Scratch and Dent Fridge-o-rama
September 25, 2017 7:32 PM Subscribe
Our fridge is on the fritz. It works 80% of the time but we spend 100% of our time fretting about it. We want to replace it at a reasonable cost. We are frugal folk so we went to the local Scratch and Dent Sears Outlet and found a good-looking fridge. It's the Perfect Unicorn of affordable + freezer on bottom + no water dispenser. We're in love with it but need some guidance. Help us decide if this is the way we want to go.
1. Has anybody bought a Scratch and Dent appliance before? If so, do you have any recommendations for how we should approach the purchase? Do we ask for further discounts, can we ask what happened to the fridge that made it Scratch and Dent (did it get nicked during packaging OR did it fall out of the truck and bounce down the highway for half a mile?)? Would it be weird to ask if we could plug it in to see if the motor runs properly? What kind of warranties have you gotten in this situation?
2. We currently have a crappy side-by-side fridge with a water dispenser in the door. The dog has figured out the water dispenser so we have disconnected it and can't use it or we get a huge puddle on the kitchen floor. I want a bottom-freezer because we don't dig into the freezer much and it would be so nice to have all of the fridge food at eye level. However, a little research indicates that bottom-freezer fridges have more repair issues than top-freezer fridges. I wonder, though, how many of those bottom-freezer repairs are because of the water dispensers in the door? We only saw one that didn't have a water dispenser. Does your bottom-freezer fridge give you trouble? How so?
It is such a Perfect Unicorn for us. It is a Samsung fridge and the status is "Returned/Tested" and "Cosmetic Damage". I do not care about cosmetic damage, if there is a dent I'll put a little Incredible Hulk sticker next to it. It listed at $2000 (holy CRAP) but is selling for $899. I welcome your fridge anecdata as well as advice about buying from the Scratch and Dent store.
1. Has anybody bought a Scratch and Dent appliance before? If so, do you have any recommendations for how we should approach the purchase? Do we ask for further discounts, can we ask what happened to the fridge that made it Scratch and Dent (did it get nicked during packaging OR did it fall out of the truck and bounce down the highway for half a mile?)? Would it be weird to ask if we could plug it in to see if the motor runs properly? What kind of warranties have you gotten in this situation?
2. We currently have a crappy side-by-side fridge with a water dispenser in the door. The dog has figured out the water dispenser so we have disconnected it and can't use it or we get a huge puddle on the kitchen floor. I want a bottom-freezer because we don't dig into the freezer much and it would be so nice to have all of the fridge food at eye level. However, a little research indicates that bottom-freezer fridges have more repair issues than top-freezer fridges. I wonder, though, how many of those bottom-freezer repairs are because of the water dispensers in the door? We only saw one that didn't have a water dispenser. Does your bottom-freezer fridge give you trouble? How so?
It is such a Perfect Unicorn for us. It is a Samsung fridge and the status is "Returned/Tested" and "Cosmetic Damage". I do not care about cosmetic damage, if there is a dent I'll put a little Incredible Hulk sticker next to it. It listed at $2000 (holy CRAP) but is selling for $899. I welcome your fridge anecdata as well as advice about buying from the Scratch and Dent store.
I bought mine from a sears outlet. I absolutely do not regret purchasing it. It had a dent on the side, which was invisible when in place. We were able to get a good brand at 75% off and it worked perfectly.
posted by munchingzombie at 7:53 PM on September 25, 2017
posted by munchingzombie at 7:53 PM on September 25, 2017
USA. We bought a Samsung bottom freezer that was scratched and dented. Half price, full warranty. Only repairs needed were to the ice maker in the bottom freezer (which we rarely used even when it worked) and the bottom freezer gasket because we filled it too full.
posted by infinitewindow at 8:25 PM on September 25, 2017
posted by infinitewindow at 8:25 PM on September 25, 2017
I've heard that 90% of the scratches happen during installation, and the buyers send it back for another. I have a dishwasher from the Denver Sears outlet and it has been reliable for eight years now. Saw plenty of fridges there too. I think Consumer Report has really detailed survey results, relating to models, try your local library for that issue.
