Dan Cassuto
UPDATE 8/3. Albert Lee wrote in their response that they delivered a replacement. That’s false and misleading. Instead, they made the contractor who purchased the freezer on my behalf pick up the broken unit from my house, bring it to their store, and then replace it with a different model. Albert Lee did not deliver a unit and they did not pick up the old one themselves. They made the customer do it — even though the freezer broke on Day 1. What’s more, I discovered the freezer actually broke BEFORE they sold it. Read on…
UPDATE 7/24. It turns out this freezer had already broken before — 9 months earlier — and Albert Lee had to have it repaired before they sold it. They did not tell us it had already malfunctioned. I was horrified. This entire process showed me that Albert Lee seemed eager to make this freezer someone else’s problem.
UPDATE 7/22. I didn't hear anything from Albert Lee this morning, so I called the store manager. He explained this is how the process works. Brand new freezer breaks, and they need to wait for the manufacturer. No promise of any resolution or any timeframe. I was appalled. I expected Albert Lee to be horrified that a brand new freezer failed on the very night, and offer to swap it out themselves immediately and deal with the manufacturer themselves. Not so. (They probably don't want to replace it themselves because then it becomes their problem and their money.) I'll keep this review updated.
I've had very different experiences with Costco and Nordstrom. If their products failed, they act with urgency to fix it, they communicate, and they are proactive. Albert Lee's receptionist refused to tell me her first name. Can you imagine an employee at Costco refusing to give their first name?
Very poor experience. A brand new freezer failed on the first night, and melted everything inside. Albert Lee's customer service didn't seem to care. They said I'll have to wait for the manufacturer to contact me (... I'm still waiting). I left voicemails for Albert Lee's customer service manager. No return call. When I called again, Albert Lee's receptionist said she's "not authorized" to pass along messages, and said I'd just need to try again the next day. She refused to tell me her name. This is the terrible level of customer service you expect when you buy a $9.99 coffee maker from a big box retailer, not a $4,000 freezer from a locally owned appliance retailer. Next time, I'll buy from Costco.
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UPDATE 8/3. Albert Lee wrote in their response that they delivered a replacement. That’s false and misleading. Instead, they made the contractor who purchased the freezer on my behalf pick up the broken unit from my house, bring it to their store, and then replace it with a different model. Albert Lee did not deliver a unit and they did not pick up the old one themselves. They made the customer do it — even though the freezer broke on Day 1. What’s more, I discovered the freezer actually broke BEFORE they sold it. Read on… UPDATE 7/24. It turns out this freezer had already broken before — 9 months earlier — and Albert Lee had to have it repaired before they sold it. They did not tell us it had already malfunctioned. I was horrified. This entire process showed me that Albert Lee seemed eager to make this freezer someone else’s problem. UPDATE 7/22. I didn't hear anything from Albert Lee this morning, so I called the store manager. He explained this is how the process works. Brand new freezer breaks, and they need to wait for the manufacturer. No promise of any resolution or any timeframe. I was appalled. I expected Albert Lee to be horrified that a brand new freezer failed on the very night, and offer to swap it out themselves immediately and deal with the manufacturer themselves. Not so. (They probably don't want to replace it themselves because then it becomes their problem and their money.) I'll keep this review updated. I've had very different experiences with Costco and Nordstrom. If their products failed, they act with urgency to fix it, they communicate, and they are proactive. Albert Lee's receptionist refused to tell me her first name. Can you imagine an employee at Costco refusing to give their first name? Very poor experience. A brand new freezer failed on the first night, and melted everything inside. Albert Lee's customer service didn't seem to care. They said I'll have to wait for the manufacturer to contact me (... I'm still waiting). I left voicemails for Albert Lee's customer service manager. No return call. When I called again, Albert Lee's receptionist said she's "not authorized" to pass along messages, and said I'd just need to try again the next day. She refused to tell me her name. This is the terrible level of customer service you expect when you buy a $9.99 coffee maker from a big box retailer, not a $4,000 freezer from a locally owned appliance retailer. Next time, I'll buy from Costco.
