‘In what world do you think that’s acceptable for anyone?’: A woman says her $2,600 fridge broke, then Home Depot reimbursed her in gift cards

A woman in West Virginia says her three-year-old, $2,600 LG refrigerator quit on Sept. 28, ruining her food and leaving the freezer soaking wet, according to The Nerd Stash. The outlet reports that she described what followed in a TikTok video.

She had covered it with a Home Depot Protection Plan, which she said she was talked into at the time. Per the outlet, she was first told to try troubleshooting the fridge herself, and the plan then sent her to LG since LG’s own warranty had not run out. “I don’t even know why you guys had me buy a Protection plan, because LG has a five-year warranty,” she said.

LG told her a technician would call, she said, but no call came. Her husband phoned back and was told finding a technician would need 10 business days. She then emailed Home Depot, writing, “This is unacceptable.” The Protection Plan offered a visit on Oct. 8, but that technician would only look at the fridge and return later with parts, which could mean weeks without one. “In what world do you think that’s acceptable for anyone?” she asked.

Home Depot offered to reimburse her, but only with gift cards

She added, “I’ve dealt with a lot of warranty situations with vehicles, stuff like that. This has got to be by far the worst companies that I have ever dealt with in my life.” In an update, the outlet reported that Home Depot agreed to reimburse her for the broken fridge. The payment would come in the form of gift cards, meaning she would need to purchase another refrigerator from Home Depot to avoid losing money.

Federal guidance treats warranties and protection plans as different things. The Federal Trade Commission’s guide to federal warranty law says warranties come with a product and are included in its price, while service contracts are separate agreements. The same guide says a full warranty must give the consumer a choice of a replacement or a full refund if the product still cannot be repaired after a reasonable number of tries.

Reviews describe how Home Depot’s plan typically handles a failed appliance. This Old House writes that the company will usually give policyholders a gift card or check for the original purchase price instead of replacing the equipment. SlashGear reported in April that when a product breaks down a third time for the same issue, Home Depot will replace it or reimburse the purchase price plus tax as an eGift card. The exact terms depend on the plan document a customer signed.

State law also sets baseline rules for sellers. West Virginia’s commercial code says a warranty of merchantability is implied in a sale when the seller is a merchant of that kind of goods, unless it is excluded or modified, and the goods must be fit for their ordinary purposes. Separately, state consumer law declares unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in trade or commerce unlawful. Neither provision has been cited in connection with this case.

Residents who have a dispute with a business can file a complaint with the West Virginia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.