A Wilmington, Massachusetts, woman wasn’t happy to find water damage in her basement shortly after she had a new dishwasher installed. She spent months trying to get reimbursed for the repairs before calling our NBC10 Boston responds team for help.
Yolanda Girouard says when her dishwasher broke last spring, she bought a new one at Lowe’s. And she got free delivery and installation with the purchase.
“It worked fine, I had no issues,” Girouard said.
But a couple of weeks later, there was a problem.
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“I was recovering from a broken ankle and I didn't get to go down to my basement room,” she explained. “It was about two weeks after the install, I went down there to do a workout that I thought I could try to do at least, and that's when I noticed the damage.”
She said the ceiling tiles and insulation in the basement below the kitchen were wet.
“I called my plumber and he came down and he looked and inspected the pipe,” Girouard said. “He says it's not the pipe. ...and then he asked me if I had a new install and I told him about the dishwasher. And within five minutes, he spotted a significant leak and it was traveling along that pipe and dripping down.”
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The plumber took a video of water coming from a torn hose at the back of the dishwasher under the kitchen cabinets.
Girouard said she contacted Lowe’s and the installation company in an effort to get reimbursed for the cost of the plumber and to get the ceiling replaced.
“I must have talked to, no exaggeration, 12 people,” said Girouard. “Had to keep resubmitting all the information, the pictures. I was on hold, oh, we don't do that, you have to talk to so-and-so, but four months back and forth and back and forth.”
She said she eventually filed a claim with the installation company, but they denied it, saying their review found that “the tear on the connection appears to have been caused by someone having pulled on it.”
Girouard said that was when she realized she was getting nowhere.
“Why should I have to pay for somebody else's bad install?” she asked. “It shouldn't come out of my pocket. I'm a retiree, I don't have a lot of money.”
She contacted NBC10 Boston Responds for help in September.
“Within a day or so, you know, I was communicating with one of your team members,” said Girouard. “ I said, well, this is the way it should be, you know, not being tossed around like a sack of potatoes for months.”
We contacted Lowe’s and someone from the company’s claims department reached out to Girouard, approving payment of $1,900 for the plumber and the installation of a new ceiling, which was finally completed last month.
And they gave her a $200 gift card.
A Lowe’s spokesperson tells us :
"The satisfaction of our customers is our top priority. Lowe's customer relations worked directly with Ms. Girouard to address her concerns, and we are pleased that the issue has been resolved to her satisfaction."
“It took you and your team. You have the clout. I didn't, apparently,” said Girouard. “And, you did whatever you did and you got the job done, and I'm eternally grateful.”
“If I ever have a problem, or if any friends do, I will let them know who to call. Absolutely!”
If you have a consumer problem, contact NBC10 Boston Responds by filling out our online consumer complaint form.
