3 ms·

We had a Samsung washing machine that failed (leak killed control board, something that isn't uncommon with that model) and we were a few months out of warranty

by prawn 2y ago

We had a Samsung washing machine that failed (leak killed control board, something that isn't uncommon with that model) and we were a few months out of warranty. They said the warranty period wasn't a problem and offered a hefty discount on other Samsung products as well, including a TV we were already considering. Control board got replaced and the machine is back in action. Arguable whether something obvious like a washing machine being able to leak and kill a critical bit of internal hardware is good enough though...

lathiat 2y ago
Prices on repair parts is the issue IMHO. I have a $1000 Samsung Washing machine. Had a similar issue with the control board dying. If I had to replace it myself, that circuit board is a $400 part. Without labour. You can't return it if it doesn't fix the problem. I just cannot see how it can cost $400 to supply a board that is part of a $1,000 washing machine including retailer margin. Once you add in $100-200 to have someone actually fit the part... it's just silly. So the whole thing gets binned. Because for twice the price you get a new everything with 4-5 years warranty. Car spare parts also have this issue. It gets even weirder, every dealer for Mitsubishi Australia sells spare parts for literally 5x the price of the same OEM Mitsubishi part but ordered from Amayama. This held true for a stack of parts I checked from a $0.30 washer to a $120 shift fork to go inside a gearbox. More recently I looked at the ABS Control Module and it was only 2x but that's a $2,000 part. $2,000 OEM from Amayama, $4,000 from a dealer. I get that there is some overhead in warehousing spare parts for years, but still. There is clear profiteering and something needs to be done if we're going to be remotely sustainable long term. Never mind that we've been building modern washing machines and dishwashers for 20+ years and yet every model from every manufacturer uses a different unique part, made from scratch, which managed to make the same mistake 100 other versions of that part have made and fixed causing them to often fail. I'm ranting, oops...
- prawn 2y ago
  I hear you. I looked at fixing the machine myself and we considered just replacing it when we thought the warranty was too far gone, but it seriously irks me to throw out an entire machine. It feels incredibly wasteful. We must shop the same brands. I scratched a rear removable interior panel of a Pajero (fridge rubbing against it for 3,000km of corrugated road) and asked for a replacement price out of interest when I was in for a dealer service. $350 or so for what is a single piece of moulded plastic. Unique to the vehicle, but not otherwise complicated. I like your idea of trying to standardise at least some components across various brands of a product (like is done with USB standards). It shits me that everything is optimised for cost and profit rather than for consumers and the broader environment.
  - userbinator 2y ago
    I've always been wary of import white goods after hearing the horror stories about Samsung's and LG's, and comparing that with my experience with domestic ones where parts are cheap and largely shared across brands; then again, with most of them being owned by Maytag/Whirlpool, it's not like there are many companies either. Incidentally, for car parts, the Big Three had a lot of parts interchangeability at the height of the automotive era, many of which are still available today in the aftermarket, but it seems that for newer models they have also started becoming more closed and proprietary.
    - lathiat 2y ago
      Basically no one makes white goods locally in Australia, so :)
- dunham 2y ago
  I had a failure in a bosch dish washer which probably would have been control board replacement and $$$$ if I had it fixed. But I happened to look up the issue on the internet and learned that it was a common problem - a bad solder connection on a particular pin on a relay on the control board. Re-soldered it, and it has been fine for a couple of years.
  - Scoundreller 2y ago
    This is why it’s a good idea to buy the most common model of anything, or whatever enthusiasts buy. My family has kinda done the same by having a Toyota Corolla and an older bmw 3 series (without the turbo and 4wd thankfully). Also got the base model Bosch dishwasher. At least if you can’t repair it or part it out yourself, there ends up being some efficient network of buyers that can fix it or at least harvest the remaining good parts.
lowlevel 2y ago
At least you didn't have to replace all your hardwood flooring like my neighbour 2 days after his shiny new Samsung washer and dryer were installed.

by prawn 2y ago

lathiat 2y ago

Prices on repair parts is the issue IMHO. I have a $1000 Samsung Washing machine. Had a similar issue with the control board dying. If I had to replace it myself, that circuit board is a $400 part. Without labour. You can't return it if it doesn't fix the problem. I just cannot see how it can cost $400 to supply a board that is part of a $1,000 washing machine including retailer margin. Once you add in $100-200 to have someone actually fit the part... it's just silly. So the whole thing gets binned. Because for twice the price you get a new everything with 4-5 years warranty. Car spare parts also have this issue. It gets even weirder, every dealer for Mitsubishi Australia sells spare parts for literally 5x the price of the same OEM Mitsubishi part but ordered from Amayama. This held true for a stack of parts I checked from a $0.30 washer to a $120 shift fork to go inside a gearbox. More recently I looked at the ABS Control Module and it was only 2x but that's a $2,000 part. $2,000 OEM from Amayama, $4,000 from a dealer. I get that there is some overhead in warehousing spare parts for years, but still. There is clear profiteering and something needs to be done if we're going to be remotely sustainable long term. Never mind that we've been building modern washing machines and dishwashers for 20+ years and yet every model from every manufacturer uses a different unique part, made from scratch, which managed to make the same mistake 100 other versions of that part have made and fixed causing them to often fail. I'm ranting, oops...

prawn 2y ago
I hear you. I looked at fixing the machine myself and we considered just replacing it when we thought the warranty was too far gone, but it seriously irks me to throw out an entire machine. It feels incredibly wasteful. We must shop the same brands. I scratched a rear removable interior panel of a Pajero (fridge rubbing against it for 3,000km of corrugated road) and asked for a replacement price out of interest when I was in for a dealer service. $350 or so for what is a single piece of moulded plastic. Unique to the vehicle, but not otherwise complicated. I like your idea of trying to standardise at least some components across various brands of a product (like is done with USB standards). It shits me that everything is optimised for cost and profit rather than for consumers and the broader environment.
- userbinator 2y ago
  I've always been wary of import white goods after hearing the horror stories about Samsung's and LG's, and comparing that with my experience with domestic ones where parts are cheap and largely shared across brands; then again, with most of them being owned by Maytag/Whirlpool, it's not like there are many companies either. Incidentally, for car parts, the Big Three had a lot of parts interchangeability at the height of the automotive era, many of which are still available today in the aftermarket, but it seems that for newer models they have also started becoming more closed and proprietary.
  - lathiat 2y ago
    Basically no one makes white goods locally in Australia, so :)
dunham 2y ago
I had a failure in a bosch dish washer which probably would have been control board replacement and $$$$ if I had it fixed. But I happened to look up the issue on the internet and learned that it was a common problem - a bad solder connection on a particular pin on a relay on the control board. Re-soldered it, and it has been fine for a couple of years.
- Scoundreller 2y ago
  This is why it’s a good idea to buy the most common model of anything, or whatever enthusiasts buy. My family has kinda done the same by having a Toyota Corolla and an older bmw 3 series (without the turbo and 4wd thankfully). Also got the base model Bosch dishwasher. At least if you can’t repair it or part it out yourself, there ends up being some efficient network of buyers that can fix it or at least harvest the remaining good parts.

lowlevel 2y ago

At least you didn't have to replace all your hardwood flooring like my neighbour 2 days after his shiny new Samsung washer and dryer were installed.