Better Late Than Never?

So Frigidaire has a new stainless steel dishwasher with stainless on the inside. Consumers don't buy dishwashers over $500 without stainless on the inside, and Frigidaire learned this the hard way. For years, they concentrated on plastic tanks (ok to $399) with tons of features at $599. Invariably, they would rebate the product to $450 somewhere...

But that was then, Let's look at the "new" Frigidaire...








Not bad, decent features.....but how does it compare to the best seller?

Bosch





Frigidaire has more features and is $40 cheaper, but Bosch will heat the water hotter and is quieter. Once again, I would lean to the Bosch piece, but Frigidaire will package this as part of the rebate program to enhance sales.

Extended Warranties

I find extended warranties interesting. Then again, I have a strange sense of humor. These slips of insurance really run the gamut of consumer emotion. From people who think it is expensive(which it can be) and a waste of dough to customers who are irate for not buying one and having to pay for service.

Here is the skinny: If a company does not have a service department, do not buy it ever. I don't care if they return a portion of your dough after the contract expiration. The contract is worth nothing, and the seller is banking on breakage and non redemption. We spend 10,000 per month in contract redemptions. The rough percentage is 20-25%, but when you need service...the average call is more expensive than the contract.

Skinny Part 2: Be very wary of third party contracts. Often times, a dealer will hand you a contract, which is backed by a warranty provider. I have a healthy respect for most of my competitors...But in this case, run the name through the Better Business Bureau. The results can be shocking.

Skinny part 3: Do not be oversold and do not overpay. You should pay $150-$250 for a basic appliance and $250-350 for a professional piece...Some of the rates can be outrageous. Look for ancillary benefits, refrigerators can have a food loss guarantee. (ours is $250)

And remember...it is your decision.

Not My Rules

Every month I review our numbers in the store. Over the past 18 months, I have watched GE grow their business. At the same time, I have seen a dramatic drop in JennAir's business. I have tried to explain nicely to the JennAir representatives to no avail.

I had to show them (what I will show you)



For roughly $200 GE Cafe will offer a 17,000 BTU griddle burner as well as a second oven (instead of a warmer) below the main oven. The GE is also more aesthetically pleasing.

In other words: Improve your old design or continue to be outsold...

Rebate Boy and The Maytag Company

Compiling appliance rebates is a nightmare. There are 6 different places, which can rebate the same model only with different dates. You always have the best deal in the unlikely event that they eclipse at precisely the same moment.

Now we have state of the art computers and some of the most brilliant appliance minds in the industry. When they fail, it comes down to one man. That man is Jay Upton, also known as Rebate Boy. I actually had him as a mentor (old people are assigned new people its serious business here), and the poor dope actually volunteered for this time consuming yet thankless task. (You can't teach everything.)

Let me show how Rebate Boy changes a $1799 dollar Maytag Epic laundry set into $1199 based on rebates, which expire July 5. All the writing is different rebates.





This is the set of Maytag/Whirlpool Epic Duets, which are the same pieces.





This is Jay "Rebate Boy" Upton.