Washing machine repair scams
Recently, the number of companies offering home appliance repair has increased dramatically. Most of them are scammers, committing outright scams when repairing washing machines. You won't get any help from them—only wasted money and time.
Fraudsters primarily target the elderly, but often others fall into their trap as well. To protect yourself and your loved ones, you should understand these scams and learn to recognize the perpetrators.
How does a "divorce" happen?
It's easy to deceive the owner of a washing machineThose in the know rarely resort to repair services, and housewives and elderly people uninitiated in the intricacies of repair find it difficult to assess the situation clearly. This is especially true when it's not individual scammers or local firms operating, but entire national networks with offices in many cities across the country. The latter have a clear and well-oiled "operating strategy" that brings in millions for the criminals. These "national" companies operate according to the same scheme:
- in a large city, St. Petersburg, Ufa, Kazan, a company is organized (premises are rented for an office, a staff of operators is hired for a functioning call center);
- job postings are placed in local media (the sample text looks like this: “We are looking for a washing machine repair technician, no experience required, communication skills are essential, training is free”);
- Approved repair technician candidates are sent for professional training (they are quickly taught how to disassemble and assemble a washing machine, given a superficial knowledge of the design of a washing machine, and are taught psychological sales techniques);
- the company's services are actively advertised (prices are lowered, creating the illusion of benefits);
- The technician who arrives at the call "repairs" the equipment, inflating the price for the services and not worrying about the quality of the work performed.
The main requirement at such a company isn't to repair the washing machine, but to rip off the customer for a large sum. Therefore, "technicians" are trained more in psychology than in technical aspects. So, instead of simply cleaning the dust filter, the technician who comes to your home insists on a more expensive procedure like replacing the pump or motor. As a result, the machine owner ends up paying not $5-$8, but several dozen.
Fraudulent washing machine service companies attract customers with excessively low prices and free diagnostics.
They lure customers with low prices. This is all done to get the washing machine owner to agree to a technician's home visit. Then the psychological "brainwashing" begins: the service technician skillfully "brains-pulling," the price skyrockets, and the appliance is often left unfixed.
Call center operators often promise free diagnostics. But in reality, you have to pay for them, even if you decide not to use the service. The trick is that the offered service is free only if the machine's integrity is maintained. A technician who arrives on-site will immediately remove the front or rear panel of the machine, which is effectively considered disassembly. Accordingly, the bill will range from $5 to $15.
There are many such fraudulent tactics, all of which are outlined in special instructions. Company management also sets minimum fees for each visit. The minimum often starts at $30–$40. If the scammer fails to get the client to pay the specified fee, the company terminates its partnership with them and stops fulfilling orders.
Often, the deception lies in the selection of components. Typically, inexpensive parts skyrocket in price, which increases repair costs severalfold. Service technicians explain the high cost of spare parts with the following arguments:
- high quality (although the components are purchased in a regular store, where the owner of the washing machine can buy them at a much lower price);
- a long-term replacement guarantee (this is a lie, since after a while there will be no one to file a claim against - the client will be blacklisted or the company will be "closed").
Fraudsters will constantly claim to be part of a "federal" network of services, which will in fact be a lie. The company is not officially registered, the name is fictitious, and the real address of the head office remains unknown. True, the repairman often names the street where the building is located for reference, usually in the city center. But finding the office on the spot is impossible—it simply doesn't exist.
It's important to understand that such a company consists of, at most, two or three technicians in the entire city. They take requests from a call center, visit homes, and extort money. That's the whole business—high profits and minimal costs.
How to recognize a scam?
If you don't want to pay exorbitant prices for a poor-quality repair, you should carefully select a service center. It's easy to spot scammers; you just need to pay attention to a few things. For example, when searching for a repairman, it's recommended to follow certain guidelines.
