I splurged on a Haier refrigerator and washing machine after the brands name kept popping up in recommendations but to be brutally frank the whole affair has been a disappointment. At glance the appliances were all flashcontemporary lines, a glossy sheen and the full suite of fancy features the adverts parade. Yet after a handful of months glitches began to surface one, after another.
Half a year after its installation the refrigerator began to emit a metallic clatter. The temperature distribution went askewwhile the upper compartment turned into an icebox that froze everything inside the lower shelves stubbornly clung to a almost roomtemperature state. Consequently fresh produce wilted sooner. The water bottles remained stubbornly lukewarm. Multiple complaints were lodged with the call centre to become tangled in a quagmire that made securing a technician feel, like an epic quest. When a repairman finally arrived he applied a stopgap fix. The original malfunction resurfaced within a week.
The washing machine turned out to be more disappointing. It ran smoothly at first. After a year the spin cycle started to fail. The clothes would come out halfdry. Sometimes the machine simply stopped midcycle with no error message all. Reaching out, to Haiers service center yielded replies. The replacement part they needed stayed "out of stock" for a month forcing calls just to get any update.
The brands glaring flaw lies in its customer service. The helpline feels like an maze and usually theyll hand you a complaint number and then let it sit untouched. You end up having to chase them just to see any action. When a technician finally arrives theyre often. Give the job only a cursory glance.
Durability emerges as another flaw. For the price Haier tacks onto the tag a sturdier build ought to have been the norm. Yet both units started throwing tantrums after twelve to twentyfour monthsa timeline that falls short of any acceptable benchmark, for home appliances. By contrast my veteran LG refrigerator soldiered on for a decade without a hiccup making this dip in reliability feel like a stark step backward.
It seems the spare parts they offer are not pricey but a nightmare to locate once you step out of the big cities. I was shocked to see that swapping out a tray, in the fridge cost me more than I had imagined.
Haier may look appealing at glance. Its actual performance and service fall short of the lofty promises, in its ads. The designs are undeniably stylish. They seldom prove reliable, over the term.
Things that work well:
A design that catches the eye with charm.
A select range of models boast pricing.
Cons(the negatives):
Aftersales assistance fell short of expectations.
A steady stream of hiccups.
Spare parts that command a price and are scarce, on the market.
Weak. Shaky reliability.
Rating: 2.2, out of 5
Would I recommend Haier? Noits sleek look may seem upscale at first. The experience quickly devolves into a hassle.