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Another Calypso Horror story... (Reply to this comment)
by boingster451
I can NOT believe how badly Consumer Reports let me down on this one.
I darn near sprinted off to the Sears Appliance store to purchase one of these washers in early 2004. I couldn’t wait to get our new Kenmore (Sears) Elite Calypso 2206[2] up and running after our old washers motor burned up after about twelve years of dutiful service (it was a Whirlpool).
Honestly, our story started off pretty well. The Calypso performed pretty well and all was good. We liked how clothes, particularly towels, came out nearly dry when you set it up for “extra spin”. We understood that this was going to save us $ on energy in the drier.
Begin horror story—
1. Our washer burned up a control panel and it had to be replaced.
2. Then the washer got a clogged pump and wouldn’t pump the dirty water out; requiring replacement.
3. Then the seal was shot on the agitator and allowed clothes to pass between it and the washer tub causing binding and ripped garments.
4. Just when we thought it couldn’t get worse we started to develop persistent fishy funk smell from the washer at all times. I tried vinegar, bleach, Lysol and nothing worked to rid our washer of the stench.
5. On one of our many service calls the technician finally told us that these washers were great for his wallet and provided great job security.
6. Another technician told us that the components that were burning up on our washer machine were caused by faulty wiring in our house. I’m an electrical professional and systematically tested all of our circuits to find no problem what-so-ever and yet we had two components burn up.
7. If I hadn’t of bought the extended warranty for this washer, right now we could be bankrupt.
8. Sears’ attitude toward appliance repair is disgusting. By this I mean that it took up to TWO WEEKS for us to get service calls and when we did get them they graciously offered to arrive at our house between the hours of 09:00 and 14:00. If that isn’t the same as saying they will be there on “Monday” I don’t know what is.
To sum up our experience here, the last time our washer failed on 4/21/07 I hauled it out to the curb where it was picked up by an appliance junk man who said he was going to scrap it.
I will never trust Sears the same again.
I also received a class action lawsuit notice in the mail on over this although I did not participate in it.
Besides all of the aforementioned issues it was a nice washing machine.
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Apr 23 '07
11:09 am PDT
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Re: Kenmore Calypso Washer - A REAL LEMON!! (Reply to this comment)
by emmitdanger
About that service contract. I bought one too for my Calypso washer when I needed to repair it. The lady on the phone said if they could not fix it they would replace it. After 3 visits later from a Sears repairman I had a choice to repair it yet again or receive a refund of only $500. I paid $1,200 for the machine. The service contracts only cover up to $500. I was under the impression it would be replaced as well. So BEWARE of the service contracts as well.
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Mar 04 '07
5:40 pm PST
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Calypso--DO NOT SUPPORT SEARS (Reply to this comment)
by mheckle
Since 2001 purchase:
U-joint problems X2
gasket problems X3
pump replaced X6 times (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006)
hose leaks
dispenser replaced X2
Basket rusted onto shaft--replaced after X3 service calls, parts ordered and multiple repairmen visits.
Service warranty exhausts all means to get washer "fixed" before replacing--loss leader!
And pending fourth service call this Thursday!
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Mar 27 '06
9:58 pm PST
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Kenmore Calypso Washer - A REAL LEMON!! (Reply to this comment)
by marsha1113
I purchased my first Kenmore Calypso in November of 2003. Yes, you heard me right, my first one. By May of 2004 it was flooding from the bottom of the machine, no the hoses to my water connections and pump outside where dry...this was from UNDERNEATH the washer. Well I hit the ceiling called and got a man from Chicago. He agreed, since it had flooded and damaged my flooring at that time and trim work he traded out the machine for another one. He said it was probably defective and since I didn't want damages for the floor and it was 5 months old he would go ahead and trade it out. That was an understatement. Now it's over a year since I had the tradeout. I had a service call on this one last month, the technician said it checked out fine.....well yesterday I smelled something burning and low and behold the washer was full of water but no agitation, so I called Sears Service and they can't get out until Friday, this was a Monday that I called. Later on last night I go back into my laundry room, and water is all over the floor....EEK, this is my new Italian tile I just put in and new wood trim around the edges..I grabbed every towel in site. I couldn't believe the same thing that happened to the first washer that is happening to this one, so I called back into Service and the guy said " get a "BUCKET" and start taking the water out. I said, I don't think you understand me, the water is flooding out from underneath the machine, ALL over my new floor. He said well there is a tech scheduled on Friday of this week, that is all he can do. So today I have called in a number on their website, got into a customer service manager, and the tech is coming out tomorrow, two days later rather than 5 days later. I am so upset that here I am on a 2nd Calypso machine, same crappy problem, the soonest they could even possibly fix it , I am sure it will need a new motor, would be next week sometime if that. I paid over 2,400.00 for a washer/dryer set to match. This machine in my view should have been taken off the market the first year when I know there had to be many problems over the US on this machine. If there is a class action suit, I want to be part of this. Sears should absolutely not be selling a piece of crap like this to anyone this year.
