Recently, We had an issue with our IFB washing machine and my wife was googling for IFB customer care. She stumbled a web-site masquerading themselves to be an authorised service centre.
customercaresupport.co.in - IFB-Washing-Machine Repair?
Service within 1 Hrs Doorstep 24/7. customer care support 8151000009. This apparently seems to be a website run by SV Service centre. They also have some more websites to lure potential victims:
SV Service center is only a call center and it out sources the repair to some unknown entities. In my case, the technician was from ACE Machinery services by named Suresh. He inspected the washing machine and told us that the PCB( board) has to be replaced. He also suggested us to service our washing machine as it was 5 years old. He took the PCB from our washing machine and said someone from his service center will come and pickup the washing machine and that it will be returned in 2 days. I should have suspected when he removed the board and took it with him. He also charged Rs. 250/- for not doing anything but taking our board.
After two days, I didnt get any call from them. I read some reviews about ACE machine services where their victims have described the same modus operandi that the technician would claim the board has to be replaced and takes the board with him.
After much struggle, I managed to get my washing machine from them. They showed a demo for a couple of minutes that they have fixed the problem. They charged 3850/- for the PCB, 650 for service & 400/- for transportation. Including the initial 250/-, I had paid 5150/-. But the next day when we used the machine, it stopped working in 15 min.
Went through a lot of pain for the next 20 days with Ace machinery services where they would take the machine and return it but would not work.
After losing all my patience, I called IFB customer care. They sent a technician who checked the machine and said the board is gone. He showed the board and to my shock it was a 2006 board. He said that IFB doesnt manufacture such boards now. He fixed the problem in 10 minutes and my machine has been working fine from then.
I had to fight with ACE machine services and I got a refund of 3000/-. 2150/- was my loss and the mental agony of having to deal with such people.
S.V Service center did not provide any assistance in my case even though I would have called them more than 10 times.
S.V Service center websites do not have any registered address. Whenever I asked them to provide their address, they would dodge and deflect the conversation.
Beware of S.V Service center and ACE machinery services. Do not become victims.
Muthu