Concord Township woman deals with hundreds of dollars in unexpected appliance delivery damage

CONCORD TOWNSHIP, Ohio - It should always be an exciting time when buying a new home appliance. Susanne Mayle of Concord Township couldn't wait to get her new stove from Sears.

"Everybody love Sears products, I love Kenmore products," said Mayle. "So I bought it without hesitation, and I said I needed to have it delivered."

But Mayle's smile quickly turned to a frown when the delivery team assigned to install her new stove made a series of errors.

Mayle reports the installer dislodged her gas line and accidentally dropped under her kitchen floor. When the stove was brought into her home, she quickly discovered the stove only had one of four feet on the bottom. Mayle also claims that when the delivery team moved the stove, they caused deep cuts and scuffs on her new linoleum floor.

"The stove was in the middle of my kitchen floor, I had to hire a plumber  to find the gas line, " said Mayle. "I'm exhausted, I'm exhasperated, and I don't know where to go from here."

Mayle contacted 5 On Your Side, and we confirmed the delivery was not made by Sears, that Sears actually hired Diakon Logistics to deliver the stove.

It's a common practice for a "Big Box" store to hire a "third party" delivery company to handle delivery and installation of major appliances.

Mayle claims Diakon Logistics agreed to send her a $350 check to cover the plumbing costs to restore her gas line, but she reports the check never made it to her mailbox.

"I have documented over three dozen phone calls with no real response," said Mayle. "This ordeal cost me more than my oven."

5 On Your Side contacted Diakon Logistics, and the company responded immedately. Diakon told NewsChannel5 that Mayle's check somehow got lost in the mail, and it re-issued another check immedately. Diakon is also said it is working on a settlement to help replace Mayle's kitchen floor.

Consumers should be aware "third party" companies are often hired to make deliveries and handle the installation on major appliance buys.

Consumers should always ask for the name of the delivery company, and if possible, check its service record with the Better Business Bureau.  Customers should always ask if the delivery company is insured, and what protocol is in place, if damage occurs during delivery.

Consumers also need to do their part when preparing for an appliance delivery, advice can be found at this website: http://5.wews.com/ftY