My LG washing machine went on the fritz two days ago and for a germophobe like me who can’t leave the house if there’s a pile of dirty laundry, that’s a major household event.

So I called the Geek Squad at Best Buy, where I bought the LG/ HE washing machine and as it’s six years old, they routed my phone call to the Philippines Out- of -Warranty Department to set an appointment for a tech to come out on Wednesday. It took a lonnngggg time to get routed correctly and set the appointment.

AND they insisted on charging me $125 over the phone for the labor /service charge. I thought this was a little unusual but they assured it wouldn’t be charged until after the appointment, which of course didn’t happen as it showed up on my bank credit card account this morning before I ever saw the tech. Wow I wish I could charge $125 just for driving out to your house and telling you about my services.

Now the repairman was nice, clean and considerate and changed out the water pump relatively quickly. But I signed the phone receipt without seeing the invoice because it was emailed to me. I was told the repair was $103 for the water pump that I took to mean the price of the new pump.

When I got the invoice I was livid. The pump was $34 and the labor to install it was ANOTHER $65. The tech was here for just shy of an hour. I called the corporate “Customer Service” phone number on the invoice and was told that I got off cheaply as labor runs $65 per fifteen minutes to a total of $175! This was in addition to the $125. So the tech who came out charged $190 to change out a $34 part and had he stayed a bit longer, my labor charge would have been $300 THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS to potentially replace a $34 part.

I’ve gone to doctors who don’t charge me $190-$300 an hour to tell me what’s wrong with me.  I think this is outrageous. It doesn’t cost $125 for a tech to drive to my house and run a computer diagnostic on a washing machine. There are smart-phone apps that you can download to do this now. I complained to LG Customer Service and I’m sending them a copy of this blog.  They simply do not care about their customers.

I am a supporter of Capitalism. But I am a supporter of fair charges too. I don’t rip off my clients. Stupid me. I expect the same treatment. So remember to think about the repair price of the exotic items you purchase in the future….like washing machines. And ask for the ten-year warranty….  (That’s a joke. Just making sure you knew that).

On the Gayle Scale of 1-10 with 10 being OUTSTANDING, LG rates a 9 for their repairman’s abiltiy to diagnose and fix the problem BUT LG gets a dismal 1 for their charging policy and “customer service.”

With apologies to Percy Bysshe Shelley

I met a Republican from Washington D.C.

Who said: The wall will keep out the rapists.

The parents and the children; Not innocent. Not worthy.

But I say:

The Real Estate King number 45

With cold command and ridiculous pride

Will tell his sculptor to build his name

At the top of the wall, while he plays this game

And rapes the employees of the Federal Tribe

Who are really just trying to stay alive.

And at the base, these words could appear:

My name is Trumpzymandias, king of kings.

Look on my works, ye Americans and despair.

Nothing will remain. The decay of our democracy

Will stretch far away.

Unless we encircle him with his very own wall

Of his lies and deceit and make that call.

The words that should appear are; traitor

Russian-owned Alt- Right agitator.