[FURY_44]

Hello everyone, I am on the look out to purchase a storage geyser for my home and have circled in on 2 products, one from AO Smith and the other from Crompton Greaves, both are 15L, appreciate feedback/suggestions if anyone has purchased between these two products recently especially from Amazon.

AO Smith: AO Smith HSE-VAS-X-015 Storage 15 Litre Vertical Water Heater (Geyser)

Crompton Greaves: Crompton Arno Neo ASWH-2615 15LTR(2KW) 4 Star-Rated Storage Water Heater (White)

[ontheway]

Hello everyone. I want to share my 2 recent experiences and want to know if any of you have also experienced similar fleecing tactics by authorised service centers of reputed brands here in Delhi.

The first one is with IFB Front Loading Fully Automatic Washing Machine- The machine itself is very good and does its job nicely. It comes with 4 years full warranty. During the warranty its door had issue with locking and entire circuit board was changed within warranty. Service was quick and efficient then.
Now after 4 years warranty got over and I was some 2 months out of warranty, I heard some squeaking sound like drum rubbing against the rubber moulding and some rubber burning smell during one of the cycles. I called the customer care of IFB and one of the gentleman from their authorised service center visited next day. Mandatory Visit Charges- 600/-
He just touched the drum and did some pushing, and within 1 minute said that the drum and its attaching mechanism needs replacement. Cost - Around 5000 bucks. I got suspicious and enquired further and asked for breakup. He called his office and told that cost is little lower and will be 4500/- but will not give written estimate. He also said that drum will break away within next 15 days or so if not repaired.
Now comes the most fishy part- He said that I can also go for AMC but will have to wait for 45 days cooling period to get the drum and parts replaced after purchasing AMC. Cost- Around 4500 for 1 year AMC, and 500 bribe to him to report that machine is fine, so that AMC can be issued by the company. I can then book complaint after 45 days and will get the parts replaced FOC.
I lost all trust in this guy and paid 600 as visit charge and bid him goodbye. I also complained to IFB over mail and call directly to company's area Manager but no use.
Its been more than 6 months without any parts change and machine is working just fine (fingers crossed). I just put Vaseline petroleum jelly between the rubber moulding and drum every 15 days or so.

Second is with Godrej Refrigerator just today- The twin-door refrigerator is almost 12 years old and never gave any issue except last year when authorised service center replaced one part. Cost was 1055 then.
Now it is not keeping frozen foods or ice-cream frozen but water is freezing fine in the freezer and fridge portion is also keeping fruits and vegetables fine. As it was giving small inconvenience, I registered complaint on Godrej Smart Care and serviceman from authorised service center came within 4 hours. Mandatory Visit Charge- 550/-
He did some checking for few minutes and told that compressor is at fault. Cost-5000 bucks. OR I can opt for 2 years AMC for around Rs.4400 and wait for 30 days cooling period. Will get the compressor replaced FOC after 30 days.
As machine is already 12 years old and I am not inclined to go the wrong way to save money, I again refused and paid 550 and sent him away. It will be much better if I just purchase new.

Now I am really troubled to see this new modus operandi adopted by these "authorised service centers" where you cannot trust their diagnosis or things they are saying.

So should we now either always take AMC for peace of mind or bid the appliances goodbye the moment they show any troubles because I can no longer trust these authorised guys for sure.

[avira_tk]

Originally Posted by ontheway

.
So should we now either always take AMC for peace of mind or bid the appliances goodbye the moment they show any troubles because I can no longer trust these authorised guys for sure.

I'm surprised the IFB guy didn't try to sell you a water softener and 5 years supply of detergent. I have had two different experiences with IFB, first, how I just described and last week, a visit confirming repair wasn't possible but use the dishwasher till it stops, rust issues. The guy cancelled the ticket and took half the fees without a bill, OK with me. Moving a dishwasher wrecks it quickly it seems

A fridge can be repaired locally and an amc is a waste, local repair guys turn up quite quickly and that ensures food doesn't go bad, which is the important thing. My 12 year old fridge was repaired in 2 hours, including defrosting and part replacement.

[ontheway]

Originally Posted by avira_tk

I'm surprised the IFB guy didn't try to sell you a water softener and 5 years supply of detergent.

That goes without saying. I had to tolerate ruthless selling tactics by IFB technicians from the moment they came to install the machine to yearly check-up visits in warranty period, which are just opportunities for them to sell more stuff. They even resort to blatant lying, like your warranty will be void if you don't use de-scaling packets regularly. So I became sort of habitual to these and even spent handsome amount on their liquid detergents and some other things, although this excessive pushing is extremely irritating. But there is one thing trying to sell stuff, but another to outright cheat and trap the consumer in buying the AMC.

