My Journey Through Customer Service Hell

Our dryer broke. :( I know what you are thinking...If the dryer broke, how are you typing? Haha...very funny. It's been weeks of wearing the same clothes for as long as possible and wearing clean, but stiff air-dried clothes. Our closet is so full of dirty clothes it's hard to get in there. So...the husband and I did some research online and had our hearts set on a Samsung washer and dryer stackable set. Problem is they are expensive! I'll spare you the details leading up to today. In short, I was in charge of finding and getting a washer/dryer set that was big enough, nice enough, reliable enough, and not $1,000 a piece. You'd be amazed just how hard that is to do. So, why is this post titled "My Journey Through Customer Service Hell"?

1st stop: Lowe's
I find a Samsung washer/dryer set that is not the least expensive and not the most expensive. It seems pretty perfect. I ask the sales associate to tell me more about them.

Sales Associate: "Oh ya, that's a popular set."

Very informative. Good thing I did my own research! I ask if they have them in stock.

SA: "No. We are out of them everywhere in all our stores. I can put you on the waiting list, but it'll be a few weeks."

No thank you! I've gone long enough without a dryer.

Next stop: Home Depot
They do not carry Samsung, so I looked into the LG which was the next best thing. It wasn't the one we wanted, but at this point all I wanted was a working dryer. So, I ask if they have any in stock.

Nope.

On to the next store: Best Buy

They have Samsung, but not the one I was looking for. They had a similar set for a little more money. Fine with me! I ask if they have them in stock and they do! Awesome! Finally, I'm going to get a dryer!

...or not. I have an incredible, generous mother-in-law who is willing to help us pay for the washer/dryer set. Without her help, I'm not sure what we would do. However, she does not live in the same city as us, so she would have to either pay over the phone or online. Seems simple enough really. But for Best Buy, it was extremely complicated and impossible. While my mother-in-law tried to give them her money and the manager tried to hide from me, I decided to call Lowe's and see if they had this other model in stock. I was told they were no longer being made. Ok then...

Meanwhile, my mother-in-law tried to pay over the phone, but the manager would not let her, stating he had to see her in person. Fine, she tried to pay online, but it would not let her because the name on the credit card would not match the name on the delivery address. So, we tried paying online and doing an in-store pick-up. We would just have to set it up ourselves. However, when I go to pick up, I have to have the credit card that was used to buy it. Not possible. We went back and forth with the manager, but he would not even consider any other options. It came down to my mother-in-law having to drive all the way down here before work, paying for it, and then driving all the way back home. It seemed to be our only hope, but I really didn't like that option. So, I decided to try one more time.

Last stop: Different Lowe's

Beat down, emotionally exhausted, I just want to go home, but I decide to try a different Lowe's one last time. I ask the salesman if they have the Samsung model I'm looking for in stock.

SA: "We have the dryer, but I'll have to order the washer. I can probably get it to you by Wednesday."

me: "Wait, you HAVE the dryer??? And are you talking about THIS Wednesday???"

I go on to explain my situation and ask without much hope if we can buy it over the phone.

SA: "Of course! That is no problem!"

Hooray!!! I call my mother-in-law, hand the phone over to the salesman and we go through with the purchase.

Mother-in-law: "Something's not right. That was too easy."

Nonsense! This is how it SHOULD be! Happy to have this weight off my shoulder and excited about getting clean clothes soon, I head home. On the way, my phone rings. I look down and the caller id says it's my mother-in-law.

me: "Uh-oh. What's wrong?"

MIL: "Yep, something's wrong."

Her credit card company called her with an automated recording asking her to verify the purchase recently made. But, before she could verify it, her phone died.

And the saga continues...