Toronto Appliance Service Ltd.

I would have given 1 1/2 stars for the tech showing up on time and being knowledgeable, but 2 stars would be too many, since they didn't fix the problem.

My washing machine was filling with water when it was off. I called the number on Whirlpool's website and made an appointment, and was told that the actual repair company (who, it turns out, isn't who you call to make the appointment) would call me back to confirm. Except when they called, it turned out that the appointment I thought I'd made wasn't a real appointment. They gave me an appointment for a couple of days later. It was going to be $88 for the service call, plus parts, plus labour. That seemed expensive, but I agreed.

I took time off work to stay home for the repair. The tech showed up on time, ran a diagnostic, and said that the problem was the valve (the most likely part). Great! Except that the tech doesn't carry parts with him, because he "couldn't possibly carry every single part on his truck." Maybe not, but since I gave the model number, serial number, and a description of the problem when I made the appointment, it was either the valve or the controller to this exact model, neither of which is huge or cumbersome.

But no, their business model is that they call me the next day to give me an estimate ($126 for the part, and around $100 for labour, for a total of $256 including tax. Plus the $88 plus tax I'd already paid), at which time I have to pay in advance for the part. They will get it in a week if it's in stock, or more than two weeks if it's not. Then I can make another appointment (and miss another half day of work). No, they can't tell me if it's in stock until after I pay for it. No, they can't tell me how long I might have to wait for it if it's out of stock.

And that's when I did what I should have done in the first place: I found the same part online in several places for about $50-60 including shipping, where it would arrive at my door in a week. One place had it in stock with a pickup location near me, and I was able to pick it up and install it myself that very day.

Seriously? Neither company told me when I called for the appointment, or when they called me back to make it, that the tech carries no parts and that the process would involve two separate appointments. And how can they not even know whether or not the part is in stock until I pay for it? That's either the most inefficient system ever, or a way to coerce people into committing to wait for however many weeks it takes an out-of-stock part to come in. And if I can get it from another company the very same day, how does it takes the repair company that's authorized by the manufacturer a whole week (let along untold weeks) to get it?

I feel ripped off for wasting $100 and missing a half day of work for no real benefit, but their business practices being so inefficient and so inconvenient ended up saving me from overpaying for their overpriced part and labour, so in the end I'm grateful that it worked out the way it did.