Spent $4,000 on a Fridge Today Without Checking Reviews. 2/5 Rating on Product Review. WWYD?

goingDHfast on 08/05/2021 - 17:54
Last edited 08/05/2021 - 18:06 by 1 other user

Hi all,

Today we bought a beautiful new fridge as an impulse purchase with only around 10% discount. Very unlike us but we didn't research the model online first!

Of course we got home and I googled it and was shocked to see 2.6/5 on Product Review. As the fridge is being delivered during the week and it was a top of the line model we are strongly considering requesting a refund before it is delivered.

What would you do?

P.S. the fridge is a Fisher & Paykell rf605qzuvb1 and we bought it from the Good Guys (new version of the quad door that only came out last week apparently..)

I always thought this NZ brand was considered the best available alongside brands like Samsung. Not so according to the reviews sadly.

Poll Options expired

  • 10
    1) Ask for a refund before delivery
  • 2
    2) Buy a warranty extension just in case
  • 1
    3) Request a refund/warranty early if issues start to appear
  • 118
    4) Don't worry about it and just enjoy the new fridge
Electrical & Electronics

Comments

  • bdl on 08/05/2021 - 17:58
    +3

    Enjoy it.

    • CalmLemons on 10/05/2021 - 14:00
      +1

      Yes enjoy it. Review culture is overated.

      I use F&P in favour of other brands bosch, lg, samsung, smeg as they're easy to use.

      A lot of the reviews are normally for older models that productreview combines.

  • Tee Rex Arms on 08/05/2021 - 17:59
    +64

    Most who leave reviews are the minority who’ve had some issue. The overwhelming majority would have no dramas and don’t bother leaving feedback.

    • goingDHfast on 08/05/2021 - 18:03
      +2

      Thanks for the reassurance, hope you are right in this case!

      • Baysew on 08/05/2021 - 18:10
        +38

        The Product Review rating for OzBargain is only 2.9.

        • goingDHfast on 08/05/2021 - 18:14
          +21

          Thanks off to claim my refund now

          ಠ_ಠ

        • brendanm on 08/05/2021 - 20:25
          +10

          Please tell me Pam has left a scathing review.

          • SF3 on 08/05/2021 - 21:09
            +1

            @brendanm: Would have escalated to highest ranked staff member…

        • This Guy on 09/05/2021 - 10:30
          +2

          Neil thinks Neil is an idiot with power. We need Niel to reply to Niel to either confirm or deny such blasphemy.

          • Kikkoman56 on 10/05/2021 - 14:49
            +2

            @This Guy: Reminds me of the Onion Piece they did on Vladimir Putin

            Russian President Vladimir Putin has learned of an assassination plot against former prime minister Vladimir Putin, masterminded by former KGB director Vladimir Putin. Putin was reportedly heard raving that he knew Putin's fingerprints were all over the plan to kill Putin and signed an executive order authorizing Putin to assassinate Putin before Putin could give Putin the go ahead to have Putin assassinate Putin.

        • ozbjunkie on 09/05/2021 - 13:20

          Indeed it is. But I wouldn't rate the product review website so highly.

          So I take it all with a pinch of home brand salt.

        • happydude on 10/05/2021 - 17:37

          And they all seem to from someone called 'Deleted User'.

          Must have had a bad time in the forums.

        • SF3 on 12/05/2021 - 14:43

          Just means OzB have a more diverse crowd now, than before. :)

  • holdenmg on 08/05/2021 - 18:01
    +9

    FP is Haier owned :+(

    • goingDHfast on 08/05/2021 - 18:02

      Well I guess that's a vote for #1… Doh

    • Pete99 on 08/05/2021 - 18:39
      +1

      Didn't know that…guess FP is off my list now

  • wizzy on 08/05/2021 - 18:02
    +8

    I always thought this NZ brand was considered the best available alongside brands like Samsung

    I was under the opposite impression. I thought that Samsung were known for making bad appliances.

    • holdenmg on 08/05/2021 - 18:08
      +5

      What about the 2 in 1 Hybrid Washing Machine/BBQ?
      There is no love… lol

  • Axelstrife on 08/05/2021 - 18:03
    +7

    very few people who have no issues bother to go around leaving positive reviews.

