Laura Lowry’s Sollevare wine cooler doesn’t work, and neither does the replacement. Who does she talk to about a refund?
Question
Last year, I bought a Sollevare wine cooler from Lowe’s that was supposed to have a reversible door. It was one of the main reasons I bought this particular unit. The cooler I received had no means of reversing the door. We finally got a hold of customer service at Sollevare, who then shipped us out the correct door.
Within three months of the purchase, the unit started losing temperature and shutting off. I contacted customer service again and I was able to get a new unit sent to me with the assurance that a new reversible door would be shipped separately.
The door never showed, so I contacted customer service again. What I did notice was the new unit sent to me was different from the original. It appeared to be an updated model. I let customer service know that the unit was the same model but appeared to be updated. I wanted to make sure the correct reversible door showed up at my doorstep.
Well, the old model door showed up. I contacted customer service again. A representative told me there was a backorder and it would take about three months.
During this time, the new model started to get ice buildup in the rear of the unit. I contacted customer service again and a representative told me the only thing they could do was send another replacement.
Now I have two units that have crapped out. My confidence level has dropped and I still don’t have the reversible door for the most recent unit.
I’d like a refund. Sollevare tells me if I purchased through a retailer I would have to get the refund from it. Lowe’s, of course, says it’s too late and I have to deal with the manufacturer. This has been going on for close to a year. I have been unable to locate the names of anyone in upper management.
I want my money back. Can you help? — Laura Lowry, Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Answer
It looks like you bought the wrong wine cooler. And at first I thought that was strange. Sollevare’s wine coolers get high marks (four stars and above) on the Lowe’s site. But pay attention to the number of reviews. There are only a few reviews, perhaps published by Sollevare employees or their friends. Who knows? But there aren’t enough reviews to be a reliable source of information.
Maybe you should have taken this up with Lowe’s as soon as it became a problem, just to keep them in the loop. Lowe’s might have found a way to replace the faulty cooler or repair it. I publish the names, numbers and email addresses of the Lowe’s customer service managers on this site.
I also have a guide to getting an appliance repaired, replaced or returned. You’ll find that helpful if you ever run into trouble with Lowe’s again (which I hope you don’t).
We’ve had several Lowe’s cases recently. The company does not seem to like consumer advocates getting involved in customer disputes. When has that ever stopped me?
I contacted Lowe’s on your behalf. The company didn’t respond (big surprise), so I contacted it again. And again, no response. Finally, you contacted the California Attorney General’s Office, which reached out to Sollevare. The company apologized to you and issued a full refund.
