I agree with you about it being expensive to sue. At this point, since you seem to have found a reputable repair company - it is probably in your best interest to hire them on your own and fix the range. At that point you could sue in small claims court for the cost of the repair without having to hire an attorney. As you've pointed out, you have a $5000 piece of iron sitting in your kitchen that you can't afford to replace. I'd suggest you get it fixed properly, even if you can't recover the cost of the repair, and move on.

Ok, I was not thinking lawyers. My state, like many, has a $5000 cap on small claims. Until I just looked it up I did not know MA has about the lowest cap out there, at $2000.

Susan,

I am very surprised at your problem. Are you obtaining service through Blue Star or the distributor? I have had a six burner Blue Star cooktop with a griddle for three years and have been extremely pleased. Early on I did need service and it was done quickly and well. If you e-mail me privately, I may have a suggestion. Email at hoya68 at comcast.net

I haven't been checking in as often as I once did and now I'm sorry to learn that your Bluestar and Eurostove issue hasn't been resolved. I was going to suggest that you sprinkle Holy Water on your Bluestar but I guess Weissman's suggestion seems more logical. Good luck.

Bluestar and Eurostoves have zero to do with service under your extended warranty. Your manufacturer's warranty has EXPIRED. You have no claim on either the manufacturer or retailer for service under the original warranty. The correct target for your issues is GE. THEY are the ones who set up the service calls and authorize work under the extended warranty.

Both Bluestar and Eurostoves have promised extended warranties and not lived up to those promises. In addition, a laundry list of issues were reported, and unresolved, long before even the basic warranty expired. Almost every state has consumer protection statutes that prevent companies from letting warranties expire without completed repairs--otherwise they would do what Bluestar is trying to: stall until a product is beyond the warranty period.

- Susan W.

Back again I see to try and pubically badger Bluestar in buying back your stove. Can't you see that tactic isn't going to work.

If you feel you have a case (and personally from all I have read about your story, I doubt you do) then pursue it legally. But you will continue to get no where by trying to blackmail them into action by continuing to make negative posts about them

I think any of us would be totally frustrated with a purchase of a $5K range that didn't work, especially if we also had an extended warranty and would pursue every avenue to get service or replacement. Personally, I don't see Susan as trying to blackmail Bluestar or Eurostoves. Perhaps she will pursue legal action against them. But I think it is a shame that not only have they not stood by their product, nor done much to help Susan, they have chosen to publicly demean her in the process. What a different story this would have been had they done like so many manufacturers and simply taken care of their customer.

I think it is important to hear Susan's stories no matter how often :). When I looked at BS, I quickly noticed that the level of quality in manufacturing is below that of other ranges. My wife noticed too. Still, I was impressed with the specs and kept trying to convince my wife to go with it instead of Wolf. But seeing Susan's problems, made it hard to override my wife. It is one thing to be surprised by these issues after purchase. It is completely another matter to know about then, override your wife's concerns, and then face them!

I suspect Susan is a very insistent person. And I suspect there is no love left for her at the companies she has dealt with. If I were them though, I would swallow my feelings and make her whole. That is the way you do business especially when you are a small player in this space compared to big brands.

At the last home show here, I talked to the local store that had just started to carry BS. I asked why they took it on, and he said it was mostly due to "positive response on forums." I suspect a lot of BS sales comes from the positive data here regarding their performance. As such, I think it is *critical* that BS deals with this issue and head on. It will be the best $5K they will ever spend!

You don't think it might be too late now?

Like amirm, my DH and I decided against a Bluestar despite it's amazing burners, due to problems reported by Susan and other's in getting prompt and quality service and repair. If you read Susan's posts and look at her incredible kitchen, you can see she did much research and bought expensive and high quality appliances.

We are all on these forums because we are remodeling our kitchens. I cannot imagine after spending all this money and time on this project, to have to fight with a manufacturer to get a major appliance working! My kitchen will be installed beginning next week, and I have purchased extended warranties on all my appliances. I have no intention of having to go out and buy another range in the next several years because the manufacturer won't fix their product and I don't think Susan should have to either.