    • pharkurnell on 08/05/2021 - 18:27
      +2

      specially when it only came out last week according to OP

  • pharkurnell on 08/05/2021 - 18:15
    +41

    WWID - punch myself in the face for paying $4000 for a fridge

    • goingDHfast on 08/05/2021 - 18:18

      Too late, can't edit poll options :(

    • pegaxs on 08/05/2021 - 18:27
      +16

      That's what I was thinking… I spent $1,200 on my last one 7 years ago and I still walk past it, totally disgusted with myself. It's like a big, stainless steel reminder.

    • reactor-au on 09/05/2021 - 07:49

      Only on ozbargain though- Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos probably wouldn't spend less than $4,000 on a fridge. I mean "expensive" is a relative term.

  • bloom on 08/05/2021 - 18:17
    +2

    I’ve got the 2 door version, great fridge! Won choice awards
    https://www.appliancesonline.com.au/product/fisher-paykel-rf…

    • goingDHfast on 08/05/2021 - 18:19

      That's great to hear. Is it quiet enough and have you had any problems with doors not closing completely? These issues seem to come up in reviews.

      • bloom on 08/05/2021 - 18:21
        +2

        Dead quiet except when it drops ice which is maybe once a day. Door only doesn’t close if you have no tilt set, no regrets

  • Melb69 on 08/05/2021 - 18:40
    +1

    Buyer regret. You can try getting a refund on change of mind, but up to GG. Likely a store credit. Should be fine with a FP. At that price you should still have warranty claim after the warranty period within reason. You may just have to fight it if GG don't come to the party.

    Your call as to whether you want to still take it. Are the reviews even realistic one. Alot of ppl post negative reviews rather than positive ones, so likely to be skewed to poor star ratings.

  • holdenmg on 08/05/2021 - 18:40
    +4

    I want one of those fridges that you tap on the door and can see contents inside.
    I don't want one when you walk past you can hear tapping on the door from the inside.

    • ozbjunkie on 09/05/2021 - 13:22
      +5

      I tapped on the door and there's a whole apartment in there!

      And why is it so damn cold in my small room?

  • Melb69 on 08/05/2021 - 18:49
    +1

    Fisher & Paykel RF605QD https://g.co/kgs/16MuEF Similiar range

    • goingDHfast on 08/05/2021 - 19:00

      Great find interesting to see how different that rating is. Much closer to what I had in mind from word of mouth! Interestingly many of the product review listings are "verified owners" not sure how much weight that carries.

      • hullohullo on 09/05/2021 - 11:45
        +7

        My rule of thumb is that if there are a lot of positive reviews on ProductReview.com.au, they're usually incentivised in some way (e.g. leave a review, get xyz from company you purchased from).

      • martinms on 22/09/2021 - 00:21

        so are you happy with the fridge so far?

  • tight-ass on 08/05/2021 - 18:53
    +1

    Our Fisher & Paykel fridge is still going strong after 16 years and hasn't skipped a bit in all that time.

    • Mechz on 08/05/2021 - 20:59

      I have a factory second F&P bought direct from them in 07 and it's still perfect.

  • Ocker on 08/05/2021 - 18:59
    +1

    It's predecessor, Fisher & Paykel RF605QDUVX1, ranked very well on the Choice reviews

    • capslock janitor on 10/05/2021 - 15:05

      same age, same income .. same super contribution

  • whitelie on 08/05/2021 - 19:28

    the best available alongside brands like Samsung

    You should really do some research if you think Samsung is at the pinnacle of fridges….that said, I'd keep the F&P. Can't say if the newer ones are the same quality as older ones but my parents had one when I was growing up that never died, I got one when I moved out and that relationship packed it in before the fridge did. I'd buy another no problem but I wouldn't be dropping $4k on a "regular" fridge. I'm sure you could have got a similar Westinghouse or Mitsubishi for around the $3k mark

    • goingDHfast on 08/05/2021 - 19:44

      Yeah should have clarified that, best of the non commercial or European/US sub $5k range perhaps? LG, Samsung, F&P all seem to rate well I thought.