Be sure to see what sort of warranty comes with the fridge. Even a lemons can have scratches and dents.
posted by nickggully at 8:38 PM on September 25, 2017
Be sure to see what sort of warranty comes with the fridge. Even a lemons can have scratches and dents.
posted by nickggully at 8:38 PM on September 25, 2017
We bought a fridge from Sears Outlet. It came with a 1 year warranty. You can also buy an additional warranty if you want. The website normally has a link to photos and a description of the defect. Ours had cosmetic damage but the dent doesn't show. It has a stainless steel finish which was damaged by what looks like improper cleaning. No big deal to us.
Our fridge works well. We did have trouble when we switched the door handle so the door would open on the opposite side. The freezer door gasket had "memory" so it had an air leak when the handle was switched. Lots of ice and frost in the freezer. Sears sent out repair people and the problem was eventually fixed.
We liked the deal so much that we bought a washing machine from the outlet as well.
If you are going to pick up the fridge yourself you might want to bring some material to cushion the unit during transportation. It does not come in a box!
posted by goodsearch at 8:47 PM on September 25, 2017
Our fridge works well. We did have trouble when we switched the door handle so the door would open on the opposite side. The freezer door gasket had "memory" so it had an air leak when the handle was switched. Lots of ice and frost in the freezer. Sears sent out repair people and the problem was eventually fixed.
We liked the deal so much that we bought a washing machine from the outlet as well.
If you are going to pick up the fridge yourself you might want to bring some material to cushion the unit during transportation. It does not come in a box!
posted by goodsearch at 8:47 PM on September 25, 2017
We bought a dented fridge (small cosmetic dent on the side, not noticeable once installed) from Lowe's more than 10 years ago. It's either a GE or a Whirlpool (one is the fridge and the other is the dishwasher); no issues whatsoever. In fact hubby is looking to replace it strictly for cosmetic reasons and I've been holding out because it literally works perfectly.
Keep in mind that the warranty for new appliances these days is one year. The days of the ten year (free) warranties are long gone. This is what has kept me from replacing my stand-alone freezer.
posted by vignettist at 10:39 PM on September 25, 2017
Keep in mind that the warranty for new appliances these days is one year. The days of the ten year (free) warranties are long gone. This is what has kept me from replacing my stand-alone freezer.
posted by vignettist at 10:39 PM on September 25, 2017
We have a bottom-freezer fridge that we would never have been able to afford had it not had a bit of cosmetic damage. So I didn't get TOO sad when we dinged it further trying to get it situated in our kitchen. : /
If a warrantee is present, I say go for it. We have never regretted our slightly imperfect fridge.
posted by thebrokedown at 3:06 AM on September 26, 2017
If a warrantee is present, I say go for it. We have never regretted our slightly imperfect fridge.
posted by thebrokedown at 3:06 AM on September 26, 2017
To check the general worthiness of this fridge (scratched or not), I'd advise checking online reviews for this specific model at Sears.com. Definitely you can ask to have it plugged in to see if it works. My experience is that Sears is honest about the cause of scratch and dents.
posted by j810c at 7:17 AM on September 26, 2017
posted by j810c at 7:17 AM on September 26, 2017
We bought a fridge exactly like the one you're describing at an ApplianceSmart store several years ago. We looked over every inch of it for ages and STILL couldn't find the cosmetic damage until a salesman pointed out the very tiny dent on the top of the door. It worked like a charm, needed no servicing whatsoever, and was covered by the store's usual warranties and such. We had to leave it behind when we moved houses three years ago and I miss it every day.
posted by anderjen at 8:03 AM on September 26, 2017
posted by anderjen at 8:03 AM on September 26, 2017
We bought our microwave from the scratch and dent selection. It was then damaged further on delivery. The company did not hassle us about returning it when it was more scratched and dented than advertised. I would not hesitate to buy scratch and dent again.
We also recently bought a new fridge, freezer on bottom. We used Consumer Reports to pick an energy efficient model that was tested for durability. We're happy with it - zero problems.
posted by latkes at 8:04 AM on September 26, 2017
We also recently bought a new fridge, freezer on bottom. We used Consumer Reports to pick an energy efficient model that was tested for durability. We're happy with it - zero problems.
posted by latkes at 8:04 AM on September 26, 2017
We have had a freezer-on-the-bottom and french doors with no water dispenser for 10 years. But we are on our second version of it (bought ~2 years ago). The first one was great, but the fan motor went out after 5 years. The fridge repair guy fixed it for ~$100, it lasted for three years and the motor went out again, and the fridge repair guy said he had already done the best repair he could do, and replacing the motor would be $400-$500, so we bought a new fridge instead, of the same type (freezer on the bottom and french doors on top), because it is just so darn convenient and you can pile bags of frozen stuff in the bottom without it falling on your toes.
