Acutally, I think you've had more than your share of bad luck. Appliances sometimes do have initial problems and/or installation issues but you seem to have had more than your share. Hopefully, once you get them resolved, they'll perform well for quite a while. You certainly did your research and picked good brands - but as I said on another thread, they really don't make them like they used to - even with the expensive brands.

I suppose if it wern't for bad luck...

My father was telling me about a friend of his building a multi-million dollar house. The construction foul-ups are incredible. Seems *some* want to just get by without a professional work ethic. You know, I don't even know what that is anymore. If their poor work was rewarded in the past then it must be ok to contiue with their poor habits.

Even with good references you can end up wth shoddy work. Amazing but true. Luck of the draw seems out of order with this- any- kind of money.

There are good professionals out there but I just don't know how to identify them anymore.

Hopefully in a few (insert time frame here) you can report back here with your successful outcome. Hang in there, I'm pullin for you.

No, you're not cursed. After reading this forum for a while, I wasn't surprised almost 2 years ago when only the cooktop was plug and play in a kitchen full of new higher end appliances. Everything else required service calls and none were installation related.

My old kitchen that this replaced had 20+ year old cheap pos fridge and stove that never required a service call.

Appliances have gotten much more complicated but manufacturing quality assurance has not kept up. If it's any consolation, in my experience, after the inital service calls most issues were resolved.

We feel much the same way; many things (especially expensive ones) are often not made as well as they could/should be. It's not only frustrating and time consuming for us (making the necessary phone calls, and setting up yet another service call or packing up and sending out the item in question for repair or replacement) but it's embarrassing telling friends and family members that yet another brand new, high end appliance or fixture for our new kitchen has issues, or doesn't work correctly.

Did you see my recent thread re: fridge door "pinging?" A $6000 appliance in use for just 2 months should not develop a "ping" when the door is fully opened, and yet, it did. Aaarrrgghh!

I feel your pain Dave, and I hope that you can get your appliance issues resolved quickly so you can enjoy your new kitchen.

I don't know if it's "normal," but I do know (all to well) that it's extremely frustrating. I, too, have had quite a few problems (most still unresolved) with my high end appliances ...

-Gaggenau steam oven non-working after install; fixed with one service call

-$6,300 Jade fridge arrived with non-working ice maker that also leaks all over the freezer (even when off); still not fixed after six months and five service calls

-Bluestar oven which arrived with damaged door; still not repaired, though I'm told to expect it will be "soon" (which has been said to me since June).

-Prestige hood insert + external blower that only operated at one speed--high--until service call.

-Highest-model Bosch dishwasher (one of two) non-working on install; since replaced, though the other one is now much (MUCH) louder with no resolution on that front (another service call deemed it "fine" and insisted it was loud because it wasn't meant to be installed "on tile." Huh? Aren't about 95% of kitchens tile?)

Basically, after spending $30,000 on appliances, only two things (our Monogram wine fridge and Advantium--ironically, the two least expensive items, save the garbage disposals) have NOT needed a service call to get in working order.

And these are just my kitchen appliances. You should hear the horror stories for the rest of the house. (NIGHTMARE!) It would be funny, if it wasn't so darn sad.

-Susan W.

Maybe we should just stop this thread right now before we all feel too foolish.

Or, we just continue to spend our hard-earned money on big fancy overpriced equipment that sits idly waiting for people who know nothing about them to come and make them perform their most basic of functions.

I'm half-joking.

Quite amazing isn't it. Quality assurance is the customer's job now. Don't suppose the executive bonuses are impacted by cheap components and shoddy production. Seems to me there was a formerly dominant industry that worked on the same theory: "Get it out the door and let service and repair fix it, that's what they're for."

Sadly, your experiences are all to common. And you'll no doubt find that trying to book a service call to suit you, is as likely as pigs flying.

I have just had an experience with call centres, when I tried to get a subscription viewing card for my father's satellite system. I was told "Oh, we don't do that, you need to phone ...blah blah...". I ended up going round in circles between two companies, each with two separate departments. A NIGHTMARE!!!

Eventually someone seemed to understand, and processed the necessary details, saying "It will be with you in 3 - 5 days": except she goofed, and never actually processed anything! I only found out about that, because I phoned up to enquire about the absence of the card. The lady I spoke to on this occasion had much more experience, was very helpful and she had a further representative call back later to verify details. So, finally a card is en route to dad!

It seems to be pot-luck who you get, and what you pay for.

There is just no common sense anymore.

It kind of sounds like some of your problems you had were installation problems and not necessary the problem of the appliances. From your other experiences your dryer might not be level or maybe had some shipping bolts left in.
You think it's simple to install appliances but you would be surprised how many installers don't read instructions.

For what is worth I would rather have the problems right away while something is under warranty.

To stand in contrast- A cheapo $49.95 cuisinart hand blender/chopper of mine sliced into its workbowl and I needed a new one. I was astounded to see that the item had a 3 YEAR warranty. They answered the phone after two rings, asked me to read them the number on the item and sent me a new bowl two days later, they also included a new chopping blade "just in case yours had been damaged when it cut into the bowl."

Unbelieveable that I can get that kind of response on a cheap item and when I spend 500x that amount I get (if I am lucky) a one year warranty and a "not our problem" attitude.

Can we get Cuisinart to start making big appliances?

I don't know if I'd want that. We had a problem with our new Cuisinart coffee maker and while the issue was finally resolved (3rd time was the charm!), and I do love the coffee maker, I spent a long time on hold whenever I called them before I got to speak to an actual person.

Keitel, I dunno if it's normal or you're cursed, but just in case, don't buy a new car this year, and have a friend back up your hard disks.

Reading threads like these make me very nervous about all the brand spanking new appliances sitting in my garage waiting to be put in the kitchen.

Well, what are you gonna do? You need them, but having said that, and going through what I'm going through and reading other posts about online purchases I cannot stress strongly enough the need to buy these things from a) manufacturers and b) retailers who will stand behind them and take care of the problems that ARE BOUND to come up. I've begun to believe that our research in combination with our actual point of purchase are our only defences against insane and inevitable hassles and headaches. Things fall apart, rust never sleeps, etc. Prepare as you see fit, and as far as I'm concerned that means buying from someone who will be there when I will undoubtedly need them to be.

Reading this has convinced me to never buy more than one appliance every couple of years. I just couldn't handle non-stop aggravation like that.

And to keep my Home Owner's warranty so that they will always come fix stuff.