I bought a Kitchen Aid "Pro Line" espresso maker and 20 days after
opening the box it sprung a leak in the frothing boiler (a
manufacturer's defect). I've always thought KitchenAid stood behind
its products and was customer oriented, and according to the US
Warranty if the product "fails in the first two years, KitchenAid will
replace it free of charge." Well that's only if you bought the machine
in the US and if you live in the US. I bought the machine at
Williams-Sonoma in Toronto (and live in Canada) and the warranty here
is quite different. They don't advertise that they are less consumer
friendly to non-US residents, nor do they advertise that they don't
stand behind their products in the same way when the person lives
outside the US. This appears to be false advertising. (BTW, Viking
has the exact same warranty in Canada as the US.)

My message is simply "buyer beware" when buying a KitchenAid product.
I've owned many over the years, but the company today is not the
company on which their reputation was built. Imagine an appliance
dying less than three weeks after first use and the comapny giving you
a runaround. And this is with their Pro Line series. Imagine how
they'd be with their main-stream products.

Ross

In article . com>, on 29
Jun 2005 09:32:39 -0700, Cruise Junkie wrote:

> I bought the machine at
> Williams-Sonoma in Toronto
>

Not to excuse KitchenAid from their obligations (your experience sounds
horrible), but W-S has a very good reputation for handling situations
such as yours (at least in the US ;-) ). Why don't you try giving W-S a
call, and see if they will take care of you?

Good luck!!

--
Seth Goodman

You took it back to W-S and they told you to take a hike? I'd be
shocked if W-S wouldn't exchange your item for ya.
Go ask 'em; you've nothing to lose.
Eric

Cruise Junkie wrote:
> I bought a Kitchen Aid "Pro Line" espresso maker and 20 days after
> opening the box it sprung a leak in the frothing boiler (a
> manufacturer's defect). I've always thought KitchenAid stood behind
> its products and was customer oriented, and according to the US
> Warranty if the product "fails in the first two years, KitchenAid will
> replace it free of charge." Well that's only if you bought the machine
> in the US and if you live in the US. I bought the machine at
> Williams-Sonoma in Toronto (and live in Canada) and the warranty here
> is quite different. They don't advertise that they are less consumer
> friendly to non-US residents, nor do they advertise that they don't
> stand behind their products in the same way when the person lives
> outside the US. This appears to be false advertising. (BTW, Viking
> has the exact same warranty in Canada as the US.)
>
> My message is simply "buyer beware" when buying a KitchenAid product.
> I've owned many over the years, but the company today is not the
> company on which their reputation was built. Imagine an appliance
> dying less than three weeks after first use and the comapny giving you
> a runaround. And this is with their Pro Line series. Imagine how
> they'd be with their main-stream products.

I just called Kitchenaid customer service. The difference is because
laws regarding warrantys differ by country, which of course most folks
realize... I could have told you that without calling but I like to be
sure, and it's an 800#, and the lady was very pleasant and helpful.
You need to go to Kitchenaid's *Canadian* website... perhaps there you
will deal with Canadians, can't vouch for their hospitibleness. There
you will find different contact info from what's available at the US
Kitchenaid website.

And it's not true that Kitchenaid is being deceptive by not publishing
that their warrantys differ by country, in fact that info is in the
manual accompanying the product.

Go he

http://international.kitchenaid.com

At the bottom of the page:

"For KitchenAid portable appliance products purchased in the United
States (50 states & District of Columbia), Canada, and Puerto Rico,
please refer to the KitchenAid Use & Care Guide for warranty and
post-warranty service information. KitchenAid product warranties
_*vary* according to the country or territory where the product was
originally purchased_. For in-warranty or post-warranty service
information, replacement parts, or repair for units purchased outside
of the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, please _consult the
authorized KitchenAid distributor where the product was originally
purchased_."
---

Also, I've purchased many products from Williams-Sonoma and have
occasionally had warranty issues, which were rectified immediately by a
simple no-hassle exchange... you may want to contact W-S... but then
again your W-S is in Canada, where everything apparently is upside down
and back asswards... don't blame the manufacturer, lay the blame
squarely where it belongs, on fercocktah Canada.