    • BartholemewH on 10/05/2021 - 13:56

      Family member spent 3k+ on a Samsung fridge that kept breaking down (within a few months of purchase). They became so frustrated by the constant problems/repairs/food going bad that they put it on the veranda and bought something else. I think it went to the tip when they sold the house.

  • trustnoone on 08/05/2021 - 20:11

    If you'd like more time, you could just ask them for a refund? Seems like they do it fine, though you never know if they'll try to add a fee of some sort.

    (d) if you are returning Goods due to a change of mind, the Goods must be in a “re-saleable” condition as determined by TGG.

    I do think many product review sites obliterate reviews, almost all of them I read on that site for every product is like super negative. My guess is largely people with issues comment.

    Still though, I probably wouldn't buy anything over $100 without research. Then again, I've missed out on things my brother gets, because he dives right in, straight away.

  • GourmetFoodie on 08/05/2021 - 20:14
    +2

    I’m getting the 605L version. Can’t wait.

    I wouldn’t panic. If it’s genuinely faulty eg. Door issues etc then they have to fix it. A lot of the time door issues are a result of people having uneven floors in their homes and not an appliance issue,

    • goingDHfast on 08/05/2021 - 20:32

      Awesome glad someone else loves the design!

      AFAIK the model I got is actually 605L?

      Part # is rf605qzuvb1

  • teacherer on 08/05/2021 - 20:35

    Did you use good guys commercial and save some $?

  • Mechz on 08/05/2021 - 21:13

    Can you really trust the reviews if it was only released a week ago? How many people would have one by now, like 5 to 10 in all of Aus maybe?

    • goingDHfast on 08/05/2021 - 21:51

      Yeah good point but it's fairly similar to the previous generation in the linked reviews AFAIK.

  • BugsBunnyAUS on 08/05/2021 - 21:48
    +3

    Wouldn't worry. Fridges aren't something I think people would be likely to go on the internet to positively review if they like them.

  • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 08/05/2021 - 22:15
    +3

    You're protected under the Australian Consumer Law anyway.

  • lachhelix on 08/05/2021 - 23:46
    +2

    If it helps, I take anything on product review with a grain of salt.
    Enjoy your fridge! YOLO

  • ausdday on 09/05/2021 - 01:37
    +1

    New replacement model tends to fix the problems of the old.

    But from the reviews, people are paying between 2600 - 3500. I hope yours is much better to justify the price increse.

    • Melb69 on 09/05/2021 - 08:17
      +2

      I think the price is high as it is a newly released model. In any event it's a case of when you buy yours the next day the sale starts. Nothing you can do. Move on and enjoy the product. Ie all those still waiting now for cheap Sony WH100Xm4s to go sub $300. I've had my Xm2s for ages and still loving them. Sure the 3/4 may have better NC, but mine does the job fine.

      Impluse purchases are most of the time regretafull, especially when you haven't done the research prior.

  • Waltervp on 09/05/2021 - 09:01
    +3

    If you can afford to impulse buy it I wouldn't worry too much. You clearly loved the look and functionality and chances are great you'll be very happy with it . If it is not too late to get the extended warranty I would suggest you do that for peace of mind.

    I have driven/loved quite a few modern Peugeot vehicles and know quite a few friends who have them and none seem to have had issues the bad reviews talk about, like expensive parts and repairs and service costs, in fact quite the opposite. I have also had the opposite, with a crap DeLonghi $1k+ machine that had rave reviews and I literally had to throw it away a month after the 1yr warranty had expired, after a year of lengthy repairs at authorised workshops. Don't always listen to reviews!

    W

  • HeWhoKnows on 09/05/2021 - 14:15

    Reviews on product review are just peoples OPINIONS!
    They are not a formal review by a qualified person.
    And many have no idea and/or are not installing or operating the appliance correctly.

