Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. / Godrej Pentacool (Double Door)
Frequent Breakdown of Refrigerator / Deficient services provided

I have purchased one refrigerator the details of which are as below:

Dealer Name: Jaiswal Electronics, 86, Johnstonganj Allahabad.

Make: Godrej Pentacool (Double Door) Model: CF235F Sr. No: 00004020

Date of Purchase: 08/10 Bill No: 10528

Warranty Details: Compressor under warranty Expiry Date: 07/10

The refrigerator is not working properly from past 10-11 months the details of complaints and bad experiences that I have to go through for the smart acre services provided by Godrej service center are detailed below:

1) Complaint date: 05/05 Complaint no: 707294

Nature of Complaint: No Cooling/Service Engineer found Compressor faulty

Repair Details: Compressor Replaced Repair Cost: Rs.1370.00 (includes Service charge of Rs.350.00)

Personal Experience: First I complained to the dealer from where I purchased the refrigerator, He given me the telephone no. of authorized Godrej local service centre at Allahabad i.e, Vasu Appliances, 7-E Shankar Tower, Civil Lines, Allahabad, so I made the complaint at Allahabad service centre and I was assured that a service engineer will be visiting soon to access the problem. It was then peak summer when every perishable items requires a refrigeration. Even it became difficult to store sufficient milk for my one year daughter as she was completely feeding on milk and her feeder bottles which were needed to be refrigerated got unhygienic and she got loose motions. I kept enquiring daily, when the engineer is going to visit and the receptionist daily assured that engineer will be reaching the same day, like this ten days passed by when on 05/05/08 I received a SMS from Godrej giving complaint no: 707294. The next day service engineer visited and found the compressor faulty. He also told, Service centre is not having the stock of compressor and it will take two to three days to get an spare compressor from the company. I said I will some how manage, but the same story started after, three days passed by I started enquiring about the availability of compressor and I was daily assured the engineer will be visiting soon or will visit the same day for repair and after another ten days the engineer arrived and repaired the refrigerator. It took 18 to 20 days for repair.

Note: Compressor replaced was an already repaired one not by the new compressor as accepted by the repair engineer, he told it’s the company that supplies these compressors.

2) Complaint date: 07/08 Complaint no: 722634

Nature of Complaint: No Cooling/Service Engineer found Compressor faulty

Repair Details: Compressor Replaced

Personal Experience: After two and half months the refrigerator stopped cooling. I made the complaint at Allahabad Local service centre and was assured the engineer will be visiting soon. I also enquired about the complaint no., receptionist told when service engineer will visit he will be providing the number. It was again the peak summer and the same above story started. After a week on 07/08 I received an SMS from Godrej giving complaint no.: 722634. The next day service engineer arrived and found compressor faulty and he assured that spare compressor are available and will get repaired in one or two days. After three days I started enquiring daily for repair to be done and each day the receptionist was telling a lie. I also talked to dealer about the delay in repair, he taken the complaint no. and assured that he will talk to service centre. Finally I sent a mail to Godrej on their mail account smartcare@godrej.com for repair. After a week the engineer arrived and replaced the compressor.

Note: It is evident from the above two incidents that the complaint were centrally locked only according to their convenience to show as if the repair has been done in minimum time but the actual story is something other.

3) Complaint date: 27/08 Complaint no: 725193

Nature of Complaint: No Cooling /Service Engineer found Freezer choked

Repair Details: Freezer Chocking Cleared Repair Cost: Rs.350.00 (Service charge)

Personal Experience: After two weeks from previous repair the refrigerator stopped cooling. This time I visited the Godrej smart care website and found the telephone no. of their call centre and locked the complaint on 27/08 and immediately I received the SMS giving complaint no. 725193. After two days the engineer visited and cleared the freezer chocking. Since chocking problem was not related to the previous repair engineer said you have to pay for the service charge which I paid when asked for cash receipt he said it can be collected from the service centre or when he will be visiting this area he will be bringing with him. He taken my signature on the service report for work done, when asked to give the customer copy of the service report he said since no components are replaced so it is not required.

