Product review (1 stars): wish I read Amazon reviews before buying
My washer stopped working after 4 years of tender loving care, flashing the error message F71, which means KAPUT. A call to Whirlpool's service department reveals that the company takes zero responsibility for their products. These washers are as shoddy as cell phones, but they carry enormous price tags, so that when they break the customer is forced to cover his investment by buying extended insurance plans to keep the washer running. To add insult to injury, Whirlpool's "customer service representatives" sound as if they are robo attendants, but they are actually live humans who cling to an infuriating robotic script. These reps will read you the terms of the insurance upgrades which are lawyered to death and make it clear their washers are NOT covered by lemon laws or any consumer protection laws. That suggests to me at least that Whirlpool's management knows how shoddy their products are. If you own a Duet, you will be forced into the company's clutches sooner or later. When that happens, call Whirlpool's HQ and demand to talk to the CEO whose name and number you will find on their website.. Write to consumer blogs about your experience. Call the Better Business Bureau. I just noticed that Whirlpool Corp also owns Kitchen Aid, which is the maker of some of the most poorly designed kitchen equipment I own. Whirlpool's corporate philosophy must be this: acquire once great American brands, put these trusted names on shoddy products, jack up the prices, and then dupe customers into believing they are paying for quality. Like many of the Amazon reviewers, I will never buy another Whirlpool product, nor Kitchen Aid, nor Maytag nor any of the other brands under this company umbrella.