Get your money refunded. You'll be happier.

The cabinet was sized, trimmed and finished out for this machine---what are other options?

I'd call Miele directly, and push it as high up the food chain as you can go. This does not seem to be in line with their corporate philosophy or brand guarantee. I would think they would want to know they have two lemons on their hands - ie the dishwasher and Randy.

I think that Bosch is the same dimensions, but I'd check, and look to make cabinet modifications that will allow you more choices..

Since your cabinet has been made for the Miele and others here really like their La Perlas, I think that your wife should cop a little more attitude and phone Miele central and ask for a supervisor. Lay out the issue and give them a chance to get you a good machine in working order. It's their responsibility if the machine came damaged.

If the SE rep isn't handling you correctly, they should make it right and I believe they will.

I had issues with the drying on my machine for several months and I found out that persistence paid off with them.

Alternative: Can you get your refund and use it to buy the same model from another source, and get it without dealing with the rep?

pillog - that would be a bad idea - if they give you a full refund they will expect you NOT to buy another one - because if you have problems with that one, they'd still have to deal with you!

plllog,
The appliance store that we bought the original Miele unit from said that they would be more than happy to hook up a floor model temporarily until the new unit came in. Randy who is the SE rep for Miele said they could not do that because then the store would "be stuck with a used machine" and Miele wouldn't reimburse them for it. My wife and I own a business and we would never treat our customers like we have been treated. We often go out of our way to make them happy.

I can't imagine that Miele would support Randy's behavior. Have you tried calling them directly, bypassing Randy? I would make it clear that not only are you dissatisfied with the machine, you are even more dissatisfied with the service. As I noted above, and I would stress with them, this is completely out of line with their brand promise. It could be that Randy is just playing cowboy.

What state are you located in? (I ask b/c we're about to purchase a bunch of Miele appliances and we live in the SE, in VA.)

picklenose,
We live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast near the Alabama line. I'm not sure where the SE rep Randy is located-- I'm guessing maybe Florida??? All I know is that they (Miele corp) keep referring us back to him. Two weeks ago, he was easy to deal with...now he is not. I would think that he would go out of his way at this point to make good on a defective machineX2. Miele created the problem, we did not. But he makes us feel almost as if we are impossible to please. We just want what we paid for and be treated accordingly.

If your dealer will support you, and sounds as if they will, he/they might give someone at Miele central a call. You are buying a top of the line machine and this is unacceptable.

There are stories occasionally but, in general, this is not typical at all.

No matter what, I'd still get on the phone to them directly -- say straight out you are having "communication" issues with the regional rep and need additional assistance.

Seems to me, the easiest solution would be to just swap out the control panel from the leaky machine and install it on the new one. A Miele rep would certainly know how to do this.

Come to think of it, why would Miele send out a new machine and a new control panel? Seems to me they'd send out only the part needing replacement.

Miele DW control panels always come in a separate carton from the machine itself. The control panel is attached to the machine on site, followed by the door panel.

Does anyone else begin to suspect a canard? My experience with Miele Service would lead me to believe that the sort of responses from Miele, as related by the original poster, are very unlikely. I've never encountered a more service oriented company.

James - I'm pretty sure the new generation doesn't ship with a seperate control panel like the old Gxxx series did. We really only do fully integrated ones so I'm not 100% sure but, 99%. The LaPerla would be difficult to change out even if it did. Remember the local service techs caused part of theis problem, so corp. is probably gun shy about more replacement stuff. Page one of the Miele playbook is to throw parts at the problem if possible.

BTW - miele isn't really a business like yours, it's a multinational corp. and as such is burdened by it's own buracracy, so it can't always get out of it's own way. remember a firm's policies are carried out by people.

Your other choices for a 60cm opening are: any Bosch with the filler strips cut off or removed, Asko, Thermador, Smeg, Ariston, Equator, SEARS' Dws made by Bosch, and I think Haier's cabinet is also 60cm.

Randy sounds like a nut. I agree with rococogurl in that I would have the store call and have them move the problem up the chain as far as they can.

I have the Laperla and it has proven to be a great machine worth waiting for...if you can get one delivered in correct condition.

I had a dinning room set delivered from Denmark and the entire bottom of the hutch was damaged/broken apart yet the box was intact, so it could be that the dent occurred during transport.

Also I have sent Miele headquarters email directly by going to their German web site.

When I ordered my Dw I could order the control panel in White, black or SS but the machine was delivered with the panel on it. Not sure you can just attach the control panel because it has that touch screen glass in it.

I have never experienced service like this from Miele either, but that doesn't mean it can never happen. Like Antss mentioned people are involved and sometimes they act like fools. Of course I wouldn't keep them employed but....

My Optima arived two weeks ago fully asembleled, except it was missing a screw somewhere inside, the top right corner was not together. Customer service was excelent, the guy they sent out was not, said it was in perfect condition. The seal on the top, and the seal on one side didn't even touch, he said that's the outside seal, and not important, why did they put it there, if it's not important? He finally fixed it, but it was like pulling teeth to get him to fix it. It was worth the aggravation. DW keeps showing me our dishes, and silverware, they look brand new.

