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Get Gephardt helps Washington City woman who says her warranty won’t pay out for her unrepairable washer

Feb 4, 2025, 10:51 PM

WASHINGTON CITY — Shelley Rehn is stuck in a cycle – literally. Once her washing machine’s spin cycle starts, an error code flashes on the display screen.

“It just grinds and grinds and grinds and doesn’t drain,” Rehn explained.

She said the manufacturer’s warranty fixed her washer the first time it happened just eight months after she bought it. But that fix only lasted a few months.

“So, I have to shut it off and unplug it and manually drain it,” she said. “Luckily, I’ve been here when it’s happened because I have to physically shut off.”

Rehn said she bought an extended warranty after the first breakdown. And that extended warranty did have her washer fixed the second time around. And the third time around. And the fourth time around.

Now, she’s on her fifth breakdown and the machine isn’t working.

“It’s that same problem,” she said. “The drain – the pump not draining.”

Shelley Rehn demonstrates how her relatively new washer keeps breaking down as it starts the spin cycle.

Shelley Rehn demonstrates how her relatively new washer keeps breaking down as it starts the spin cycle. (Marc Weaver, KSL TV)

She said the service tech has thrown in the unlaundered towel, telling her it can’t be fixed. But as for the warranty company, she said they won’t pay out for her non-repairable washer.

“In my contract with the warranty company, it does say that it would pay up to the first three years 100% of the cost,” Rehn said.

Tired of having to do laundry at her sister’s place, she contacted the KSL Investigators.

Indeed, her contract states if the company deems her product “not repairable … we may issue your payment up to the retail cost.”

KSL contacted Assurant, the company behind her extended warranty, and asked what happens when a product becomes non-repairable since Rehn’s washer is on its fifth breakdown caused by the same problem.

In their response came a reversal. A spokesperson wrote that they sent Rehn a check for “$762, the full purchase price of her washer, including tax.”

And just like that, Rehn has the money to go buy a more reliable machine – hopefully.

“I hate to use the word, lemon, but I think it is,” Rehn said.

The costs of an extended warranty can add up to more than the cost of the appliance itself. Especially when you’re renewing your coverage each year. So, it’s important to understand a warranty’s coverage and its limits when weighing whether it makes financial sense.

Related story: West Haven man says extended auto warranty refuses to cover costly engine repair

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Get Gephardt helps Washington City woman who says her warranty won’t pay out for her unrepairable washer