The only argument I ever had with Williams-Sonoma was in regard to
"Monograming"... my beef was that a monogram means more than one
initial, yet they were calling one intial a monogram, which it most
definitely is not, one initial is DUH an initial. They were charging
one price for a monogram consisting of just one initial (which is NOT a
monogram), and charging more for a multi-initial (up to 3) monogram. I
complained relentlessly to those ignorant pinheads until finally
somebody got it. Now if you look in the W-S catalog you will note that
they no longer refer to a single intial as a monogram and they have
reduced the price accordingly. For many years they were ripping folks
off.

Btw, KitchenAid is actually Whirlpool... their product's warrantys
differ by country as well.


Sheldon

Cruise Junkie wrote:
> Well that's only if you bought the machine
> in the US and if you live in the US. I bought the machine at
> Williams-Sonoma in Toronto (and live in Canada) and the warranty here
> is quite different.

I don't know why you expect the US warranty to apply in Canada. Some
companies may choose to do that but not all companies do. As you said,
buyer beware. For what it's worth, I had a warranty claim on a
Kitchenaid skillet. The claim is handled by their distributer in
Canada (Meyers). The skillet was replaced without a problem.

wrote:
>
> Cruise Junkie wrote:
>
>>Well that's only if you bought the machine
>>in the US and if you live in the US. I bought the machine at
>>Williams-Sonoma in Toronto (and live in Canada) and the warranty here
>>is quite different.
>
>
> I don't know why you expect the US warranty to apply in Canada.



Why wouldn't you expect a reputable company to stand behind their
products no matter where they were purchased, even if local law didn't
require it? Doesn't any company have scruples these days?

gloria p

Puester > writes:

> Why wouldn't you expect a reputable company to stand behind their
> products no matter where they were purchased, even if local law didn't
> require it? Doesn't any company have scruples these days?

They do stand by their products. Take a look at

http://www.kitchenaid.ca/english/war...offeemaker.php

The details of how to get things fixed are different. One would have
to send the unit to their service place or have it fixed by an
authorized place, rather than having a replacement delivered to your
door. What warranty terms are offered in Canada is decided by
Kitchenaid Canada, which is seperately operated from Kitchenaid USA or
other divisions. These decisions are usually made considering the
local market demands, prices and the like.


--
Alan Shutko > - I am the rocks.

Puester wrote:
> wrote:
> >
> > Cruise Junkie wrote:
> >
> >>Well that's only if you bought the machine
> >>in the US and if you live in the US. I bought the machine at
> >>Williams-Sonoma in Toronto (and live in Canada) and the warranty here
> >>is quite different.
> >
> >
> > I don't know why you expect the US warranty to apply in Canada.
>
>
>
> Why wouldn't you expect a reputable company to stand behind their
> products no matter where they were purchased, even if local law didn't
> require it? Doesn't any company have scruples these days?

Has nothing to do with the manufacturing company, it's out of their
control. Whatever Canadian agency is responsible for consumer affairs
(or whatever they call it there) makes the laws regarding product
warrantys.

Kitchenaid does stand behind their product in Canada but the Canadian
Gov't. insists things be done diffently from other countrys. I'm
certain lots of things are done differently in other countrys, like
appliance safety considerations, concerning electrical codes
foreinstance. Why do you think so many large manufacturers manintain
an International Webpage... you think it's because they're bored.
Automobile warrantys are different in Canada too.

Sheldon

KitchenAid Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of Whirlpool Corporation
in the US. The only explanation for different treatment in Canada is
that they value Canadian business less than US business. I dealt with
KitchenAid Canada and they were not consumer-oriented. My only
expectation is that when you buy a product (especially a "Pro Line"
product) that the company stands behind it. That does not appear to be
the case with KitchenAid. Or more exactly, they stand behind their
product with US residents differently than residents outside the US
(even though they wholly own the non-US companies). Maybe I'm being
naive, but that makes no sense to me. KitchenAid is KitchenAid no
matter where it is purchased. The trustworthiness of their name
shouldn't be unique to the country you live in. The CEO of KitchenAid
Canada or anywhere else is the same person -- the CEO of Whirlpool
Corporation centred in Benton Harbor, Michigan.

According to KitchenAid the warranty is a decision of KitchenAid Canada
-- it is not related at all to the Canadian Government. KitchenAid has
made a decision to treat Canadians differently. There is no excuse for
that, especially for a company that claims "total customer
satisfaction," worry free warranties, and all the rest of their
advertising slogans that are not reflected in practice.