It is not too late for Bluestar to make this right and I agree with amirm, it will be the best $5K they ever spend. Check out Susan's post about her experience with her 2000 Ford Explorer. Bluestar could be the reading posts like that if they would only take care of their customer.

Suans Problems - Every appliance she bought was not to her standards and a problem, The Jade Refrigerator, The miele Steam Oven, the Bosch wall oven the contractor, the installer and yes the Bluestar which she has a service contract for three years with GE or did she fail to mention that, did she fail to mention that one of the service calls was to correct her installation, another to show her how to use the broiler her problem is she has no conception of what truth is

I can't see how BS would have any liability after the original warranty expired. We have an extended warranty on our F&P appliances, so the responsible party for repairs is now GE, not F&P - which they kindly told us the last time I called them, not realizing our service contract had shifted to a new party.

I recommended to my nephew, who is a rabid cook, that he buy the Bluestar. He bought the RCS, installed it himself earlier this year, and is very happy with it.

See Pluckymama and Amirm - your comments support my whole contention that Susan is trying to blackmail BS into buying her range back. And you both advocate BS caving.

Have you read all the facts - (granted their are tons of posts from Susan on this but if you read everything she, and the delaer posted, you will see this is not a BlueStar issue)

And yet you advocate BS caving and paying her $5K in hush money - just so she will shut up on these forums? Puhleeze - thats no way to run a business.

Should every company who has some out of control individual posting negatively about them on the internet just pay them to shut them up?

Like I said - if Susan had a legit case - she should pursue it legally. But from everything I have read, she has no case against BS (not even close) and is just trying to publically blackmail them (to no avail) by her constant posts here.

Susan can prove me wrong and take BS to court - but c'mon now - you know that won't happen. She herself knows she has no leg to stand on

berryberry,
you are a very strong advocate for Bluestar and it's great that you are enjoying your range. But I don't think that Bluestar replacing a defective range for a customer is paying "hush money" or "caving". In all the posts I've read, Susan has never asked for anything but that her range be repaired so that she can use it. She has never suggested that they buy back her range. Telling her to pursue legal action and then stating she has no case, is no way to treat her. You've obviously spent much time and money in remodeling your own kitchen (and it turned out beautifully), you shouldn't have to go to court if one of your appliances fails. Good business principles call for a manufacturer to stand behind their product. No one purchases an appliance in this price range and expects anything less.

It is now 8 months past the expiration of any manufacturer's warranty. Susan received service under that warranty, as promised in that warranty---until it's expiration. The retailer provided a 3rd party extended warranty that Susan has received service under the terms of that extended warranty.

She has been unhappy with it all.

If she remains unhappy with the service provided as promised then the remaining effectual remedy would seem to be a court of law---NOT an internet forum---unless the burden of proof required by a court of law could not be met.

live_wire_oak - I'm afraid I disagree with you - my impression is that Susan did not receive adequate warranty support from the manufacturer or the 3rd party provider because of inadequate service people in her area and has never had a properly working appliance from day one - it arrived damaged and has never worked properly since. In hindsight Susan probably should have taken more aggressive action early on - perhaps by going to her state's attorney generals office. She's absolutely right that once a problem is reported to the manufacturer during the warranty period that they can't just take their time, let the warranty expire, and then say tough luck.

Is an internet forum the best place to get action - possibly. I remember before states started passing lemon laws on cars that people used to take their lemons, park them in front of dealerships and parade with placards. An internet forum is probably today's equivalent.

Look at Wolf by comparison - they had a burner ignition problem and they bought back ranges from people and proceeded to find a fix for those who didn't want to sell them back - Bluestar could take a lesson from them - although maybe their white glove service is a step in that direction.

Pluckymama - I wouldn't say that I am a strong advocate for BS - although I do really like our BS range and thinks its fetaures / price point make it one of the best values in its category out there.

