Appliance Direct Website promised $50 installation but was charged $95 Central, Florida

30th of Jan, 2013 by User114645

Their website promises to deliver, install, and remove old dishwasher for $50.
This is mentioned on TV and website as "$50 dishwasher is done". There are no disclaimers anywhere on the website that additional charges will apply if an extra hose or fitting is needed. I did indeed order a special fitting for $10 at the time I placed the order because the website DID say that it would be needed. I also talked to the Altamonte store to inquire if that was the only special part needed and was told I needed nothing else. Chose Appliance Direct over Home Depot because it seemed they were making the delivery/installation easy and headache-free. 1. Buy Dishwasher 2. Pay $50 and everything is done. What's not to like? So I ordered it using my VISA. Arrange for wife to be home that day to accept delivery. Where I work, I have extremely limited time to use a phone. When I called the house on my first work break, my wife said the delivery man called, said they were loading the dishwasher on the truck. He also told her that there was a slim chance that there would be up to an extra $35 fee for the install. This made me very angry as this was not what the website promised. Because everything was already set up, and I knew we would have to go through the process of going through a refund process, ordering the dishwasher again from another vendor, and would have to arrange for my wife to be home again on another day, I begrudgingly agreed to pay up to $35 dollars more. As it turned out, the installer charged $45 dollars above the promised "$50 dishwasher is done". That was the straw that broke the camel's back. The installer further went on to tell my wife that he was surprised we did not fill out the form that permitted them to charge more for installation when we were at the store, and had her sign it at that time. She explained that we did not shop at the store - we ordered through the website where there is absolutely no mention of anything about possible extra fees. I feel Appliance Direct is deliberatly not telling people about extra fees on their website, knowing that once arrangements are made, most people will feel forced to pay the extra amount. They lure you in, you make the arrangements to receive the product, then they change the rules. My perception was (and I'll bet most of the public's perception) that Appliance Direct offering the $50 delivery/install almost like a loss-leader. Yes, some people might need an extra hose - most will not. Instead of nickel-and-dime'ing everyone, they are selling high volume by taking the hassle out of the delivery and install process.
Apparently, the reality is that this is almost a bait-and-switch type of deal. It is deceptive and fraudulent, and I wonder how many have been preyed upon this way.

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