Originally Posted by avira_tk

A fridge can be repaired locally and an amc is a waste, local repair guys turn up quite quickly and that ensures food doesn't go bad, which is the important thing.

I never had a pleasant experience getting these kind of home appliances repaired locally as the repaired ones lived shortly, if ever. That's why decided to always go with authorised service centers, even if they charge a good premium. Turnaround time has not been an issue, as their service centers respond quickly.

But with experiences like these, I have also lost trust in these authorised service centers. You can never satisfy a person's greed.

[racer_ash]

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

Does anyone have feedback on the Voltas Beko Dishwasher (Link)? I was looking for Bosch for my parents as I own a Bosch Dishwashwer.

A relative purchased this Voltas Model recently and they are happy. Wanted to check on any pros and cons here. My parents won't be having too much load of vessels and now I am thinking the Bosch one may in fact be an overkill.

Using one for the past month or so and the experience has been pretty good so far. Minimal hassle of installation. You just need a 2 way tap to connect the inlet. The drain pipe can just be left inside the kitchen sink and thats pretty much it.

Also dont let the tabletop moniker fool you. If arranged well, it gobbles up vessels for a 3 person household pretty easily.

Have been using full size dishwashers in the UK and Australia and this one's right up there in terms of performance. Its got 2 spray arms and they seem to be dislodging even stains left after cooking rice.

At 21k, its a steal IMHO.

Some disadvantages are that you cant load deep vessels in the top tray and thats pretty much what I can think of.

[neeraj0272]

Originally Posted by ontheway

Now I am really troubled to see this new modus operandi adopted by these "authorised service centers" where you cannot trust their diagnosis or things they are saying.

So should we now either always take AMC for peace of mind or bid the appliances goodbye the moment they show any troubles because I can no longer trust these authorised guys for sure.

Sadly ethics of businesses and even people are very low here. Every one is trying to fleece the other.
I have Voltas and Hitachi air conditioners with long warranties. Their authorised service centers have devised ways to loot these companies under this extended warranty period. They themselves generate fake service calls and bill these companies for non existent repairs and parts. These companies are using an OTP method for customer satisfaction. They extract the OTP from customers using multiple tricks.
I complained to Voltas about this but received no response from them.
Almost all authorised service center indulge in shady practices. All of their service technicians will try to fix an under the table deal with the customers. As the companies do not put a stop to this so I presume that all these shady practices are a part of their business model.

[motorworks]

Has anyone booked a Bosch dishwasher and awaiting delivery? We booked the 13 plate setting model way back in July and its been a long wait! Now we are being told that this model is delayed in production and if we need one in this month or the next, we will have to opt for the 12 plate setting model. Apart from capacity, the 13 setting model is supposedly a lot quieter.

Not sure what to do, whether to wait it out or opt for the 12 setting model. Any feedback on the 12 setting machine would be good as well.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by Aroy

For baking and pizza, an OTG at 4-5K is a better choice. For heating an inexpensive microwave is the best.
https://www.amazon.in/Bajaj-2200-TMS...s%2C292&sr=8-4

https://www.amazon.in/LG-Solo-Microw...gateway&sr=8-1
I have a similar MW and it is used for heating only

In case there is a lot of baking involved, I would suggest a Gas Cooking Range which has a Gas Oven. Models are available starting from 20K all the way to beyond a lac
http://sunflame.com/cooking-range.html

Looking at picking up a semi professional or even a professional baking oven.

Mum had shortlisted this based on her limited research: Morphy Richards 52 RCSS 52-Litre Oven Toaster Grill (Black)

Would folks who do regular baking here please advice me on which is the best model to go for apart from the above? Budget is not a big problem, but we need quality.

I do plan to have a cavity done in a new modular kitchen to stick the OTG into it at a later date - if I get an OTG.

@Aroy, others, please do chime in? I am now veering towards the gas powered range. Any downsides to it? This kind of all inclusive set up is what comes standard in most european homes as well, and they do a hell of a lot of baking and grilling.

[Ross]

Originally Posted by motorworks

Has anyone booked a Bosch dishwasher and awaiting delivery? We booked the 13 plate setting model way back in July and its been a long wait! Now we are being told that this model is delayed in production and if we need one in this month or the next, we will have to opt for the 12 plate setting model. Apart from capacity, the 13 setting model is supposedly a lot quieter.

Not sure what to do, whether to wait it out or opt for the 12 setting model. Any feedback on the 12 setting machine would be good as well.