But I would be saying the same thing to Susan if she were posting for the 523rd time about her problems with a Wolf Range, a DCS range, a Viking range, well you get the picture.

Its not that this is about BS - but rather about Susan's tactics and misstatement / neglect of mentioning all the facts each time she comes back.

And yes - she has posted about asking BS for her money back - several times.

Finally - she has a long term warranty on her range from GE. She is way past her BS warranty period. She is now dealing with GE for any warranty claim - yet you never hear any mention of that from her

Do you realize part of the issue with all her appliances may have been due to how long they were stored due to her construction being delayed?

or how her story changed over time from:

In Feb 2008 :

Eventually, MOST of the problems I had from the get-go were resolved, by myself and/or Bluestar. A few linger, including a broiler that works, but just not very well--far different than the one I tested on; very disappointing--and some issues with the oven door. Hopefully at least the latter will eventually be resolved. (The oven door issue is new and I just contacted Bluestar about it so they haven't even had a chance to fix it yet.)

and

Once the burners were, finally, calibrated and working correctly I have zero complaints about the function of this rangetop and the oven is absolutely cavernous

and

The only real big maintenance issue I'd be worried about with a Bluestar is whether local repair/service people are familiar with the brand. In my area, no matter how "simple" or "functional" or whatever the Bluestar may be, when people don't know the brand, they don't want to work on it, and have no desire to even try. . . . If they are familiar with the brand, I really dont see a major issue, as service HAS been provided, albeit a bit slow and a bit begrudgingly on occasion.

To May 2008 when she changed her tune to:

We had MAJOR issues with our burners being totally out of whack (four of them unusable), which was eventually fixed in early January 2008, following an April 2007 install.

To todays rant.

Consistently her stories do not jive. From Bluestar resolving her problems to zero complaints about the function of the rangetop to Oh my God - this is the worst thing going and I want someone to buy my stove back.

I think it all boils done to another comment she madein May that said:

I also suggested, after being totally and completely fed up, that if they didn't want to deal with me anymore, or see me post online, that they simply buy the unit back and I'd take my business elsewhere.

Since they didn't acquiesce to her demands she is continuing to post online, probably embellishing her story as time goes on, to IMO try and get even. That doesn't seem quite right to me. Post your complaint, quit changing the story and be done with it.

Weissman - sorry but I believe you are wrong. by Susan's own words (see my above post) she notes BS resolved the same problem she is complaining about. Furthermore, the dealer posted on another thread that while in the warranty period, BS sent another repairman who confirmed the range is working fine. I guess one can choose to believe the dealer or Susan (and usually I give the consumer the benefit of the doubt but in this case given Susan's changing stories, I have to give what the dealer says more credence)

in any case - forget all that - Susan is way out of warranty with BS - but if you look at other posts on the subject, she has a 5 year warranty contract on the range via GE. That is who she needs to be dealing with now if there is an issue - and if she has a problem, it is with GE, no one else

berryberry and co. I don't see the inconsistencies that you see. In fact, based on the posts you've obviously edited and posted here, everything hangs together. here's how I see it: if I buy a stove, it has burner problems at the outset, I'm going to be a bit alarmed. Ok, then I discover that my oven doesn't quite function the way I'd witnessed/tested/whatever ... more alarm. Service guy comes out and repaires or calibrates the burners and adjusts the oven so that the oven is better although still not the great performer I witnessed. But ok, I feel better and can live with the off-kilter oven. I'll post here accordingly that so far, I'm a pleased customer.

But then 6 months later, I start having burner problems again. First one then the other etc.. Well, with all due respect, this SHOULD ring alarm bells in any thinking, rational person capable of correlating present events with past. Perhaps you are in the habit of ignoring all past states and dealing with the precise situation du jour exactly as if no past history is needed, but you'll not count as a thinking person. Fact is, that this might be some randomly new problem that's popped up and that I shouldn't be bothering the manufacturer's weighty head with issues and certainly shouldn't be sullying the name of ... but it might very probably be an entirely related one that just went away for a bit. One would have to be awfully naive to really believe from the get-go that your repeat failing (18 month-old) stove is just going through normal wear-and-tear and that there isn't something more fundamental going on.