4) Complaint date: 05/01 Complaint no: 742408

Nature of Complaint: No Cooling / Service engineer found gas leakage

Repair Cost: Rs.350.00 (Service charge) Rs.300.00 (Transportation charges)

Personal Experience: This time also I locked the complaint at call centre and immediately got SMS giving complaint no: 742408. After two days the service engineer visited and accessed the problem and told that there is gas leakage. The service engineer advised since the refrigerator is frequently breaking down he wants the refrigerator must be thoroughly checked at the service centre, so I paid Rs.300.00 as transportation charges and the refrigerator was taken to your service centre for repair. The refrigerator was taken on 13/01/09 and was given back on 15/01/09 after repair. A service charge of Rs.350.00 was also paid.

5) Complaint date: 19/01 Complaint no: 742408

Personal Experience: To my surprise when I received an SMS from Godrej regarding complaint No: 743987 dated: 19/01/09 which I never locked, so I enquired from Allahabad Service centre, they told since the previous complaint was for gas leakage but at Service Center they found compressor faulty so they themselves locked another complaint. I went to the Service Centre to get the service report regarding complaint no: 743987, the report given was manually filled in front of me to fulfill the formalities and the report was bearing user signature that does not belongs to me. Service centre told your previous complaint has been cancelled as it was for gas leakage.

6) Complaint date: 23/03 Complaint no: 747582

Nature of Complaint: No Cooling / Service engineer found gas leakage

Repair Details: Gas leakage repaired

Personal Experience: After one week again the same problem occurred refrigerator was not cooling. I registered the complaint at their call centre. Service engineer found gas leakage. This time I approached the dealer from where I purchased the refrigerator to do some needful regarding my woes and raise the issue with the company, he told he is helpless, as after purchase it is the responsibility of Godrej Company to provide the service. Instead he has given me the address of a Godrej Central Dealer for Allahabad: Batra Electronics, Civil Lines, Allahabad. I represented my case to Shri. Mukesh Batra of Batra Electronics he assured me that my case will be taken up and he talked to Manager of Godrej Company at Lucknow and talked to Service Centre Allahabad, and the refrigerator was repaired on the same day evening. In the hope that after repair the refrigerator will perform good I did not taken the matter further though I suffered a lot mentally.

7) Complaint date: 18/03 Complaint no: 754774

Nature of Complaint: No Cooling / Service engineer found gas leakage

Repair Details: Gas leakage yet to be repaired

Personal Experience: On 17/03 the refrigerator was not cooling up to the mark so I locked the complaint on 18/03 with complaint no: 754774, I also asked the call centre person will I have to pay for the service charge as the refrigerator has not performed well from previous repair which took place just one and half month back, he said you have to pay as it is company rule and if you are not willing then he will be cancelling the complaint, I asked to give me contact no. of your manager who is dealing with the company services so that I can raise my woes, he was giving the telephone no. of the local service centre from whom I was already suffering. The service engineer who visited to attend the complaint said the gas has leaked so repair has to be done. And for the service charge you have to talk to the service centre.

On 18/03 was my daughter’s birthday, her B’Day cake, cold drinks, and other perishable items which I stored in refrigerator for B’Day party got useless, B’Day party became a mourning ceremony for me.

Since the refrigerator is frequently breaking down with three compressor changed and other problems like gas leakage. I have already spent an amount of Rs.2, 370.00 till date on repairs and service charges. The refrigerator is not proving fruitful to me since it is going down faulty now and then. It is evident that the refrigerator is having some inherent problem due which compressor is going down faulty on regular basis or the compressors replaced are of the sub standard quality not even withstanding for more than three months. After the replacement of compressor either the freezer chokes or a gas leak shows the level of service provided by Godrej service centre. Even after sending the refrigerator to Godrej service centre has proved to be useless.

All this are disturbing my family and giving mental tension for the last 10-11 months.

If a component like compressor covered under 5 year warranty is going faulty on a regular basis that means there is some problem and needs to be addressed properly. Even after the repair frequent gas leakage shows the ability of engineers and I am always reminded for paying service charges for their faulty services.

(Alok Verma)

JE (E), Airports Authority of India,

Address: B-48, CATC Colony

Bamrauli

Allahabad.

Mobile No: 9415492331

Company: Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. / Godrej Pentacool (Double Door)
Country: India

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