We also had damage to our frigidaire freezer, a huge deep dent in the door. Didn't know it was there, until it was out of the box, hooked up. The sticky plastic was stretched over the dent, so you couldn't tell until the plastic was peeled off. The appliance store got me a different freezer the next day, but I think that's just luck, that they had it in their supply chain. I would vote you stick with Miele, but try your luck with someone else there.

"The water had to be disconnected in the kitchen because the current LaPerla continues to leak so we are doing dishes in the bathroom."

Why is that? Isn't there a valve directly to the dishwasher?

Yes the machine is damaged..things happen. Are there bad techs out there? Yes there are and you have one. Let me tell you Mieles are not everywhere and the LaPerla is even rarer especially in Miss.

The appliance store said it would loan you one. Great! let them do it, independent of what Miele says. 5 days is not a long time to wait for another machine.

Miele is still the best washer out there. You can go and buy a different machine but it will not be the same.

Good Luck.

jamesk: "Seems to me, the easiest solution would be to just swap out the control panel from the leaky machine and install it on the new one. A Miele rep would certainly know how to do this."
---My wife suggested this to Randy. He said that BOTH machines must be returned. The leaky machine had already been "repaired" the week prior with a new circulation pump and sensor but was still faulting on control panel with F68.
jamesk: "My experience with Miele Service would lead me to believe that the sort of responses from Miele, as related by the original poster, are very unlikely. I've never encountered a more service oriented company".
---Sorry to burst your bubble, but my "responses" are VERY TRUE. And this posting is not about your experiences, but mine. On a side note, I have owned Miele products before (Miele 1930 washer and Miele Touchtronic Ultra DW in previous house). I had no problems or service issues until this point with the LaPerla. I am just reporting my experiences with Miele as they occur, whether positive or negative. I chose LaPerla because of my prior excellent history with Miele and I wanted to buy what I had believed to be the very best of the best. If I had to do it again, I would certainly think twice. I feel different about Miele now. I don't think the quality is what it once was. I feel Miele may be cheapening the product to gain more of the market and the quality IS suffering...at least in my case. I paid $2200++ for their supposed TOL DW and I am still waiting to get what I paid for, both with product AND service. I have been let down by a company I once respected and admired.

villandry: "Isn't there a valve directly to the dishwasher?"
--We have a newly constructed house. Unfortunately, the plumbing contractor did not install a separate valve for the DW. Why, I don't know. I think that perhaps it may have been because I requested cold water hookup for the machine and the plumber "never heard of this" so along the way, there were no shut off valves installed other than for the kitchen faucet from the manifold. When the store came to install the DW, they just directly connected it to cold water line so that the manifold shut off also shuts off the faucet. I live in an area hit by Hurricane Katrina-- we have a shortage of skilled construction workers and the code officers are often not up to par and often overlook things that may not be quite right. I am very happy to be in my house but there are issues we must deal with on a daily basis--the lack of a separate water shut off valve for the DW being one of them.
villandry: "5 days is not a long time to wait for another machine."
-- Actually this has been going on for greater than a couple of weeks now. This posting is just the latest incident. I don't expect ANY product, particularly TOL Miele DW with reputed advanced engineering to break so quickly, would you? I do expect excellent service to get the situation rapidly corrected, wouldn't you? --that has not been the case.

jerrod6:"I have sent Miele headquarters email directly by going to their German web site."
--- Excellent idea. I will try that.

edjpalm, If you paid by credit card, you can dispute the charge and not pay until the problem is resolved. That may get someone's attention. Best of luck getting this resolved.

edi - I sympathise w/your plight but most of these snafus have nothing to do w/each other. First DW having probs. is not related to incompentent techs. except with regard to the second round of problems which I'm betting the farm they caused. You getting a damaged unit in shipping has nothing to do with either of those 2 problems. Randy being a cowboy, pissing you off, and being a boob is not related ot the orig. defect, the service guys, or the shipper.

I will grant you that combined none is doing you any good, is acceptable, or can be helped by antything you did. I would per very persistant w/ New Jersey about talking to the boss, how the Zone rep and you just can't work together, not that he isn't doing what you want but it's a personality conflict that you don't think can be ironed out. Be sure to refrence this thread/site w/ a bit of background about how Miele prod. & servc. is ballyhooed around here, and do you really want to take the chance of this much bad press in such a friendly environment, especially over one of there best and most expensive products???? This has been suggested already. Unfourtunatly, you are caught in a bad cycle that won't rectify itself by going through the motions. I have seen it before, even with Miele. You shouldn't have to, but it will take some persistance and inconvience on your part but you will get a fine LaPerla at the end if you want. Your dealer can/would be a great advocate for you if they move enough Miele product, being in your area I just don't know them or their value to the bottom line. Taking the $$$ and running , even if to another Miele DW may be the path of least resistance. If it's any consolation - everyone that has appliance trouble, car trouble, whatever, has to take a whole day off of work for a less than stellar service experience. The lucky ones are one day the others get to miss 2-3 days for followups, it's simply the way of the world because you fallen into the bendover and pucker line. Not your fault.

edjpalm - Until our remodel I did not know this, but there exists dual angle stop valves. My half inch hot water pipe is connected to a dual angle stop valve and both the faucet and dishwasher have independent shut off. This would get you back in your kitchen while the DW gets resolved.

Jim is right - if you can find the valve for PEX plumbing and someone to install it.