I am still happy with our purchases, even with the repairs, because the style of fridge is just very convenient for us. I think they've fixed some of the fan motor issues in newer models because it was a known issue the first go-around 10 years ago. (Or that's what the fridge repairman told us.)
Five years ago we bought a dented drier and mismatched washer and have had no issues with either of them, and that includes daily washing of cloth diapers for over 2 years. Ask the seller what kind of warranty they'll give you on them and if it still qualifies for the manufacturer's warranty (I think it still does). I think you're going to get a good deal!
posted by jillithd at 8:14 AM on September 26, 2017
I am still happy with our purchases, even with the repairs, because the style of fridge is just very convenient for us. I think they've fixed some of the fan motor issues in newer models because it was a known issue the first go-around 10 years ago. (Or that's what the fridge repairman told us.)
Five years ago we bought a dented drier and mismatched washer and have had no issues with either of them, and that includes daily washing of cloth diapers for over 2 years. Ask the seller what kind of warranty they'll give you on them and if it still qualifies for the manufacturer's warranty (I think it still does). I think you're going to get a good deal!
posted by jillithd at 8:14 AM on September 26, 2017
I don't have a scratch-and-dent story, but we do have a freezer on bottom and I love it. We did have a problem with the ice maker once, but it was fixed easily.
posted by freezer cake at 9:09 AM on September 26, 2017
posted by freezer cake at 9:09 AM on September 26, 2017
We got 50% off on a Kitchenaid floor model from Lowes (Canada) a month ago. It came with a 1 year store warranty stacked on the manufacturer's 1 year warranty, for a total of 2 years. Freezer on bottom = utterly marvellous, having the fridge shelves at eye level is a delight. I got the in-freezer icemaker that I'd wanted, plus a filtered cold water spout on the inside wall of the fridge... which Himself didn't really see the point of, but now that we have it he uses it all the time. Maybe for most folks it would just be a gimmicky thing, but having an endless supply of cold fridge water with no effort on my part is pretty great. I wasn't willing to sacrifice the door space to have a cold water/ice dispenser in the door, but having the ice unit in the freezer and the water spout inside on the fridge wall - I gotta tell ya, I'm really loving it.
Great point made upthread on bringing your own moving/padding material - you gotta take a bit of extra care moving it without a box.
posted by Mary Ellen Carter at 5:35 AM on September 27, 2017
Great point made upthread on bringing your own moving/padding material - you gotta take a bit of extra care moving it without a box.
posted by Mary Ellen Carter at 5:35 AM on September 27, 2017
Response by poster: Update: we went back to buy our Perfect Unicorn of a fridge - thanks in part to your sage advice, here - but when they plugged it in to test the motor, it wouldn't turn on!! Obvs we did not bring it home with us.
We are going to continue our Scratch and Dent search, despite both feeling a bit less confident since our first choice did not work out.
posted by Elly Vortex at 7:06 AM on September 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
We are going to continue our Scratch and Dent search, despite both feeling a bit less confident since our first choice did not work out.
posted by Elly Vortex at 7:06 AM on September 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Final update: we went to the other Sears Outlet in town and found Perfect Unicorn of a Fridge...the black version. Although I wasn't keen on black appliances (all the rest of ours are white) it was too good a deal to pass up. Right now it is purring away in the kitchen, cooling and freezing our food like a champ. A bit of a bruised up champ, but a champ nonetheless.
posted by Elly Vortex at 7:00 PM on October 4, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by Elly Vortex at 7:00 PM on October 4, 2017 [3 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
I think I offered them $50 less than the ticketed price, and they took it. I'd definitely ask why it's in 'scratch and dent', and they will tell you. It's generally something like an ex-display model, damaged packaging (!) or a small scratch or ding that you have to hunt for. I'm in Australia, and here you're covered by your normal statutory consumer rights, but YMMV. I felt no qualms in that regard at all.
My fridge has given me literally zero trouble. Runs like a charm, never been serviced or repaired.
I love it, 10/10 would buy again. In fact, I also bought my washer from the same place (ex-display model) and have had no problems.
Frankly, given your final paragraph, I think you'd be nuts ^not^ to buy it. :)
posted by Salamander at 7:49 PM on September 25, 2017 [1 favorite]