When Wronged by a Service Provider

In our quest to be good consumers, when we have been wronged by a service provider, it is often necessary to precisely document our grievances, and submit our protest to the vendor as soon as possible.

You have written letters of complaints in your life. I've certainly written mine. Here's one that was particularly effective because it stopped a company cold from trying to bill me for a visit when, indeed, they had not done a single thing that I requested or that their website claimed they could do.

The names and location have been modified to protect the guilty!

Inconvenient Appliance Service
3018 Paddy Wagon Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27103

Dear Service Manager,

The XYZ corporate headquarters told me that your company is the authorized repair service in Winston Salem. Yet, by all indications my washing machine situation seemed to be new and unusual to you.

Specifically, your repairman, Martin, who visited the apartment on the morning of May 3:

1) claimed he did not have the model number before, even though I gave the item number and model number to Annie when I first called to make the appointment.

2) told me, paradoxically in relation to the above, that he had been to the condo community before and knew that my washing machine had the digital/electrical control panel in the back, but he had no provisions or capability to get to the back of the unit.

3) declined the assistance of my tenant, a physically fit, young 20s student who volunteered to assist him in extracting the unit.

4) told me more than two hours after his visit that the repair cost would exceed $700, yet the cost of suitable replacement machines sell for less.

In good faith, I had submitted my credit card number to you in advance.If you charge my credit card I will report you to XYZ corporate headquarters and circulate this letter on various social media and internet sites.

You have succeeded in convincing me to never buy another XYZ product again.

Jeff Davidson     

Fortunate One

I am relieved to say that the company made no attempt to charge my card. Nor did they give me any further grief. May we all be so fortunate at all such times.