Naive or, if I read your insistent susan-is-a-witch posts, agenda-driven.

Compound that with the fact that the service folks that BS sends to her tell her that they've never seen or worked on a BS before ... well, that's not so nice.

Her story hangs together - even as culled and reported by you.

Yeh, I thought Susan's story hung together, too.

Mindstorm - please read all of Susan's posts (you will have to look at many threads) and you will see her story falls apart like a cheap suit. I only picked a few items to post - there are volumes there where she clearly contradicts herself

I've read through many of Susan's posts. What I see is someone who did lots of research and clearly wanted the best for her new kitchen. Instead of purchasing her appliances from a local dealer, she trekked across the country (in person mind you, not over the internet)and purchased several of her appliances from Eurostoves, an appliance dealer she learned about here on the Garden Web. It is clear that there were problems from the beginning, but a hope that they would be resolved. Over time, as her warranty with Bluestar was coming to an end and her range continued to have repair issues, you can read her more frequent postings detailing her concerns (and I might add, the bashing she takes on the forum) in the hopes that Bluestar or Eurostoves will repair her range. A reasonable expectation of a warrantied appliance.

berryberry, what I notice when I read Susan's posts is that you are in everyone of them with very detailed points and counterpoints to her every statement. Now you write that "her story falls apart like a cheap suit". Why? What is your interest in all of this? Why attack a fellow GWeber who has had a bad experience and posts about it?

We are all here to learn from one another. Some will have praise for an appliance and others will have criticism. People will read and decide which appliance is best for them. I just don't see what is gained by portraying Susan in this manner. If we can only share glowing reviews of appliances and retailers, than the Garden Web becomes nothing more than a forum of ballyhoo.

I've noticed that a lot of people in Gardenweb over a very long period of time have tried to be genuinely helpful to Susan with well thought out advice and lots of well-meaning empathy, but I'm starting to think she's psychotic. Just my humble opinion. If she's serious about these issues, she needs to take it private ... this is no place for anyone to wage a campaign of blackmail and execute personal vendettas.

Lgrdh - Susan hasn't posted on this Forum for two weeks. You however, have joined the fray, um, yesterday, jumping in to flame Susan. Coming from you, especially, with your Viking experience, makes your delayed attack on Susan particularly below the belt. What if people reacted to your complaint with Viking the way you are toward Susan, and called you "psychotic". Mind you, she hasn't had a working range for months. She has a family to cook for, children. Have a heart.

As I recall, Lgrdh, you averred you'd never do business again with Viking, and advised others not to also, because....wait for it...the decals on your Viking knobs wore off. AND Viking replaced the decals. But when they wore off again....wait for it....AFTER the warranty expired, Viking did not replace the decals, and you railed against Viking. Shame on you Lgrdh, since your problems with Viking met with sympathetic ears here, but all you can give to Susan is to call her psychotic, when she hasn't even been back to the Forum for weeks. You've "walked a mile in her shoes" as they say, but it hasn't done much for you.

I private emailed Susan after reading all these outright attacks on her and found out she has been banned from posting on Garden Web due to someone on this forum complaining about her. And yet as Shannon points out despite her not posting for 2 weeks now, the name calling continues. I think it's a shame and wonder who could possibly have motive to get her banned from GW?

pluckymama - I sincerely doubt I am in everyone of Susan's melodramatic posts. That said, yes I have responded to her on several threads because quite frankly, her stroy does not add up and IMO, her posting in an attempt to blackmail BS into buying back her range is unethical.

I have no problems with anyone posting legitimate complaints backed up by facts. I do have a problem with a constantly changing story that Susan has presented - and her stated intent that if BS wants to shut her up, they will buy back her range.

