Product review (1 stars): Buying a Maytag is a gamble
July 11, 2012
Attention Whirlpool Executive Team:
As a consumer, I feel compelled to write you this letter, because I am greatly disenchanted by the lack of quality in your product. I feel nothing less that hoodwinked by your company, and as a working class mother of 3 with a husband who is a member of the United States military, I feel that Whirlpool/Maytag has taken advantage of hard working Americans. There was a time when Maytag carried an irrefutable reputation as being one of the most dependable and reliable names in the appliance business. But you are abusing this historical reputation by making expensive products that cannot match the quality of your past. I still believe in the value of the American dollar, and I think it is absurd to spend upwards of $700 on an appliance that acquires a defect  just a little after 12 months after purchase so extensive that the repairs exceed or come very close to exceeding the original cost of the unit. This is simply unacceptable. After careful research that I wish I had done first, I realize now that what I am experiencing is not uncommon for people who have purchased the exact same product as me, and in reading many consumer reviews, I see what mirrors my exact experience. If you care at all about your reputation or the consumers who got your company to the point where it is now, then you need to take heed to the words of my letter and make some changes. You tout Maytag as being reliable and dependable; you should change this deceptive marketing to one that reinforces what buying from your company is: a gamble.
In May of 2011, we purchased the Maytag Performance Series MHWE950WW 27 4.5 cu. Ft. Front-Load Washer and its matching dryer in hopes that this was an investment for years to come.  This was recommended to us by the Lowe's, the retailer from whom we purchased this product. In the words of the manager who helped us get a good deal on the Samsung that will replace the poorly functioning Maytag washer we purchased: "Maytag's are supposed to be top of the line; this is a machine that can take anything."  This ideology is commercial propaganda.  It is apparent that this product is assembled with poor craftsmanship, with cheap parts that are not worth the money we paid into it. The drum and bearings have gone out in a year and it takes close to 2 hours for a 50 minute load to complete. It sounds like a jet is landing in my laundry room when the spin cycle begins. I have learned that this is typical for this model. Bearings are a major component to any washer and normal wear and tear are not the cause of its failure. We used this machine appropriately, for what it is designed for, and the local repair man told me he expected more from a Maytag, and that the problem he saw in the machine was typical of a machine that was 10 years old, that it was definitely not caused by clothes being washed; this was a defect. I opted not to buy the extended warranty when we first purchased. I expected that the machine would stand the test of time.  The integrity that I assumed is a fallacy.
Notwithstanding the fact that I declined to get additional coverage, I want to focus on the fact that I did not expect that this product would fail so miserably at such a young age, considering the cost. There is no value in this product. Your response was to replace the parts and I pay the labor, which some may consider reasonable. I was initially satisfied, however after closer inspection, I realized that bearing failure and drum damage is a recurring problem on this model. So I chose to cut ties with your company and I am going the Samsung route. While I am somewhat content that at least you offered to foot the bill for these very expensive parts that have failed in a little over a year, which is in and of itself shameful, I am not willing to come up with a couple of hundred dollars each year for a recurring problem, which research shows is highly likely.  I can buy a new machine for what it will cost me to pay for the labor on a repair that is likely to occur at least 3 more times, minimally.  You should consider changing the quality of the parts that you use. You have shown me that you are nothing more than another white-collar corporate beast with an appetite of greed that profits on the backs of the hardworking, everyday, blue collar citizen, wanting more while providing less.  I could have chosen to take your free parts and pay for the labor of the repairs, but I am not so trusting of the quality of service or the dependability of your craftsmanship, so I cut my losses and invested in a Samsung.
If multiple complaints about the same malfunction keep arising, which I am certain you can assess if you choose to be honest and uphold some amount of integrity within your quality assurance department, then Maytag needs to do some serious reflection as a company. You are stealing from people who trust in the quality of your product. The quality of your product is contemptible and the cost of the products is not commensurate to what you provide.  I chose not to keep feeding the corporate beast that is Maytag, because I do not trust that the repair will ultimately fix the problem. Buying a Maytag or a Whirlpool is a gamble, not a guarantee. Period.  You should know this much.

Respectfully,

April