Saving on the Big Ticket Items - Washer and Dryer

I must admit I've been putting this post off for a while.  In fact I almost had myself convinced that I shouldn't write this post.  After all I didn't really buy them, well ok I did buy them.  I just didn't have to pay for them.  They were a house warming gift from my parents.  I had originally planned to buy the washer and dryer at a local second hand appliance store in order to stretch my limited budget.  So, when my parents told me that they were paying for them we simply went along with my pre-made plans.

We picked out what appeared to be the nicest washer and dryer set at the store.  They were a set of Kenmore's that looked almost new.  I estimate that new they would have costed $1,300 after taxes, this set I got for $620 after taxes.  More then half price off didn't sound too bad, unfortunately the washer did sound bad.

When I ran the washer it gave off this not too comforting clunking sound.  Of course there is only one company who is able to repair Kenmore appliances and the second hand shop had a less then stellar repair policy.  I took me $73.44 for a 20 min appointment which basically consisted of the repair man telling me that it was going to cost me an additional $340 to get a washer that worked properly.

I didn't have much of a choice, the only place I would find a washer for $340 would be the second hand store where I bought the broken washer to begin with.  I preferred to take my chances with the repair man (who's company guaranteed the repair for a year).

So I paid up and got it fixed.  The final cost of the washer and dryer set? $1,033.44 a total savings of $266.56,  Was it worth the heart ache?  It's a bit of a tough call.  I wouldn't buy appliances from that second hand store again, simply because I do not like the way that I was treated.  Likely in the future I would only buy major appliances second hand if I new the person selling.  There is a lot of trust that goes into a purchase like that and there is simply no way to test it out in the store.

That said I don't regret my purchase.  (You will probably notice I don't spend all that much time with regrets, I prefer to learn and move on.)  While the total cost of the appliances was not all that much less then one would have paid for the same set new there was one major benefit.  Because I (unlike the previous owner to obviously dumped the broken set and ran out and bought a new set) took the time and the money to repair the washer that is one less washer in the dump.  It may seem silly, but I am a strong believer in the big R's (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair), and I am always looking for ways to make the Lorax proud.

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It's not.   - Dr. Seuss, The Lorax