I would never hinge an appliance purchase on expecting a "big-box" store such as Lowe's or Best Buy to provide repair service. They're only a retailer. An extended warranty or service request put through them would surely be hired-out to a 3rd-party service provider such as Maytag Dependability Plus www.maytagdependabilityplus.com (which handles all major brands, not just Maytag) or www.mrappliance.com. Sears traditionally does have its own service fleet, although that has now become A&E Factory Service www.aefactoryservice.com. Either of these can be hired outside the environment of a retail store.

A local dedicated appliance retailer as you mention, or an independent service provider, is usually the best source for service. I know the appliance business has changed a lot in recent years, but back in the day, NOBODY could beat the local Whirlpool dealer in my hometown for either price or quality of service.

99% off all retailers are simply that: retailers. Service is provided through the manufacturer. The source of your purchase has no bearing on how well or quickly a manufacturer performs under their warranty terms. You usually have a very limited time period in which to return a defective appliance, (48 hours is common, or refuse delivery) and after that, the appliance is subject to the manufacturer for warranty service, not replacement. Return policies for "buyer's remorse" (as in you don't like the fact that a new appliance needs repair so soon and want something else) also will incur a restocking fee, as "the process" is that the manufacturer repairs until forced to replace.

So really, unless a local retailer is one who actually provides in house service (VERY rare) buying from whomever has the most generous return policy (combined with lowest price or credit terms or whatever other criteria are important to you) will end up serving you as well as anyone.

Buy it from a dealer that does not use A&E the worst service company in the history of appliances

Sears uses A&E and their extended warranty is a lot more expensive than Best Buy. I had A&E on a Whirlpool extended warranty. I'd had a good experience with them before, but the experience with my washer couldn't have been worse. They took a simple problem, replaced a lot of the wrong parts and didn't fix it and caused me to go buy a new washer when Whirlpool wouldn't pay for any more parts -- even though it was the guys they required to service the machine that screwed up. Best Buy also gives you lemon protection for less money. We bought our replacements from Best Buy. Haven't had a repair - maybe they send the Geek Squad! LOL

Thank you all. Your info and experience are very helpful!

In the meanwhile, Best Buy matched Sears' sale price for the Samsung RFG 297, so that makes it an even easier decision.

...except that perhaps we should wait a couple of months. There's a new Samsung 29 cu ft fridge about to come out, (the RFG 298, on the Samsung web site, but not yet in stores, with dual ice makers),... so it may be that the RFG 297 will be even cheaper in a few months... hopefully before we move into our house, so before we actually need the fridge :-).

But in any case, I was impressed with Best Buy when I talked to them, and definitely like their 4-repair lemon policy, so that's who we'll go with.

I don't know who they use but we had a problem with our Kenmore front load washer years ago that made me swear to never buy from Sears again. One Saturday I got an E-9 error code (?) that was supposed to be a clogged drain. My husband checked the drain and it was clear. On Monday I called then up for service and the earliest appointment they would give me (for a 9 mo old washer that cost $1000) was 2 weeks!?!?

Coincidentally, my dryer died and I had bought a replacement at Sears the night before the washer croaked (with my clothes stuck inside) but had to wait a week for delivery. So I went to the store Mon night and told them my plight. They said there was nothing they could do about it so I cancelled the dryer. Luckily my husband eventually managed to get the clothes out at least.

Two weeks later I took the morning off to wait for the repairman to show up between 8 and 12. He called at 11:30 and said he couldn't make it. Then he proceeded to tell me the earliest he could reschedule was another WEEK! My husband came home from work for early to meet the guy in the afternoon. The exact SAME thing happened!!! When I walked in the door and my husband told me, I thought he was joking. Not. I called them up and told them they needed to get someone out there the next day. I finally got some manager that said they would get someone the next afternoon. About 4:30 that afternoon he called up and told me he was running late but would be coming.

When he arrived around 6 PM, I told him the error code (just as I did when I originally called in the problem) and the guy immediately said a sock or something was stuck in the drain. I assured him that my husband checked the drain and it was clear. He confidently repeated that there was something in the drain as he headed to the laundry room.

Well... he was right. It turns out that there are two drain hoses on the washer. The one that was clogged is behind a screw cap and accessed from the bottom panel. So after waiting nearly 4 weeks, it took him about a minute to remove the panel, unscrew the cap and pull out a sock.
If it was so obvious what the problem was without even looking at the thing, why the heck couldn't they tell me to try that over the phone?

Thank Goodness it was under warranty because somebody would be dead right now if they had charged me the $115 fee for that! It's probably been 7 or 8 years since this happened and I still get aggravated everytime I see anything associated with Sears.

CAVEAT EMPTOR! Run away and do not hire sears repair. Technician was knowledgeable and good, but service fees insanely expensive. My elderly mother’s dryer needed a new thermal fuse ($5 -$!20 part before markup). It is a simple replace and takes less than 30 minutes. Sears replaced and charged $299 for the labor. Sears is insanely expensive and equates to highway robbery. Shame as the Sears name used to stand for good service for a great value. I do not recommend Sears repair under ANY circumstance.

Could you have done the repair for your mother? Or a nearby capable friend/neighbor or relative if your distance is prohibitive?