Paul Clarke's GE Profile ice maker is broken, and despite eight attempts to fix it with an approved vendor, the company keeps re-sending the same damaged part. Now he's stuck with a $3,000 appliance that doesn't work. Is it time for a new machine?
Q: My GE Profile ice maker is currently out of the manufacturer's warranty, but I've been working with a GE-approved appliance vendor to get it repaired.
The situation has become ridiculous. GE Parts has sent the same replacement part eight times now, and every single time, the part has arrived broken.
The part in question is an impeller motor, shaft, and a three-blade propeller. It comes in a box, and the part itself is inside a sealed clear plastic bag. Each of the eight times, the propeller was broken.
What's even stranger is that there are no propeller blades inside the sealed bag. This means the part is being packaged and shipped when already damaged.
GE has now prevented this appliance from being repaired for four months. I have an Assurant warranty that will cover the appliance once it has been repaired by the approved vendor, but we can't get to that point because of these broken parts.
Since GE can't seem to provide a working part, I would like them to replace the appliance, which is valued at $3,000. Can you help me? — Paul Clarke, Savannah, Ga.
A: GE Appliances should have sent you a working part the first time. If it failed a second time, a red flag should have gone up in the warehouse. By the third or fourth time, someone should have physically inspected the box to ensure they weren't just shipping plastic shards to your home.
When a company proves it can't supply the basic components to fix its own product, it has a responsibility to make the customer whole. In the world of high-end appliances, that usually means a replacement or a significant credit toward a new unit.
You did the right thing by sticking with a GE-approved vendor. Using unauthorized repair shops is the fastest way to get a manufacturer to wash its hands of you. You also did a great job documenting the phantom blades—the fact that the broken pieces weren't even in the sealed bag proves this wasn't a rough delivery driver, but a quality control meltdown at the source.
For anyone else facing an appliance doom loop, remember to keep a meticulous paper trail. If the front-line customer service agents keep sending you broken propellers, it's time to stop talking to them. You can always appeal to the executives at GE Appliances. I list their names and email addresses on my site, Elliott.org.
This case is a reminder that sometimes the system just breaks, and you need a human to step in and stop the machinery. I contacted GE on your behalf to see why its parts department was stuck on repeat. Shortly after that, GE reached out with a solution.
"We wanted to let you know that we have offered Mr. Clarke a prorated check given the age of this unit since it is out of warranty," a GE representative told me. You accepted the check, which should be enough to help you move on from this frozen disaster.
Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (https://elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at https://elliottadvocacy.org/help/