Tammy Tomasini
I recently purchased a dishwasher from DeWhitt’s appliances in Portland location for $547. The same model was available at Home Depot for $519 brand new, but I chose DeWit to support a local business and to get the unit installed quickly. My son picked up the dishwasher, and an employee assisted him with loading it into his SUV. The unit was placed on its back with the door facing up. When he arrived at my home and opened the SUV — before the dishwasher was removed from the vehicle — we immediately noticed a dent/crease in the center/top portion of the door. This was visible as soon as the vehicle hatch was opened. We went ahead with installation hoping it would be less noticeable once installed, but unfortunately the damage is very visible in person. I contacted the store right away, explained the issue, and offered to have them inspect it since the reflective finish makes the dent difficult to photograph clearly. I requested either a replacement door panel or a reasonable partial refund. The response I received focused on the fact that it was an outlet purchase and that my name was not on the order (my son handled pickup). I was told there was nothing further they could do and that I should “just go ahead and use it and enjoy the savings.” What’s disappointing is that there really weren’t any savings. I paid more than the current sale price at Home Depot for the same model, and a major retailer would have accepted a return or exchange for a visibly damaged unit. I did not expect paying full price — or more than retail — to mean accepting visible cosmetic damage. I’m sharing this so others know to carefully inspect items before leaving the store and to confirm who is listed on the order at the time of purchase.