Stress that this was a problem KNOWN to customer service, that you were happy with their product before, but couldn't purchase one again if this is how they do business. Do some research on their website - if they say anything about keeping long-term customers or good customer service or product reliability, quote it back to them in your letter. Make sure to cc the letter to the company president (send one to cust service, one to president) - even if s/he doesn't read it, the cc will get the attention of the customer service department. Good luck!

I suggest you spend your money elsewhere and buy something else. Ultimately, the loss of business is what talks the loudest. No manufacturer will offer you any help on any problem when it occurs outside a warranty period unless a government enforced recall is mandated. Even then, getting service for a recall is usually a joke.]

Save yourself the aggravation and buy something else.

Don't get aggravated, that's the way it works. If there had been a general recall for safety reasons then they hopefully would have notified you, but if this happens to 1 in 2500 then you're out of luck. Some manufacturers might be nice about this but most won't be. From the manufacturer's point of view, if the thing lasts longer than the warranty, then they're happy. Everyone produces crap these days because that's all customers will pay for.

If it is a 1 in 2500 problem for Amana, then it is a 1 in 2500 problem for Maytag, Jenn-air, Kitchenaid, Dacor and Viking. Amana produces the bottom freezer for all of them.

Don't get upset, customer service is use to that and it won't help. Remember they are recording the conversation and when a supervisor reviews it you want to sound very reasonable and rational which might help if they have wiggle room to deal. You'll take any help or partial help they will give. If the part is back ordered it seems like they have this problem a lot. Admit up front it's out of warranty but feel it's still due to a condition which existed (one in 2500) when it was under warranty. If they say no try just getting the part or a discount on the part. Check online and see if you can get the part cheaper and let them know where. If they give you a discount on the part you could put the charges in dispute after receiving the part since by discounting they are sort of admitting they are at fault. Wait till the end to burn this bridge. Also if your first conversation fails, call back and try it all over again. They will review your info they took. What you are hoping for is a sympathetic customer service person having a good day (or one who had a good night) and will have pity on you. Get some personal info going (kids driving you crazy, freezing cold, etc). I usually talk about Hawaii since they know I live here (everyone wants to visit). You want to give them the opportunity to help before you fix it yourself. So once you fix it yourself, then send all the letters of complaint. Sorry for the rambling post. BTW I got KitchenAid to replace (including free installation) a five year old dishwasher that was leaking for free. Good luck.

Every manufacturer knows what parts will likely fail, and when. Some will fail within the warranty period, some will fail shortly after, and others will last for 10 years. Amana warranted the fridge for one year, no problems occurred during that one year, and the part that failed at 18 months happens to 1 out of 2,500 units while the others last for 5 years. So Amana doesn't really *have* to do anything, but they SHOULD.

This is a customer loyalty issue, and they should honor this repair for those 1 out of 2,500 customers who have it. It's just courtesy. Seeing as they refuse to repair it, your only course of action is to make a lot of noise. Write a letter, be very specific about how you will never buy their brand again, will tell your friends to never buy this brand, and also mention that you've outlined your issues on Gardenweb which is routinely visited by thousands of people every day. At the bottom of the letter, copy Consumer Reports, the Better Business Bureau, your local TV station with a consumer reporter, and anyone else you think might be interested in hearing your story.

Send this letter to the head of the department involved, as well as the President and/or CEO. Send it in an overnight letter by FedEx (that usually gets attention), or by certified snail mail w/ return receipt -- both of these tell the company that you are serious. My partner's coworker had no end of problems with a new Apple MacBook he just purchased, and had it "repaired" three times at the local Apple Store, to no avail. He wrote a letter directly to Steve Jobs. Well, a couple of weeks later he got a call from the Apple Store saying they would be happy to replace his laptop with a brand new one. Voila!

It pays to rattle their cages sometimes, and they DO listen -- especially if they see in your letter any hint that may lose future business over this.

Thanks for all the great advise. I will post back when I know more.
Linda

Please update us on your amana fridge. We like to hear the news, both good and bad on warranty issues!

Any updates?

Thats' right don't get upset. No one in that company and many others, cares about your problem.