AVOID VIRGINIA ELECTRONICS AT ALL COSTS
They are: 1) incompetent 2) ignorant and 3) inconsiderate
In 2015, we purchased a Bosch slide in range from Lowe's. A year later, the Bosch Company replaced our oven due to a faulty burner. That experience was painless and Bosch was able to get our new oven working quickly. However, in August 2017, this new oven stopped working and we now are using the extended warranty plan offered through Lowe's Service Advantage.
It turned out the repair was subcontracted to Virginia Electronics. In the first week of August 2017, we first reported to Lowe's Service Advantage that our oven was not heating. They forwarded our complaint to Virginia Electronics. We were asked over the phone if the broiler was working and after confirming it was operable, Virginia Electronics concluded we needed a bake burner (note this is the same bake burner that Bosch replaced nearly a year ago) but it will be 3-7 days before they get the parts. After a week, Virginia Electronics sent a technician to work on the oven, but the technician concluded there were other parts needed for repair to occur. The burner we waited a week for was never installed and the technician left without fixing anything, a problem that could have been resolved HAD THEY SENT A TECHNICIAN TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE IN THE FIRST PLACE. A follow-up with Virginia Electronics indicated the parts identified by the technician were on back order for another 7-10 days. To verify, we called Bosch about the back-ordered parts, but we were informed the parts were always available and that Virginia Electronics had NEVER placed any order to Bosch Company. We informed Lowe's store manager about what was going on. It appears he was not aware what Service Advantage and Virginia Electronics were doing. The only logical conclusion was that Virginia Electronics were ordering parts from other companies! Eventually on September 4, a month after the initial service request, the technician replaced the igniter and declared the oven fixed, but WITHOUT OBSERVING IF IT WAS FINALLY WORKING. As we tried to use the oven, the smell of gas had filled the house and we also noticed that the igniter created a loud sound as it ignited the burner. As excess leaking gas was our primary concern, regardless of whether the over was heating (it was albeit so much slower than usual), we could not use the oven for safety reasons.
A follow-up with VA Electronics revealed they have to order the bake burner AGAIN because they already returned the bake burner they initially ordered. When asked, they admitted to returning the bake burner because the technician had reported our oven fixed (after the initial appointment where he did nothing). However, we were still having problems with ignition of the burner and resulting dissipation of gas all over the house. Now we have to wait ANOTHER 7-10 business days before the previously ordered bake burner can be installed - a grand total of 6 weeks, ongoing, without a functioning oven.
Another follow up (September 14, 2017) with VA Electronics indicated they were waiting for parts from Home Depot (again, and NOT from Lowe's or Bosch). When asked why it was not ordered for overnight delivery, the receptionist indicated they do not routinely use express delivery because Service Advantage does not recommend this type of delivery. After lengthy discussions with Lowe's to confirm everything VA Electronics told us, Electronics called us back and said that the parts had come in, but they told Lowe's that it would be another week. Whatever VA Electronics told us and told Lowe's were contradictory; even the wonderful customer service agent at Lowe's was confused and frustrated with VA Electronics.
We have asked Lowe's to intervene on our behalf, to no avail. We continue to deal with a broken Bosch oven for more than a month now (going to 2 months), with Virginia Electronics, who seems to intuitively diagnose problems, order for parts prior to sending any technicians and pre-emptively close cases before actually resolving anything. This company is absolutely incompetent. read more