Bristol Couple Ready to Replace Recalled Washing Machine

Samsung offered customers the option of in-home repair to reinforce the lid of washing machines after 2.8 million top loading washing machines were recalled in 2016.

Some customers said the fix didn't ease their concerns after reports of excessive vibrations causing lids to pop off. 

Maria Wollman, of Bristol, bought a new washing machine in February of 2016 because doesn’t plan to carry loads of laundry up and down stairs forever.

"My husband and I have an empty nest now. And our dream was to put everything on the main floor so we can stay and grow old in our home," Wollman said.

Wollman took advantage of a sale and bought a Samsung washer and dryer to go in her new laundry room. She stored the appliances in the garage, where they stayed indefinitely while the renovation was on hold.

Later that year in November, the company announced the recall and Maria’s husband called Samsung. An agent confirmed their washer was among the affected models.

Customers were given the option of an in-home repair or a pro-rated rebate to put toward the purchase of a new machine.

The Wollmans, who never took their washer out of the box, opted for the repair.

"There was something wrong with the lid, we were told and that there needed to be brackets. They failed to install some sort of brackets to keep the lid from popping off," Wollman said.

A technician installed the brackets and Wollman thought everything was fine, until she saw NBC’s follow-up report, which urged customers to use their repaired machines with caution.

Wollman decided she didn’t want to take the risk.

"I said I don't want this machine. I will not be installing it. But I'm not going to lose all our money. You know, it's never been used," she said.

Wollman reached out to Samsung’s call center, hoping to explain her situation.

"I didn't want somebody to just call and leave a message and say, you know, 'you're out of luck'," she said.

The agent promised Wollman someone would call her back. When that call didn’t come, Wollman called again and received the same response.

Then NBC Connecticut Responds reached out to Samsung.

A representative called Wollman and walked her through the process of disabling the washing machine, which included cutting the power cord. Wollman submitted the necessary photos and paperwork and a few weeks later, received a check for full value of the washer.

In a written statement to NBC Connecticut, a Samsung spokesperson said, “We are sorry for the inconvenience that Ms. Wollman experienced and worked with her to resolve the matter to her satisfaction. We are listening to and learning from every consumer’s experience in order to constantly improve our processes. Anyone with questions about the recall or an authorized service visit should contact us directly at 1-866-264-5636.”

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