    Furthermore: Most people writing reviews on product review do so to make a complaint so its very one-sided

    So try and focus more on the positive reviews
    You have a good warranty so if anything goes wrong you are well and truly covered

    • 91rs on 10/05/2021 - 15:28

      They're experiences people have with a product, not just an opinion back with nothing.
      They don't need to be a "qualified person" outside of having owned the product and providing feedback on their day to day experience and problems, if that feedback is due to product failure or sub-optimal performance then that is justified where it is a product fault and not a user error that requires one or more repairs.
      Its a fridge in this case, so either it keeps things cold or frozen or it doesn't, there are few ways you could be operating the appliance incorrectly so I dont think saying people have no idea is valid.
      You can often see trends of the same issues with some products that indicate a manufacturing issue or something a device is more prone to.

  • OzHunterNSW on 09/05/2021 - 15:52
    +1

    Buyer Remorse…. 1: get off the internet. 2: Don't worry what we say. 3: Do not get sucked in to extended warranty - you are covered beyond 12m under Consumer Law. 4: Enjoy your new fridge and congratulate yourself in being ALIVE.

  • AS2035 on 09/05/2021 - 19:19

    Choice rating is 3.5/5

  • Darayus on 10/05/2021 - 10:26
    +4

    F&P brand is owned by Haier China and Haier china makes your fridge. Had you bough Haier you would have saved almost 60% and got the same stuff with Haier.

    I had same experience either i have to buy F&P Refrigerator or Haier and after great deliberation we went to Haier and save almost 60% on cost. down the line after 4 years my freezer was not defrosting and so panel started swelling up, called thier help line and they send F&P service guys and fixed heating elements without cost.

    Even after almost 10 years this freezer is still working great and happy with service.

    Also no one post good review unless each and everyone starts writing up and only those who are not happy will write bad review so you should take online review by pinch of salt.

  • greencomet on 10/05/2021 - 13:48
    +2

    I've had that exact model fridge in the reviews you linked for almost 2 years now, it's worked great and we've had no issues with it. Online reviews are usually from salty people that have had a crap experience, 90% of people that have no issues at all usually don't write reviews. I'd just enjoy your new fridge mate.

  • bling on 10/05/2021 - 14:30
    +1

    I wouldn't worry too much OP. You made a good choice.

    I have this fridge - well the stainless steel version not the matte black one, for the past 1.5years. have had zero issues and totally love it. The water dispenser is fabulous, and the bottom converter drawer is permanently is soft freeze mode for me as extra freezer space.

    It is whisper quiet and no issues with door closing - the left side does need to be pushed more stronger than the right to ensure it closes properly but you get into that habit fairly quickly. The only complaint is that it could have deeper and higher vege crisper drawers but that is a minor thing.

    Another hot tip, the fridge surface doesn't take well to magnets if you love to stick those on front of the fridge - you will get fine scratches unlike the older style white appliances.

  • 91rs on 10/05/2021 - 15:15
    +2

    I'd avoid F&P given the poor build of them these days. Long gone are the days of quality that came out of Auckland or Brisbane for their products.

    I had an NZ built F&P and it still works great 20 years later, I gave it to a family member.
    However the most recent F&P I bought a few years back was nothing but trouble, I ended up replacing it with a Mitsubishi between the first and second failure as it would lose its gas and the fridge wouldn't cool, so lots of spoiled food and frozen goods.
    The Mitsubishi was quite a lot more $$ over the F&P but it has been faultless.

    My F&P ended up having an internal cabinet problem which was not detected the first two times it was taken away (outside warranty, at my expense each time), on the third occasion they called and said it was stuffed and offered another fridge at half price.

    F&P is now on my list of products to avoid, mostly as its just Chinese crap now days.
    Take it back \ buy something else OP.

  • dr on 10/05/2021 - 15:30
    +1

    Four thousand effin dollars for 605L fridge? WWID? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8hCluMUSfk

  • Yorkshire-Man on 10/05/2021 - 15:44

    Jeez… is this the COVID tax? We bought a 910l fridge freezer for less than that in 2019.

  • sraymond on 10/05/2021 - 19:01
    +1

    If we listened to the reviews when we renovated our kitchen we probably wouldn’t have a fridge at all.

  • cnd47 on 13/03/2022 - 22:37

    Where exactly do you see that model RF605QZUVB1 is 2.6/5?

    When I type in that model number into productreviews, it jumps to model RF605QDUVX1, a different and older model, which gives that score. If you then try to correct the model to RF605QZUVB1, there are zero reviews for it.

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