Auburn, Georgia resident Glen Frazier recently learned the hard way about the potential consequences of relying on professionals for home installations. Frazier had ordered a new washing machine from Lowe’s and paid for professional installation. However, the job was botched, leading to a disastrous flooding incident in his house.
Soon after the installers left, Frazier noticed water pouring from various parts of his property, including light fixtures, seams, and sheetrock. The cause of the flooding was traced back to a broken part in the washing machine. Frazier has already spent $8,000 on water remediation, but the total repair bill is expected to rise due to the extensive damage caused by the flooding.
What is perhaps even more frustrating for Frazier is the lack of urgency and assistance from Lowe’s in resolving the issue. It took two weeks for the retailer to respond to Frazier’s complaints, and that only happened after he sought help from the Consumer Action Center. Frazier was directed to Elliott.org, where he found an email address for Lowe’s executives. Finally, after reaching out to someone at Lowe’s, he was met with a simple acknowledgment that “this should never happen.”
Consumer advisor Clark Howard, speaking to WSB-TV, expressed his concern over the difficulty consumers face when seeking assistance from big companies like Lowe’s or Home Depot after installation problems arise. He stated that these companies put their names on installation programs but fail to provide adequate support when issues occur.
It is unreasonable for customers to have to resort to contacting executives to address problems caused by the company itself. Hopefully, Lowe’s takes note of Frazier’s ordeal and works towards improving their customer service, making it easier for customers to report and resolve such issues in the future.