You are correct. I should have taken the machine back to
Williams-Sonoma and gotten my money back -- Williams-Sonoma stands
behind the products they sell. But instead I did what the KitchenAid
owner's manual said and believed their claim of a "total customer
satisfaction warranty." I am not totally satisfied, they have my
money, and the warranty isn't worth the paper it is printed on.

"Cruise Junkie" > wrote in message

> I am not totally satisfied, they have my
> money, and the warranty isn't worth the paper it is printed on.
>


Neither is your Canadian money. How do you expect the US warranty to
protect you in another country?

I don't see any run-around. Here is the Canadian warranty.
Did they fail to live up to the published terms? Took me less than two
minutes to check it out, you should too before you buy.

http://www.kitchenaid.ca/english/war...offeemaker.php

Who did you call?



If you reside in Canada and your KitchenAid® Pro LineT Series small
appliance should fail within the first two years of ownership, simply call
our toll-free Customer Interaction Centre at 1-800-461-5681 Monday through
Friday, 8am to 6pm (Eastern Time), Saturday, 8:30am to 4:30pm or email


KitchenAid Canada will arrange for service of your KitchenAid® Pro LineT
Series small appliance through a designated KitchenAid Canada Servicer or
should the product be deemed unserviceable, at the sole discretion of
KitchenAid Canada, the unit may be replaced with an identical or comparable
replacement to your door free of charge. KitchenAid Canada will also provide
directions on how to return your failed KitchenAid® Pro LineT Series small
appliance to us. Your replacement unit will also be covered by our two year
full warranty.

When you receive your replacement KitchenAid® Pro LineT Series small
appliance, use the carton and packing materials to pack-up your failed
KitchenAid® Pro LineT Series small appliance. In the carton, include your
name and address on a sheet of paper along with a copy of the proof of
purchase (register receipt, credit card charge slip, etc.)

"Puester" > wrote in message
>>>Well that's only if you bought the machine
>>>in the US and if you live in the US. I bought the machine at
>>>Williams-Sonoma in Toronto (and live in Canada) and the warranty here
>>>is quite different.

> Why wouldn't you expect a reputable company to stand behind their products
> no matter where they were purchased, even if local law didn't require it?
> Doesn't any company have scruples these days?
>
> gloria p

What is missing are the details. Cruise Junkie neglected to say what they
would NOT do, just that they gave him the run around. Let's see some facts
before we decide if KA is doing the right thing. Maybe they just won't
satisfy his needs in any case. We don't know if he is asking for something
out of the bounds of proper service of any good company. Maybe he is
demanding a limo pick him up to return it? We just don't know.

The terms of warranties are often dictated by the laws of the country or
particular state in the US.

The bottom line is I bought a pro line model, it failed because of
manufacturer's defect within three weeks of first use and KitchenAid
did not live up to the reputation they espouse. Regardless of the
"letter of the law," I don't think anyone expects a $1000+ espresso
maker to die after making 50 cups and then have the manufactuer who
espouses customer service give you a runaround. It gives no confidence
in the KitchenAid name. That's the bottom line.

The bottom line is I bought a pro line model, it failed because of
manufacturer's defect within three weeks of first use and KitchenAid
did not live up to the reputation they espouse. Regardless of the
"letter of the law," I don't think anyone expects a $1000+ espresso
maker to die after making 50 cups and then have the manufactuer who
espouses customer service give you a runaround. It gives no confidence
in the KitchenAid name. That's the bottom line.

"Cruise Junkie" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> The bottom line is I bought a pro line model, it failed because of
> manufacturer's defect within three weeks of first use and KitchenAid
> did not live up to the reputation they espouse. Regardless of the
> "letter of the law," I don't think anyone expects a $1000+ espresso
> maker to die after making 50 cups and then have the manufactuer who
> espouses customer service give you a runaround. It gives no confidence
> in the KitchenAid name. That's the bottom line.

No, you are bitching about the warranty and the fact that in Canada it is
different than you expect. Sure, it is very annoying when things fail,
especially costly things. The sad fact of life is that it does happen and
reputable companies stand behind the product.

Bottom line is you are bitching about KA, but have not given any details as
to how you are not being treated fairly. That being the case, I'm going to
assume you are just PO'd and bitching and KA is going to make good. I hope
you feel better soon and enjoy the espresso.

