I like the Boschs, the only thing that kept me from buying one was the service and support network. I for one do not want an appliance no one will service or get parts for. Have you tried calling Customer Service and requesting an authorized service agency?

What model #?
Here is a link that could be of assistance.

http://applianceguru.com/forum2/

Hello,
I can help with just about any appliance, with the exception of the Euro made products. Parts are difficult to obtain, and there are probably 1 euro unit to 20,000 American branded units.

I don't think the poster's problem is one of getting parts, but rather of finding an authorized Bosch repair tech. My suggestion would be that Marian call the company. If Bosch is unable to give the name of a repair person in the area then the next question they should be pressed on is why they allow a local shop to sell their appliances.
FWIW, the Bosch website might have some names of local service shops. - DR

Thanks so much for your responses. Dross is correct in that I can not find an authorized repair tech, in fact I can not find any kind of repair tech that will touch it. I actually have a Siemens washer model 8400 that I bought from airelkin on ebay. (I did not keep any kind of sales receipt although it is possible the paypal transaction would suffice. I have emailed airelkin and asked for his help with the receipt, hope he responds!) The ONE repair man in town that works on Bosch has never heard of Siemens and I could not convince him they were one and the same. He also doesn't like to work on Bosch as he says they are bad about repaying for warranty and difficult to get parts. I told him I would pay anyway without worrying with the warranty, and I live in NC for god's sake, shouldn't I be able drive to New Bern and get a part? I have called Siemens and they would like proof of purchase. The other repair person will not help as I did not buy from him.

I washed a fluffy rug and afterwards had to pull lint out of several drainage holes. It would not drain after that. I feel like there is lint clogging something up although I can't find it. I have opened up my old toploaders before and thought if someone could tell me how to open this FL I might find a solution. Marian

This may be helpful now that you have provided the model number. This confirms my suspicions regarding Bosch/Siemens providing a strong service and parts network. Another one added to the BEWARE list! Good Luck with your repair and I hope the Serivce Manual is of assistance to you.

http://www.bshextranet.com/files/techtoolbox/WFXD52-84svctrng.pdf

rpsinfoman, I think it is premature to put Bosch on a "Beware" list because of a machine bought from a pseudononymous seller on eBay. It is always risky to buy a machine for which there is no authorized local service network, which is why one normally buys from a local dealer.
We had some assurance on this forum that Bosch/Siemens would stand behind the warranty on these machines, this is the avenue to pursue.
If an authorized Bosch dealer will not offer service to one of their machines just because you did not buy from them, this too is something to pursue with BSH, since generally the manufacturer will require this service from their authorized dealers. - DR

Well one shouldn't need assurances from forums that a company will stand behind it's products! That should be a given regardless of the point of purchase. There is nothing in the warranty that specifically nullifies or makes difficult to obtain service if the appliance is not purchased from an authorized local dealer. One would think the guy on Ebay is a dealer otherwise he wouldn't be selling dozens of Bosch appliances online, which otherwise he wouldn't have access to. As far as BUYER BEWARE, major appliances should NOT be purchased on Ebay! Brands that do not have adaquate service/parts networks in place, should simply be avoided. I like Bosch equipment but didn't buy it specifically for that reason and this not being the first occurence of difficulty in obtaining service.

There is nothing in the warranty that specifically nullifies or makes difficult to obtain service if the appliance is not purchased from an authorized local dealer.

This is not true - different companies have different policies concerning so-called "gray market" merchandise. That's why, if you buy your Nikon camera from a Brooklyn dealer, or your Toshiba DVD player from Costco, your warranty will be a dealer warranty, not a manufacturer's warranty. (In the case of Costco, of course, the store warranty is *better*:-)

I do not think that Bosch service is especially difficult to obtain, but of course you need a local repair depot or Bosch-friendly repairman to obtain it! They have been selling washing machines in the US for many years now, and while they are not remotely as ubiquitous as Whirlpool, they have better market penetration than the Asian or other European brands.

As we know from the many horror stories on this forum and others, warranty service from and manufacturer is often a PITA, no doubt since it represents pure loss on the part of the merchant/company. For example, even with a Sears in every small town, Kenmore owners seem to have a pretty hard time of getting service people to come and do anything. - DR

DROSS, with all do respect it's a washing machine, not a camera or DVD bought directly off the boat and sold on the "grey market." With respect to Sears, I don't think Sears service is difficult to obtain. Sears will service what it sells and stand behind there products anywhere in the U.S. including Ebay! Now the quality of the service, like many mom and pop independents may be a different issue, but it is obtainable and guaranteed. If all you said is at least semi-true the OP should have no problem calling Bosch and getting service. Market penetration is easy, but holding on to that market share is a different story.

Looks like authentic merchandise.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ebay

with all do respect it's a washing machine, not a camera or DVD bought directly off the boat and sold on the "grey market."

Gray market is anything that is sold through unusual channels. This includes eBay-sold appliances.

Incidentally, I grew up in a retail family - my father's stores sold, among other things, appliances - and have some firsthand experience with the ramifications of this distinction for warranty service.

As for Sears, there are plenty of stories on this and other forums of Sears not fixing problems (or even admitting that problems are problems). I mention them not because I think they are especially bad - in fact, Kenmore appliances are among the easiest to get serviced, and serviced properly - but to emphasize that applaince repair under warranty is no cakewalk whatever you buy...hence the importance of a reliable local dealer. - DR

FWIW local "dealers" are not obligated nor do all of them provide service. The service/warranty network is entirely a separate beast and the import entrants have a real problem with that. For example, Lowes is an authorized "dealer" for many brands. They are under no obligation to provide "service" for any of them. You know it, and I know it the problems arise somewhere down the road when the unsuspecting consumers try to obtain service on there appliance. Thats not grey, but purely Black and White.