The technician that was out last month said even though he was a tech for the Sears Washer he would never buy this model the "Calypso", if that tells anyone considering on purchasing this machine, do yourself a huge favor and save yourself time and money, don't but it!! I purchased it to save on water since I am on a septic system and was told this machine is great on water savings and energy. It will take 16 pairs of jeans and a KING size comforter. God help me if I should even try a large comforter in this machine or more than 5 pairs of jeans. I shutter to think what would have happened if I had done that.
I purchased a 3 year Maintenance Agreement. Yes it does help, because if you have many problems on one machine if they can't get the part or the tech can't fix it, then it is suppose to be replaced..well we will see. It does cover the cost and ALL the trips out and the parts. I won't except less than I bought. I can't see loosing hundreds of dollars on a washer and dryer combo that I purchased with confidence. I thought the Sears salespeople knew what they where talking about and Sears reputation of quality. That person should be fired. I talked to him over an hour making sure this was the right washing machine to buy. I have a very hard time believing they are still selling this piece of crap to anyone still.
It takes two rinse cycles for dark items, so there goes the conservation of water and energy to make sure the soap gets out and doesn't leave streaks. I would have been better off buying anything else even a cheaper model than this lemon of a washer. I had problems also with the electronic board with the first washer as well as flooding. This one was giving wrong readings last month, the tech said it checked out fine, now this one is flooding and smells of burning. The finish inside the washer also if you get HE detergent on it it will eat the finish off. I have the Graphite color so it looks horrible when you lift the lid as if I haven't cleaned it. So there is no reason Sears shouldn't take their losses with this LEMON and get it off the market and make restitution on another set that will work. The cost could not possibly be as much as the repairs and techs time. Please re-consider purchasing this washer from Sears.....and the service what you have to go through to get any item serviced is ridiculous. Nothing should take 5 days to get someone out, especially as big as Sears is. Find another product to purchase maybe from an individual appliance store in your town. It might be worth the time and money that you will save in the long run.
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Sep 20 '05
11:06 am PDT
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Re: calypso washer from hell (Reply to this comment)
by lizrose1
We just bought a Kenmore Calypso last week. It was delivered on Thursday and by Sunday, it was no longer working. The salesman had told me it could handle heavy-duty loads like throw rugs and bath mats. Our old washer used to handle our throw rug and bath mat without any problem, as long as we counter balanced the load with some other items. Well, the Calypso "chewed" up the bath mat and shredded it, causing the small pieces to clog the drain, giving us the LD message on the computerized panel. I was unable to get a satisfactory explaination from the owner's manual so I went online and, much to my dismay, discovered hundreds of hits resulting from my web search with horror story after horror story! I called the Service Department and the earliest a serviceman could come out was in 6 days! I next called Sears and asked to return the machine for a full refund. I was surprised to hear the "satisfaction guarantee" only was good for the first 30 days. Thank Goodness this "amazing" Calypso machine broke down after only 4 loads of laundry, causing me to discover all the negative feedback online.
When my husband and I went back to Sears to pick out another machine (traditional type), a different salesman helped us and revealed to us that the Calypso is being taken off the market. Gee, I sure wish the first salesman who sold us that turkey had warned us about that!
I can't believe that Sears has stood behind and sold this defective, high-priced item for so many years! I also can't believe that Consumer Reports rated it as the #2 washing machine! I don't think I'll be renewing my subscription because I will seriously doubt their recommendations from now on. Thanks to forums such as this one, I quickly made the decision to return the washer rather than have it repaired, and was saved a lot of grief that I surely would have experienced had I kept this piece of junk.
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Aug 25 '05
3:27 am PDT
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calypso washer from hell (Reply to this comment)
by josephine115
I had become annoyed at the high price of having my washing machine serviced so I decided that my hard earned cash was better spent on purchasing a new machine. The salesman at Sears showed me the calypso, the washing machine of the gods. He told me everything I wanted to hear. Largest capacity washer on the market, gentle on clothes, blah, blah, blah...And to make it a really wonderful deal, the matching dryer that saves energy by sensing when your clothes are dry and cutting itself off. Well, within the first year the washer had to have two computer panels replaced and two pumps replaced. Now, mind you, Sears service trucks do not keep an inventory of parts on hand so one service call turns into at least two days off of work for the initial visit and installation. If all goes well, that is. Sometimes all does not go well. You know the drill. You take off of work and they don't show up because your part did not arrive and they didn't bother to call and reschedule the appointment, or your morning appointment shows up at 5:30 p.m. After the service calls within the first 9 months inched closer to the two thousand dollar mark, and you've spent most of the year hauling your families laundry to the laundromat you begin to realize that maybe the most expensive machine on the market with the newest technology does not translate into the best deal. I had to take off more days from work than I was allowed. I missed my own daughters birthday party because of a serviceman who did not bother to call us to let us know he was not coming, and I had to do without a washing machine for months at a time. Several repairmen told us that these were the worst machines on the market and the most expensive to fix because of the computer panel. After arguing with Sears for what seemed like forever, they finally agreed to replace our machine. The delivery men told us that there were many, many calypso washers that simply got hauled to the dump ,and that, unfortunately, my experience was not uncommon. Well, my replacement didn't fare much better. I have been hauling my families laundry to the laundromat now for six months. I'm going to look into buying a maytag and do some research before I buy instead of relying on the deceptive selling practices of Sears. I hope to find a class ation suit to become involved in and I will never shop at Sears again.
