Thought I would share the outcome of my shopping experience.
*WARNING* Lengthy post. I try to be as detailed as possible to help those who will be appliance shopping, especially those first-time appliance buyers. The views expressed here are solely my own; I am not a paid endorser. Some content not suitable for children. Kidding.
About me: First-time appliance buyer who recently closed on a home. Looking for a fridge and w/d set. Hard core researcher with a Consumer Reports.org membership and a love for IHB and TI. I took a friend with me for a 2nd opinion.
On Saturday, July 3rd, I visited 4 stores: RSSA in Anaheim, Pacific Sales in Brea, and Pacific Sales/Outlet in Cerritos.
Stop #1, RSSA: If you're looking for something other than the standard, run-of-the-mill appliance, this place is for you. Cool store with a lot of fun items to look at, but because I was looking for more mainstream appliances, this was not the place for me. Their selection was few and far between (in my opinion), and the person who I dealt with wasn't very knowledgeable. For example, he didn't know that LG makes a top load washer. When I asked about different features of some of the fridges I was looking at, he hemmed and hawed and kept asking his associate for help.
The store is a decent size, but has so much in there that it was hard to navigate. Very crowded with appliances. Be careful walking around.
I was told that delivery is $95. Delivery and installation is $200. When I told the guy no thanks, and I would be looking elsewhere, he shouted at me as I was walking out the door that he would take off $25 off delivery and installation. Needless to say, I kept walking.
Stop #2, Pacific Sales Brea: Had a good feeling as I walked through the door. Open space, large, vast selection. I was poking around the fridge section and a salesman named Steve approached. An older gentleman (I would guess in his 60s), he had a laid-back attitude and a good sense of humor. We joked around a bit while I looked around.
Refrigerator: Steve was very knowledgeable about the products and even steered me away from some of the more expensive brands because, according to him, they weren't worth the price. I told him needed a counter depth fridge and was considering LG and GE, and I was not spending more than $2000. I was open to both side-by-side and french, but preferred s-b-s. I told him I wanted to steer clear of the Whirlpool family (Whirlpool, Maytag, Jenn Air, Kitchen Aid), as I had bad experience with those brands. He said that LG is fairly new to the fridge game, so there aren't many service records out there. Also, he only had one LG to show me and said I was better off going with the GE brand. I looked at 2 GE Profile stainless steel fridges. They were basically the same, except one was 24.6cu ft and the other was 23.3cu ft. The 23.3cu ft was $2000, with 15% off, totaling $1700. The 24.6cu ft was $2300, with 15% off, totaling $1955. I reminded Steve that I was buying both a fridge and w/d set, and he said that he would ask his manager if there was anything they could do to get me a better deal.
These were the only 2 under $2000, so I didn't have much to choose from.
W/D: I asked Steve if they carried the LG top washer, and he said they didn't make one. I was very sad that Steve wasn't informed (I later found out it's a newer product, about a month old, so perhaps that's why no one knew about it). When I told them that yes, they do, and Best Buy carries it, he apologized and asked for a model number and looked for it online. He priced it at $999.97, but said he would knock off $200. He asked if I had the model number for the dryer, but I didn't, so he said that if I find it he would price match or beat it. Then he told me that Pacific Sales had been bought by Best Buy 4 years ago. Interesting!
I took his card and told him I would think about it and be in touch.
Note: They offer free delivery and installation.
Store #3, Pacific Sales Outlet Cerritos: Wow...was this place a mess! I had high hopes going in. Items scattered everywhere. It was kind of a free-for-all. I went over to the fridge section and saw that most of the fridges were still in their packaging and wrapped up. Each one had a sign with the manufacturer name, quick description, and price. You couldn't open the boxes to be able to open the doors and poke around. They did have some fridges that were readily accessible, but I didn't find anything I liked. Same with the w/d section. You pretty much have to go in there knowing what you want.
Note: they do
NOT offer delivery.
Store #4, Pacific Sales Cerritos: Right next door to the outlet. Seemed smaller than the Brea store. The selection was lacking in the fridge section. I looked at some of the French door models and didn't find anything I liked. And if I did, it was over my price point. The sales person had a heavy accent, therefore making him difficult to understand, and he was hovering over me like a lawyer over an accident victim.
He was trying to push me to buy a Kitchen Aid French door model for about $2300 on sale, and I wasn't biting. I told him that my friend and I were going to look around, and I would let him know if I needed help. As he walked away my friend and I looked at each other and he said we needed go back to the Brea store and give good ole Steve my business. I wholeheartedly agreed, and off we went.
I went back to Brea and got the following:
Fridge: GE Profile SS, 15% off ($1700)
5-year service plan ($147)
W/D: LG top load washer and gas steam dryer, both in white, $20% off each ($1656)
(2) 5-year service plans ($194, $97 each)
(1) gas line and vent for dryer ($30)
Sales tax: $296
TOTAL: $4023
Summary: Based on store research, Pacific Sales seemed to be my best bet. Lucked out getting a good salesman and shopping during a holiday weekend. I went with GE and LG after asking advice from friends/family, and doing research via Consumer Reports. Don't forget to ask if there are any rebates available. Double check with the manufacturer's website and utility sites (The Gas Company, Edison, etc).
Good luck!
ETA: See...I know what I'm talking about!
http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/391/best-places-to-buy-appliances/