There are two separate issues here: (1) is dealer X required to provide service for a product from manufacturer Y, and (2) is manufacturer Y required to honor a warranty on a product bought from dealer X. The main issue in this thread is (2), and the answer is "no" if X is a gray market dealer and if Y does not have a "regardless of dealer" warranty policy. We were told that Siemens does in fact have such a policy, so either they lied here, or they should make sure Marian can get service.

The other issue is a matter of contract between the manufacturer or distributor/importer and the merchant. It is usually in a merchant's interest to be designated an authorized dealer - they get referrals from the manufacturer, promotional help, etc - but they often have to provide something in return, and often that is acting as a service depot for the product. I do not know if BSH requires this of their authorized dealers, but if not it would be in our interest (as consumers) to pressure them to do so, by asking how they can let dealers sell their product without providing unrestricted access to service?

BSH has a relatively good reputation for standing by their customers in the US, as does Miele (and even AEG despite their really spotty presence in the US). Asko seems to oscillate between great and terrible service, Creda is essentially gone in the US in part because they served their customers so badly, and the Asian companies are so far not inspiring confidence in their service record. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the reason Best Buy replaced Siemens with LG as their 'gourmet' appliance brand is that LG required less from them as authorized dealers. - DR

Good well thought points! I can't answer those questions regarding contractual obligations, I am not in that business and I don't think you are either. We have really expanded this thread, but all the OP wanted was someone to service her appliance either in warranty or out. The fact is out of the several shops called, they don't work on Bosch. No use in sugar coating the obvious. The point is, if service and parts are not available for a given area for a given brand, then BUYER BEWARE, avoid the product.

Wow, I really appreciate all this discussion! rpsinfoman, thanks for the "service manual" website. I have saved a copy and it is really helpful.
Siemens says they will help me find service, I just need a proof of purchase. So I really do think the ebay deal is legit.
It bothers me that the local repair people won't help, & one person does not realize that Siemens is the same as Bosch. Do you think he really doesn't know that or is it just an excuse to avoid helping? After looking at the repair manual I can see why people don't want to work on it. It looks so complicated. It really told me that I don't think I am up to opening up this washer!
I did clean the drain pump trap and it was clean. So is the drainage hose. I hear the pump noise when it is time to drain, but no water is leaving. Does anyone have any idea what is wrong? Thanks again for all your help. Marian

Sounds like he doesn't want bothered. If he truely is an authorized facility, he should know Bosch/Siemans is one in the same. Judging from his response I don't think I would want him working on my machine anyway. He should be reported to Bosch corporate. Behavior like that sends a bad image for an otherwise good product.

All I have talked to BSH customer service and they have stated that the AIRELKIN is an authorized SIEMENS Dealer and that all merchandise is covered by the factory warranty..... EBAY purchases still recieves the factory warranty even though you pay 1/2 of the retail price! The proof of purchase is your paypal receipt.

I also looked at AIRELKIN ebay site and he has over 300 SIEMENS transactions and the feedback is very positive.

Suggest that you contact BSH customer service department in Huntington Beach to schedule service through and Authorized BSH service provider.... I did and it worked like a charm

I am not so surprised that the repair person was ignorant of this - Bosch has been selling washing machines here under the Bosch name for many years, but I think they only started under the Siemens imprimature a year or so ago.
Marian, it is possible that your pump has filled with rug lint and has packed it in. - DR

Just to let you know, I have emailed airelkin and he has reponsed several times. He truly is an authorized dealer and seems to care that I get service. As soon as my husband prints the transaction from pay-pay I will fax it to Siemens and hope this will be over soon. I knew I loved my washer and I really miss it!
Marian

What if you had just moved into town with your existing Bosch/Siemens laundry equipment? Would the local appliance dealer still refuse to service it?

In my mind, anyone with such a small and vindictive mind would never get my business.

More to the point, if Bosch wants to retain their reputation, they should use their authority to put a stop to this kind of behavior. Hopefully in her dialogue with BSH Marian has let them know the name of this obstructionist dealer.
Can you imagine this in the car industry? When we've moved with cars both under warranty and not, the dealers in the new cities have always been delighted to have us bring our cars in for service. It is a profit stream for them, and builds brand and dealer loyalty. - DR

Just to let all of you know airelkin has intervened with Siemens on my behalf and they contacted a repair tech from a neighboring nearby town. He came yesterday to look at my machine. A part has to be ordered and since hubbie was there with repair man, I do not know what. Hope it does not take long.
The really funny part is that the day before Thanksgiving, my dishwasher quit swooshing the water around. I bought it a few (3 maybe) years ago from the man that would not fix my washer as I did not buy from him. I called him Friday to put me "on the list" for a repair. Haven't seen him yet, but if it is going to be real expensive to fix, I may just buy a new one from airelkin!! Marian

my washer was fixed on 12/12. The repairman originally thought a new pump was needed, but when he went in to replace it he found a totally clogged drain!. Many thanks to airelkin and seimens for finding a repairman for me.
My dishwasher, however, remains unfixed.

I saw the link to the repair manual for a Bosch that is not my model and is great info!.
Any chances to see a repair manual for a model WFK2401UC?
Thanks in advance for the help.

Dear rpsinfoman,

Would you happen to have the service manual for the Bosch dryers (WTMC4500UC), similar to the washer one that you posted?