in NYC that was offering a model that was reduced substantially because it was a display/returned model.
Now, according to the Home Depot customer service rep, The model was returned because it couldn't fit through the previous buyers door/doorway. I went home and looked it up and it was the third best rated refrigerator in Consumer Reports and about 90% of internet reviews elsewhere were favorable. I then checked the dimensions and it would fit through my doors (providing I take off the handles and or doors).
So far so good, Pros..
3rd highest rated 3 dr, french style frig in Consumer Reports,
Online reviews (by owners) is about 90% favorable,
The price is $1899 brought down to $1199.
The item looks fine, no dings, cracks etc.
I still get the same warranty as if new/first owner.
No outside ice/water dispenser (which contributes to more repairs and breakdowns)
Fits through doors/doorways (providing I take off the door handles or doors)
Cons...
Free delivery is not included, but
$70 for bringing from store to house (not really a con but),
According to rep, it will be brought curbside.
No haul old frig back option.
So, my 2 questions are...
1-What are the dangers of buying a in-store/display clearance item other than the obvious "you take your chances". I'm a bit worried about the leaving it at curbside part, mainly because I might have to take off the handles and doors myself which have complicated connections (according to the manual).
2-Anything else I should be aware of or ask before I actually go back to the store to purchase it.
Well either your home depot sucks or they only run the free delivery, install and haul away, part of the time.
We bought ours at lowes, a floor model, though it hadn't been sent to a customer then returned. But it was $1600 on sale for $1200 and I got him down to $1046 then added a 5 year warranty (which is how you get the peace of mind for buying a floor model), used their 6 month credit for free option and paid it off in that time.
I would not expect anything less than delivery and set up, and at least haul to the curb if not take away of the old one. For free.
Ours had varying reviews but mostly positive. So far its been excellent for us with no issues. For example, some said it froze ice rather slowly. Not a big deal here, there is only one of us that uses ice regularly, and not that much of it. More goes to our ice cube loving dog.
Crossing my fingers here but we haven't had an issue with it, despite the ridiculously low reviews. I guess what I'm saying is take everything with a grain of salt and for the money you are putting out you can do REALLY well at a scratch n' dent place.
Display refrigerators aren't plugged in and running in the store, so it's quite different than buying a display model of a 60" LCD TV that has a few thousand hours on it when you buy it.
I wouldn't buy it unless it was delivered free.
I bought a Whirlpool Gold 26.4 cu ft side-by side in black/stainless at the local scratch/dent seven years ago when my wife and I were married and bought our first house together. It was $1899 at Sears, Lowes, etc. I paid $1000 for it. The "scratch" was on the black painted side which I fixed with a $3 can of primer and a $3 can of black appliance paint.
@thecoalman,
I tried the Sears outlet the other day and they mostly have reconditioned/refurbished (at least for the one I'm comparing it to, the LG model).
@wireyourworld,
That was my first thought, but after going to other numerous home depots here in the city, the policy seems the same. They delivery to your house, bring it in, install it and haul the old one away providing that you are ordering from the warehouse. Which implies that they would use a moving company to do the work. For items in the store to be sold, I was told that it is home depot employees that would take to your house and leave it curbside. Since they are not insured to go into anyone's home.
But you make some valid points and I will bring it up to them about possibly taking the old one back (I guess i would have to take out the old one to the curb) and or more of a discount either on the item itself or getting the 5 year warranty like you mentioned for piece of mind.
@wheelsup
The frig was out on the floor not surrounded by other items so i was able to go around it and check for any dents or scratches, which were none. But I do remember now that there was one of the rotary type humidifiers knows that was a tiny bit loose and would prevent the sliding vegetable compartment underneath it to go in unless I hold up the switch. But I figure I just need to screw that back in a bit tighter after seeing how it is held on.
@ MrRational,
I know, which is why this topic was created addressing my concerns/thoughts.
@HWTechGuy,
Correct, the one we looked at was not connected. Which also brings into play the thought of "well, how would I know it would work once it arrives" but still, considering that they are giving me the full warranty, it eases my mind a bit.
as for delivering it for free, yeah that would be nice, but as mentioned above, it seems to be the policy for store displayed items. And I wouldn't mind spending a bit more on that quoted $70 delivery charge if it guaranteed that it would be brought into the house and set up.
I will definitely take all the excellent suggestions and will bring up these concerns/questions at the store.
Nothing here uspests me excpet the 'delivery charge'. If they are charging you to deliver it, then that includes bringing it into your house and setting it up. How are YOU going to get a refrigerator into your house? They are BIG, and HEAVY. They charge you; they deliver it into the house. For them, the extra few feet once it is loaded n the hand truck is nothing. Taking your old is part of their delivery charge. What are you going to do with a broken refrigerator?
When my refrigerator died a few years ago I went in and bought a scratch and dent display model from Home Depot. Paid less than 1/4 the original asking price and it has worked like a dream since the day I brought it home.
As for the delivery charge, I would expect that to include hauling it into the house and setting it up for you, the price seems way high for only curbside delivery.
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