I am using Bosch 12 setting model from last 3 years. No problem, it cleans well as long as you don’t overload with odd shaped vessels. I don’t think it is that noisy too, but since we have kept it in our utility area may be we don’t hear the sound much. If you do not have the need for additional space, might as well go with 12 place setting model.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Looking at picking up a semi professional or even a professional baking oven.

Mum had shortlisted this based on her limited research: Morphy Richards 52 RCSS 52-Litre Oven Toaster Grill (Black)

Would folks who do regular baking here please advice me on which is the best model to go for apart from the above? Budget is not a big problem, but we need quality.

I do plan to have a cavity done in a new modular kitchen to stick the OTG into it at a later date - if I get an OTG.

@Aroy, others, please do chime in? I am now veering towards the gas powered range. Any downsides to it? This kind of all inclusive set up is what comes standard in most european homes as well, and they do a hell of a lot of baking and grilling.

If you bake regularly, then in Indian context a gas based oven is the best option. We have been using gas based cooking range with oven for over forty years. The USP of a gas based oven (using gas cylinders) is that you are never worried about electricity or piped gas going off at a critical time. On top of that gas is much cheaper than electricity.

If you want a cooking range, then I suggest that you get the 90cm wide models rather than 60cm wide ones. That gives you a bigger oven - 100L or more rather than 60L ones.

If you do not want the gas burners on the top, then do a search for Industrial/Bakery class gas ovens. They are much cheaper than cooking ranges.

One thing that I have noticed is that the Indian cooking ranges in 20-30K range are good, but their construction and burners suck. So you have to replace them every 10 years. In contrast the foreign brands in the 50-100K range have excellent build and last for decades with proper maintenance. Our BPL-Sanyo was bought in 1999 and replaced last year (just to upgrade).

[hiren.mistry]

Originally Posted by Aroy

If you want a cooking range, then I suggest that you get the 90cm wide models rather than 60cm wide ones. That gives you a bigger oven - 100L or more rather than 60L ones.

If you do not want the gas burners on the top, then do a search for Industrial/Bakery class gas ovens. They are much cheaper than cooking ranges.

One thing that I have noticed is that the Indian cooking ranges in 20-30K range are good, but their construction and burners suck. So you have to replace them every 10 years. In contrast the foreign brands in the 50-100K range have excellent build and last for decades with proper maintenance. Our BPL-Sanyo was bought in 1999 and replaced last year (just to upgrade).

Your post has come at a very opportune time, my wife is keen on getting a cooking range for our new apartment. However, the options are rather limited with only a handful of brands such as Faber, Kaff and Glen. Most of these brands only have 60 cm units.
We have shortlisted this one from Kaff.

Any inputs will be appreciated.

[mazda4life]

Originally Posted by hiren.mistry

We have shortlisted this one from -Kaff[/url].

Any inputs will be appreciated.

Hi, we have a Kaff Hob for our kitchen (modular) and their burners suck big time, be very wary of buying from Kaff. We are searching a replacement to the hob and thinking of going to Faber. For baking we bought a OTG from Croma and sold off the Microwave.
ASS from Kaff is a big scam and none of their technicians know anything about the products.

[hiren.mistry]

Originally Posted by mazda4life

Hi, we have a Kaff Hob for our kitchen (modular) and their burners suck big time, be very wary of buying from Kaff. We are searching a replacement to the hob and thinking of going to Faber. For baking we bought a OTG from Croma and sold off the Microwave.
ASS from Kaff is a big scam and none of their technicians know anything about the products.

Thanks for the feedback, will keep that in mind. I would prefer to buy one from Faber as we have had a good experience with their hob. Sunflame too has a few cooking ranges but they all seem to be out of stock.

Regards,
Hiren

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by mazda4life

Hi, we have a Kaff Hob for our kitchen (modular) and their burners suck big time, be very wary of buying from Kaff. We are searching a replacement to the hob and thinking of going to Faber. For baking we bought a OTG from Croma and sold off the Microwave.
ASS from Kaff is a big scam and none of their technicians know anything about the products.

Our Kaff hob has been fine for more than ten years. We haven't had any trouble with oven or flue either. Their service has been good up to now, but we have not had a proper answer as to why the hob burners intermittently burn with an orange flame.

The Kaff guys sorted out our oven after it had been submerged in flood water. They also cleaned it up after quite a lot oil got spilled into it.

[mazda4life]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

The Kaff guys sorted out our oven after it had been submerged in flood water. They also cleaned it up after quite a lot oil got spilled into it.

Guess we have been unlucky with the model we opted for , but with the service being outsourced to 3rd party suppliers we have not found a right technician who can fix the burner issue. I love the design and the gauge of the material but the burner has been a let down.