- Try to figure out the problem yourself. This isn't about disassembling the machine and fixing the problem. If you're inexperienced, it's better to rely on theory: Google the symptoms of the problem, identify possible causes, and check online parts prices and replacement rates. If the repairman you call significantly inflates the price or insists on replacing the motor if there's a drainage issue, they're a scammer.
- Check the company's name and phone number online. Those who have been defrauded often leave negative reviews on forums and social media.
- Clarify when a free diagnostic is no longer considered free. If the operator claims the initial inspection is "free," don't pay.
- Never leave anyone alone with the washing machine. Supervise all operations.
When replacing parts, the technician must present receipts from the store for the purchased components.
- Analyze the repairman's quote. After diagnostics, the service technician will tell you the cause of the breakdown and the approximate cost of repair. Memorize these details, go to another room under any pretext, and call several competing companies. If other specialists charge only $15–$20 for replacing the pump instead of $60, then they are trying to deceive you.
- Warn them right away that they'll need receipts for the parts purchased. The scammers will begin to prevaricate, claiming that receipts are impossible to provide, that they don't buy anything, and that the components are delivered from a warehouse. Naturally, there's no wholesale purchase. It's just that it will be difficult for the scammer to present the invoice if the actual cost of the parts differs from their estimate.
- Ask for documentation confirming the repair, including a list of the work, a blue seal, and the warranty period.
Don't trust strangers with expensive equipment—everything needs to be supervised and checked. It's best not to hand over money without verifying the quality of the work performed. Ideally, use only technicians recommended by close friends and acquaintances.
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Unfortunately, there are plenty of scammers of all kinds in all areas of our lives. However, I wouldn't rush to slander people outright. We're full of garage "Uncle Vanyas" who repair everything for pennies, so much so that repairmen are forced to redo their work for exorbitant prices. Often, these repairmen aren't that far removed from the garage "Uncle Vanyas," but they work honestly and do everything well. However, they aren't part of major service centers; they work in their own name, at their own risk, and on their own good name.
And personally, I don't feel sorry for those clients who, from day one, don't read the instructions and do everything they can to ensure their equipment breaks down as soon as possible. If I can penalize them financially for this, I don't hesitate, but I always provide instructions on how not to handle the equipment.
Yeah, I never thought something like that could happen. Such brazenness. I fell for that scam, and now I have no money, no car—it's broken. And they're not afraid to go door to door and do that, what bastards.
Don't remain silent, complain where appropriate. Impunity breeds crime.
Write me a private message so that such masters can be punished.
I got caught too. God will punish them.
I agree with every word of this article. I also fell for it. My washing machine broke, and we were looking for a repairman online. The first ads were a complete scam. Until I found the phone number for the dealership, and they provided the phone numbers for authorized service centers.
I fell for these scammers. The manager quoted the city average for the repairs and promised a full package of documents (contract, reports, receipts), which suited me. Ultimately, after the work was completed, they quoted me 2.5 times more, and no official documents were issued. Ultimately, the police were called, and I only paid the amount agreed upon with the manager (the police said I didn't have to pay anything at all).
What's the scam? The mechanic spends the entire day coming to your place, performing diagnostics, selecting parts, and then spending a long time fiddling with a (to put it mildly) unclean washing machine, often on a dirty floor? He then goes to pick up the part, buys it, comes back, installs it, and tests it. All of this takes at least four hours, plus he has to pay 60-50% to the company. So, he should make $15 minus 60%. Total: $9 for replacing the pump. Serfdom has been abolished, hello.
One of those guys came in today. He ran a diagnostic and demanded $53. He said, "I spent a long time messing around, taking it apart." I had to explain who was who.
Before such a technician approaches your machine, discuss all the terms and conditions. What is a free call? And what is a fake call that charges $20? If the technician doesn't tell you how much the repair will cost, you're dealing with a scammer. They'll pretend they need to check the problem first, start disassembling the machine, and then increase the price as they do so. When you realize it's time to stop, it's called a fake call. That is, the technician will take your $20 and do nothing.
We need to catch them one by one and punish them.