If she didn't show up every few months starting a new thread (but leaving out many facts) reiterating her story once again in an attempt to get BS to cave into her demands, I wouldn't respond to her. Plain and simple.

found out she has been banned from posting on Garden Web due to someone on this forum complaining about her

GW doesn't just ban someone because someone complained about them. She would have had to violated GW's terms of service to have been banned

What can I say? Some people on here think their sh*t doesn't stink. Well it does. About as much as a gas range...

Lgrdh said: If she's serious about these issues, she needs to take it private ... this is no place for anyone to wage a campaign of blackmail and execute personal vendettas.

Yup, that is kinda what she done. Er, Lgrdh I mean. In the Viking thread. Where she says to the Forum, in regards to her Viking decals problem, "I would never buy another Viking product" and "This product is completely worthless". Human nature is funny. Selective memory, selective reasoning.

I also find the variabilities of human nature are evident in contrasting that long Viking thread with the recent Bluestar threads. No one in that Viking thread flames anyone. No one says the complainers are imagining their problems, or that their problems aren't legitimate. The thread was regarded as an interesting compilation of issues with a particular manufacturer. Even the oft-harsh Guadalupe provided a reasonable post. Why are the BS people so different? Why so antagonistic on both sides? Why the anger when a BS owner enumerates repairs? I guess we need a psychologist to chime in!

Wow, some of you are so darned mean. Calm down! Susan was ripped off, pure and simple. It didn't work right from Day One and she was never able to get BS to repair it properly.

Not to change the subject ... but I'm not sure what my very limited postings (I can't recall if it was one or two -- it's been a long time) in prior years about problems with my Viking (incidentally, in response to a query about Viking experiences) has anything in common with waging guerilla warfare over an appliance thread. I told my story and moved on. I don't think these threads should be used as blackmail, and I don't know what else to call this stuff published here.

WoW...this thread is very upsetting- how dare some of you be so cruel because someone else has not had as good an experience as you. It is shameful to see some of these posts re psycho, blackmail, liar, being banned from posting, etc. When someone posts about positive experiences with BS, the people that haven't had that same experience don't bash them. What the heck is going on, these GW forums are here for better or worse- that is helpful to us all- think about it.

lamermaid - If you continue to search you'll come up with dozens more Bluestar threads, both good and bad, that you can resurrect to the front page. Did you notice that the last post here was SIX MONTHS ago? Seriously, there's no need for this.

Excuse me, what are you talking about???... resurrecting... and seriously there is no need for this. Please explain what you are writing to me here.

The last post on this thread, prior to yours, was on Oct 15, 2008. Which means it was about on page 63 of the 67 pages still available for viewing. And that there are about 1890 more current conversations to join. Some of the people you are indirectly scolding haven't even been on this forum in quite some time.

There is also a long chain of history with the original poster which has long since dropped off the charts or been removed by the powers that be. So all I'm saying is, let's leave this thread alone. Hopefully in 6 months and 2010 new conversations this thread will be gone. We were "amost" there.

lamermaid - unfortunately you stepped onto a landmine :-)

This and several other threads were very controversial a few months ago. There are obviously two sides to every story and many thought Susan had received a raw deal and many thought she was just a whiner. The truth is probably somewhere in between. In any case, she kept posting a lot of the same stuff over and over again hoping to get attention and resolution to her issues. Eventually she was banned from this board - I'm not sure why. I think the response you got was from someone hoping this issue was dead and gone.

Good Heaven's! My first day- and... I've stepped on a landmine! and my goodness, there are more??
weissman- Thanks for the warning and the explanation.

Hmmm...How very rude
I don't (but I-DO THINK I can speak for many posters) appreciate being told which threads to visit and/or post in & to 'leave it alone', etc. by ya think or 'the powers that be'

YA THINK, YA SHOULD.

I will not waste my time going head-to-head w/ "ya".