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At a Glance
You did not foresee this, did you?
You got a great price on your appliances. Now the delivery has fallen short of your expectations.
The great price has been more than negated by missing a whole day of work and then some. This hopefully doesn’t include any damage to your new kitchen or the products themselves.
You don’t think about appliance delivery, but you should. Google “appliance delivery problems” and the internet is littered with horror stories.
It’s because stores are looking to give you cheap delivery, not good delivery by sending unqualified workers into your home.
In this article, you will learn what to expect from a delivery before it goes horribly wrong. Then I will give you a checklist at the end. Just print it out before you go appliance shopping.
First, let’s talk about the different types of delivery.
Appliance Delivery Types
Free / Drop Off Delivery
This is simple and easy to understand and most frequently used when buying from internet sellers. You buy it and they drop it on the street in front of your home
It should be free because none of the expense is in the delivery. It's just a truck and a guy. The company doesn’t need to pay for Workman's comp and general insurance liability for damage. You don’t need 2 or 3 qualified guys to bring it in the house as well.
White-Glove / Titanium Delivery
This should be the more full-service delivery of bringing your appliances into your house, with simple installation included, and removal of your old units. I said should be.
It doesn’t mean it happens, especially if you have tons of stairs or heavy appliances heavy
You need to clarify what kind of delivery you are paying for in writing before you leave the store or website. When you have an issue and are disputing the transaction, you will need that paper.
What You Should Expect From An Appliance Delivery
CORI-Certified Delivery Personnel
Ever wonder who you are inviting into your home? You would be surprised. It can be an issue. You should ask if the appliance store requires a CORI certification to prevent violent offenders from entering your home.
You want to be absolutely certain about a store's delivery execution especially if you are buying heavy appliances like a Sub-Zero refrigerator or a professional range.
Pro Tip: Read reviews online, not just about sales, but about the delivery aspect of the transaction.
Excellent Communication For Delivery Time
When I started at Yale in 1986, we were on the cutting edge by offering morning or afternoon times. Now its not good enough.
However, most of that experience is still the same because the appliance is being sent from far away or from a separate, outsourced terminal.
Many companies can narrow it down to 2 hours because the routing technology exists. We all use Uber or Lyft and marvel at looking at the car arriving at our homes.
Appliance companies should have the ability to allow you to track the truck to your house.
Pro Tip: You should only wait 20-30 minutes for a delivery.
Removal of Existing Appliance & Basic installation
Yale Appliance Delivery
Hoods, gas appliances, and dishwashers need a plumber or certified installer. You will have to pay more for that.
However, refrigerators, electric ranges, dryers, and washing machines can and should be installed upon delivery. It should not be an additional fee.
Many companies will charge more for this basic service.
Click here to download your delivery checklist and use it to compare each appliance store.
Removal is another problem. You hear free delivery only to find out removal and basic install are more on a per piece basis. Suddenly this free delivery costs you more than a charged delivery.
Like this on a competitor's appliance website:
There is a two-hundred dollar removal charge on free delivery, and that is just one piece.
Pro Tip: Negotiate delivery and removal at the time of the sale, not when you are accepting delivery.
Appliance Leak Detection Pads
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Yale Appliance Leak Protection Pads
There can be massive amounts of damage from improper installation of washers, dishwashers, ice makers, and refrigerators, especially if you live on the top floor of a building or a brownstone.
We use leak detection pads under these appliances. If a client sees any water on the pad, then we send a service recovery team.
It's not just water, but the mold and mildew arising from moisture.
Pro Top: Check every appliance with water for 24 hours after installation.
Short on time? Get our free Appliance Buying Guide
Floor Protection With Melamine
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Yale Appliance Floor Protection With Melamine
Ten years ago, we noticed appliances were sinking and indenting the floors.
Many contractors will want the appliances a day before install, so they leave them in the middle of the floor.
Some floors have become softer while appliances have become heavier, especially refrigerators and ranges.
Now, we (and hopefully you) use melamine to protect the floor itself. We use thousands of sheets every month.
Documentation Of Delivery
Do not sign “in good condition” until you are sure.
Let me give you a common scenario:
You bought a suite of appliances on Black Friday. Delivery happens a month before you need it, but you saved $400.
You tell the delivery guys to leave it in the garage.
One month later, the stove is caved in on the side, and the hood has a huge dent in the middle. You call that internet company, and there is nothing they will do for you.
The number 1 complaint is damage. It happens. Many of your appliances are made in Korea, Europe, and Mexico. There will be some shipping problems.
However, when you sign for good condition, you are releasing that company from any compensation due after delivery.
We video every delivery of the products plus the delivery path to your home. However, we are not perfect. So we insure ourselves for every kind of scenario to ensure you will be taken care of.
In Case Damage Happens To Your Appliances Upon Arrival:
You need to take pictures, document it, have the delivery guys sign their delivery form verifying the damage.
Call the store while they are there.
If you do not verify that damage, you will have to go through your homeowners. Most companies want you to own their problems because your insurance will increase, not theirs.
What To Ask Before Your Appliance Delivery
Make sure to ask these questions whenever you're considering appliance delivery. This will save you headaches down the line.
1. When And How Often Will The Team Call Ahead? You should ask when and how often will the delivery team or customer service call you to confirm the arrival of your delivery. You do not want to wait all day for anything.
2. What Is The Return Policy? You should ask about what the return policies are such as can you return an item if it doesn't fit or what's the applicable restocking fee?
3. What Will Be The Total Charges For Delivery? Always ask what the total charges are. This is a big one, especially if you are ordering many products and have stairs. You want to know upfront rather than negotiate at the time of delivery.
Our Final Advice
Your preparation is always better than expectations.
Get everything in writing with the salesperson's business card.
Be vigilant at the time of delivery.
Document any issues at the time of delivery, not after you sign.
Click here to download your delivery checklist and use it to compare each appliance store.
Additional Resources
Get the free Yale Appliance Buying Guide. It has features, specs, and inside tips to all the brands like Sub-Zero, Thermador, Bosch, and Miele. It covers built-ins, counter depth, freestanding vs. slide-in, and much more (plus a ton of good product shots). Well over 600,000 people have read a Yale Guide.
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WHY SHOULD YOU TRUST US?
A few review sites have placed this at the bottom of their articles. So here is our take: Our mission is to find reliable products for you to buy. Other review sites may say this as well.
However, we don’t love every product. Quite frankly, it costs us way too much money in repair costs to support less reliable brands.
In fact, we sell fewer brands than most appliance stores. Here is why:
We feel it is our responsibility to repair your appliances after you buy them.
We now have 30 service technicians, each averaging 8-10 calls a day Monday through Friday, plus another 110 on Saturday. That's over 30,000 service calls logged in one year.
The labor rates of fixing an appliance do not come close to the true cost in any product’s warranty period.
That is why no major retailer has a service department. It costs too much labor, money and time.
Our Blog is a bit different than most others you will read. We cannot write glowing reviews of unreliable products.
Hopefully, the bloggers and organizations who write such glowing product reviews for every brand consider servicing these products first. Only then they will understand the consequences of their marketing.
A Note About Pricing
Pricing on this blog is for reference only and may include time sensitive rebates. We make every attempt to provide accurate pricing at time of publishing. Please call the stores for most accurate price.