"Cruise Junkie" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> KitchenAid Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of Whirlpool Corporation
> in the US. The only explanation for different treatment in Canada is
> that they value Canadian business less than US business. I dealt with
> KitchenAid Canada and they were not consumer-oriented. My only
> expectation is that when you buy a product (especially a "Pro Line"
> product) that the company stands behind it. That does not appear to be
> the case with KitchenAid. Or more exactly, they stand behind their
> product with US residents differently than residents outside the US
> (even though they wholly own the non-US companies). Maybe I'm being
> naive, but that makes no sense to me. KitchenAid is KitchenAid no
> matter where it is purchased. The trustworthiness of their name
> shouldn't be unique to the country you live in. The CEO of KitchenAid
> Canada or anywhere else is the same person -- the CEO of Whirlpool
> Corporation centred in Benton Harbor, Michigan.

Generally in warranty situations, first port of call is the *retailer* you
purchased from (especially if the product company is in another country).
Some manufacturers explicitly ask that you bypass this and deal directly
with them, that's a choice they make (unless a country has a law that has
them bound to do so), and often results in delayed rectification of the
problem anyway.

It is usually more efficient for a company to have its retailers deal with
first handling of warranties, as the retailer is most often local to the
customer, and has stock of the product - you call, send or take the item
there, have it examined, then replaced soon as possible if not immediately,
then at the end of a given period, the retailer returns warranty items to
the manufacturer in batch amounts, with all relevant paperwork completed.

As others have said, give the retailer a holler and explain, THEN birth if
you do not get sorted out in the fastest, most efficient manner.

I'm offering this to attempt to clarify, as a part of my job is dealing with
our companies warranties so I have a little inside insight.

Cheers, and I hope you get it sorted out soonest!

',;~}~


Shaun aRe

"Cruise Junkie" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> According to KitchenAid the warranty is a decision of KitchenAid Canada
> -- it is not related at all to the Canadian Government. KitchenAid has
> made a decision to treat Canadians differently. There is no excuse for
> that, especially for a company that claims "total customer
> satisfaction," worry free warranties, and all the rest of their
> advertising slogans that are not reflected in practice.

What TF is worrying about going back to the (LOCAL) retailer, as opposed to
having to ship the damned thing hundreds if not thousands of miles, across a
border, just to have it checked out to see if it does indeed qualify as a
warranty issue, rather than neglect or misuse?!?!?

I think you are letting your ire cloud the truth of the matter, maybe you
got your own back up, and now you're too proud and angry to admit that you
now understand the situation better, from all the clear and helpful
explanatory replies you've already had?

Apologies if I've misread, I'm offering help!

Go on, just take it back to the damned retailer FFS!

',;~}~


Shaun aRe

What we have heard from you is that you bought an expensive KA
appliance, and it failed during the warranty period. You are rightly
annoyed at having spent money on a product only to have it break early
in its life. But what we haven't heard from you is just in what way
has KA failed to stand behind its products? Have they failed to honour
their warranty? In what way have they given you the run-around?

Cruise Junkie wrote:
> According to KitchenAid the warranty is a decision of KitchenAid Canada
> -- it is not related at all to the Canadian Government.

You're incorrect... and as others have proven you've been mistating the
facts every step of the way. You may like things to be as you say
here, to explain away your frustration, but your claims are simply not
true. Government agencys determine what constitutes product
warrantibility, mainly so that there is conformity throughout the
region and so courts can more easily deal with disputes (if there were
never disputes written warrantys would never have evolved; then a
handshake would be all the trust necessary... and then when promises
were breached a gun duel would ensue in the street, which by the
attitude you demonstrate here is quite indicative of how things were
not too very many years ago). Even in the US product warrantys will
have a disclaimer for individual States, simply because contract law
differs by State (and even by region... NYC demands even tighter
warrantys to protect its citizens, and to keep its courts from becoming
clogged more than thay already are).

Get this through your dense skull, manufacturers CANNOT directly offer
whatever warrantys they like... even when they offer no written
warranty an *implied* warranty exists and is enforceable the same as an
oral contract. A product warranty is a legal instrument, it's
conformity governed under regional contract law. Businesses can't just
make up legal instruments willy-nilly, however they see fit at the
moment, their warrantys must be submitted to government regulatory
agencies for approval that they comply with regional contract law.

With your unreasonableness, bull-headedness, and abrasive attitude it's
no wonder you are being summarily dismissed by KitchenAid employees. I
can't imagine that Kitchenaid is seeking to screw its customers...
miserable, offensive assholes like you screw themselves.

Sheldon