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Nov 02 '04
8:51 am PST
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Calypso is GARBAGE (Reply to this comment)
by tlvargas
I agree with the Calypso Horror story, thank god I have the extended warrenty! I too have had NUMEROUS service calls. I UNFORTUNATELY purchased mine through Best Buy, there service sucks.
I have had so many parts replaced. Each time I call it takes a week or two to come out. I am ALWAYS told they dont carry parts and have to order them. Then the part arrives (usually a week or so) I call to schedule them out again, another week or so. SO each time I am down for 2 to 4 weeks ata time. I purchased in 2002. I also asked about the "lemon" option for replacement, they continue to refuse, they are far enough apart in calls and parts. I am going down to buy an old used machine as a back up this week.
Also just to add insult to injury. the repair man came today replaced the pump and left. My wife started a load of laundry and it LEAKS!!! i called, sorry nothing they can do they can return in a few days. I ask for a supervisor, all i get is "sorry" nothing we can do, no one to transfer me too. they simply refuse. I just emailed my local TV station consumer person to ask for help with this pitiful lemon of a machine and service that is horrid! DO NOT buy a Calypso !!!!!
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Oct 27 '04
12:06 am PDT
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Re: Supporting evidence at epinions (Reply to this comment)
by daquan
Yes, it's quite obvious that both this machine & the Kenmore look-alike are a piece of crap. A true
first class lemon!! The only thing that you'll get from these machines is that the repairman will become a frequent visitor!
I, also, went back to the "Washing machines" section of this website & found many more complaints about these two machines than praises!
These & the high-end Maytag machines ARE in line
for class-action lawsuits because of their constant ongoing troublesome defective parts.
May I suggest getting a MID-PRICED Whirlpool or Kenmore next time around? They seem to hold out much better & last much longer, according to some of the members here.
Also, don't fall for the smaller front loading tumbler-type machines either. Those are much likely to be made by Frigidaire, another washing machine company whose tainted reputation has also produced machines with a worst-than-average frequency of repair record, according to Consumer Reports.
Members please!!! Do your homework before buying a major appliance. I don't want you to get taken by the very first thing that you see or that looks good. Don't let the salesperson talk you into buying something that you don't want or something that you think might not last a long time. An outrageously expensive machine does not mean that it will last at least several years before it needs any repairs, as sasybamagrl has found out.
Getting a major appliance from a company that will give you the very least amount of trouble is your best shot against getting one that just keeps on breaking down!!!
-Daquan.
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Oct 23 '04
10:11 am PDT
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Supporting evidence at epinions (Reply to this comment)
by chumsae@gateway.net
I just looked at the overall rating here and with
63 inputs, the machine has a two star rating...
very poor. Good fodder for your lawyer.
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Oct 23 '04
6:58 am PDT
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Sue them (Reply to this comment)
by chumsae@gateway.net
Sears has a problem with your machine, and possibly every one of this model ever made.
I'd make a full court press in getting full restitution plus reimbrusement for laundramat
expenses plus a reasonable inconvenience charge.
Document everything. Communicate your demands first to the store manager, then area, then corporate. Demand written responses and give each level a week to respond. Mention prominently that you were pregnant and that your family has been exposed to mold (mold is a big issue in the courts right now) with unknown consequences. Let them know that you are outraged by this product and their response.
Let's say you want $1,200 plus tax for the unit,
$200 laundramat, $2,000 inconvenience, total $3,200. Let them know that they can settle right now, cheaply and quickly.
No response, take them to court; their anticipated reticence will bite them. You will very likely get triple damages of $6,600 plus legal fees. It's a no-brainer for the court to decide for you.
Second level
Your lawyer might suggest up-ing the stakes because Sears' response may have caused you and your family health problems which are as yet undiscovered. If the lawyer can turn up a pattern
of problems and a pattern of no response, then your award could and should be in the millions of dollars.
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Oct 23 '04
6:55 am PDT
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