Don't tread on me

The saga of the washing machine continues. At this point, I think it should have its own CNN ticker or RSS feeds so people can periodically check in and see if our washer is working. Here is a timeline for someone wandering to the site, so you can appreciate the full pain of this nightmare.

June 8, 2006
Move into the house (find out there is no air conditioning but that is another post altogether)

June 11, 2006 (or thereabouts)
Try to do a load of laundry. Get weird F/DL error when doing laundry. Clothes actually get trapped in the washer. Research on internet reveals that this is the door lock error and is super common on stupid whirlpool duet machines.

June 13, 2006
Dig through bucket of paper left by home owners to find the warranty information. Have to contact maytag dependability to set up appointment. Call them and pretend to be the wife of the guy we're renting the house from. Feel awkward and a little dirty. They will call the local repair company, who will then contact me to setup an appointment.

June 14-19, 2006
No call

June 20, 2006
Someone calls to confirm my appointment for the following day. Explain that I was never contacted to setup the appointment, and so, I will have to reschedule. The next appointment they have is 10 days out.

June 30, 2006
Repairman shows up to fix the washer. He tells me "there are only two things that cause this error. One is the actual door lock and the other is electrical." The door lock isn't broken. He has to order the part for the electrical problem.

July 2, 2006
The door lock actually gets broken with brute application of force.

July 3-10, 2006
No contact.

July 11, 2006
I call the appliance people to find out what the f-ing deal is. They tell me that the Maytag has refused to allow the part to be ordered. I ask why, and they tell me they don't know. I have to call Maytag.

Maytag tells me that the serial number and model number are wrong. I start to lose my mind.

July 14, 2006
I fax in the certificates and receipts I have on file. Maytag has to research this.

July 17, 2006
Maytag calls me back and says they can't change the serial number. I will have to contact the original reseller to have this updated.

July 18-24, 2006
I play phone tag with the man in charge of Maytag paperwork at Appliance Factory Outlet.

July 25, 2006
I get a hold of the elusive AFO guy and get the paper work faxed over.

July 26, 2006
He calls me back to say that the account has been updated and the part ordered. He tells me that dispatch will be in touch to set up an appointment.

August 1, 2006
Dispatch calls to confirm my appointment. Again, I haven't ever set up an appointment. I can, however, keep this appointment.

August 4, 2006
The washing machine is fixed.

March 14, 2007
We start to get the error messages on the washing machine again. For a while, a well timed smack to the top of the machine is what is necessary to get it started.

March 15-April 2, 2007
Laundry takes days and days to complete. I honestly start thinking about buying a washboard or gun.

April 3, 2007
I have a washing machine related meltdown

April 4, 2007
I call Maytag to set up a service call after sending my fax (if you read the link above, you would find out that somehow the purchase price of the washer got entered in as $8 and I had to send in proof of purchase price.)

They confirm receipt of the fax and say they will contact AOF.

April 7, 2007
AOF calls to set up an appointment. They don't have anything until Friday April 20th.

April 8-19, 2007
Washing machine becomes bi-polar. Works sometimes and then abruptly stops. Refuses to open for 45 minutes and then finally unlocks.

April 20, 2007
The technician, Hector calls at 9:15 AM to inform me he will be there before 10 AM.

12:00 PM Hector has still not arrived.

1:00 PM I call the dispatch number to check on Hector and see if he is maybe dead or something. He(dispatch guy never gives me his name) tells me that Hector is on his way.

2:00 PM Hector has still not arrived.

2:15 PM Hector calls me to tell me his is on his way.

2:30 PM Hector calls me to get directions to my house.

2:50 PM Hector calls again to get directions. Have to actually talk him to my house.

3:30 PM My dad calls to confirm that he arrived and is working.

4:15 PM My dad calls back to tell me that the tech said he had to order a part and was going to call to see if they had it at the warehouse. Hector then got into his truck and drove away.

4:20 PM I call dispatch to find out what the hell happened, but they are closed for the day.

April 23, 2007
I call the dispatch to find out what happened to Hector and when I can expect something to happen. Lady tells me that the part is on order.

10:30 AM Dispatch calls back to schedule appointment for installation of new part- date confirmed Saturday April 28, 2007.

How much longer can this go on?