Magic Chef Reviews

This thing, for whatever reason, started by itself and what's more alarming the GFI nor the breaker shut off, which means the problem was taking place after the unit's power supply. I called Magic Chef and received the runaround.

The fire company wrote down the model and info about the unit along with its malfunction and are submitting it to someplace, I don't recall. The house smelled of smoke for three days plus loss of the unit. I saved the unit so it can be investigated.

This thing, for whatever reason, started by itself and what's more alarming the GFI nor the breaker shut off, which means the problem was taking place after the unit's power supply. I called Magic Chef and received the runaround.

The fire company wrote down the model and info about the unit along with its malfunction and are submitting it to someplace, I don't recall. The house smelled of smoke for three days plus loss of the unit. I saved the unit so it can be investigated.

I am waiting for her phone call back, and was looking on the internet to find out (very much to my surprise) that others have experienced this same thing. We are a young, busy family and use our microwave very often, making this a large inconvenience. I am going to get in contact with Home Depot, and if I do not hear from Magic Chef by the end of the day, I will be calling them back because there is an obvious problem with this product. Consequences: besides scaring the hell out of me, my family and our pets, I will need to purchase a small inexpensive microwave to use until something is done with mine. I have multiple sclerosis and take an injection on Sunday. I use my microwave Sunday evening and part of Monday for the moist heat packs for my injection symptoms. I thought this was a trustworthy brand.

MC Appliance: 8 long weeks of waiting and calling and faxing information every two weeks get someone different.

Finally, I called Magic Chef, and in sheer desperation, a customer service person finally got me to the voice mail of the general Council of MC Appliance. After a very heated message, the next day, the General Council says he has sent my file to the insurance for them to pay the claim.

CNA Insurance Company seemed like they knew what they were doing. After a few weeks, I got a call and was informed that the adjuster had been assigned and would be in contact. A few weeks later, the adjuster had done his due diligence and informed me that he sent the paperwork back to the office for payment and I should be getting a check within a few days.

CNA Insurance: After a week and half, sometimes 2 calls per day to check to see if the check was in the mail (I must have been dreaming), I got a call from Vicki and she informed me she just found out that the refrigerator was made in China and that MC Appliance is just the distributor and that I would have to contact the manufacturer - I stopped her and said that I told the General Council that I didn't want to get an attorney back in February. However, if I didn't see a check by Thursday (two more days), I was going to get one.

I don't want to have to get an attorney, I have a legal document that says their refrigerator caused the fire, it was 8 days old, 8 days. When are companies in the US going to start doing the right thing without being sued? We aren't talking about a huge amount of money either.

Well I threw it out. I was about a week out of the one year warranty with an active use of about two total months. Okay, here is the fact America: Without having a proper primer, powder coating will not adhere to an alloyed metal. These companies are aware of these problems, but to eliminate the loss of shelf space at its distributors, they market these defective products anyway. Most of them are made in China where US manufacturers have little control. Business there is government controlled and they are very protective of any decisions made. The old joke, "Oh, made in China" is just as relevant as it was way back when. So quality is like beating a dead horse.

Manufacturers are working with the ratios how many people will actually complain long enough and loud enough to force them to rectify defective merchandise. Answer? Not enough. Just the time involved not to say anything about further expense. Who is going to get a lawyer costing $200-$500 an hour to sue a company for knowingly providing a defective product that costs less than the original outlay of money? No one. So we keep purchasing product that is made in China and throwing it away and replacing it with products made in China and throwing it away. Solution? Tuff'n up downsize your lifestyle. Buy only what you can't live without. Was it Confucius who said, "If you don't buy it, it's not getting sold"?

Now we have a new problem that has developed in the last day. The microwave is turning itself on. The first time that it happened, the microwave beeped and then began to run. When we hit the cancel button on the unit, it locks and the only way for us to get the machine off is to unplug it. Today, the machine turned on with no beep to indicate that it was starting. Fortunately, I was close enough to the kitchen to hear it. Now I am afraid to use the unit or even leave it plugged in for fear of a fire igniting. I regret ever purchasing the unit that I was so excited to purchase. I am now out the money that I paid for the microwave that does not function properly and have no microwave to use until I can save for a replacement model (which will definitely not be a Magic Chef).

I was almost burned when I happened to touch the top.

On Saturday, March 1, 2008 I went to the building to meet Peoples Energy (one of our local gas companies) to get service turned on for a new tenant. They read the meter, and checked for leaks around the meter in the basement. They also checked to make sure the flames were blue from the gas ranges. Unfortunately, these flames were orange with a little blue lifting and blowing high off the burners. They disconnected the stove and told me that I would have to call a service man to fix the problem.

I called a service man in and he told me that the range was missing the left rear "air shutter". After some time, he was able to make a great improvement to the flames by adjusting the three air shutters but it is not a perfect adjustment with one air shutter still missing. I told him that I would call Magic Chef. I called Magic Chef Parts and found out that the "air shutter" is not sold separately but as a "sealed burner assembly". I was told that I would have to talk to customer service about getting the part.

I talked to Magic Chef's customer service two times. The first time I did not have the model number or the serial number of the range with me. I told them that I would get this information and call back. Before I called back, I checked the other two (2) ranges to see if they were also missing an "air shutter". When I called back I explained to them about the gas company disconnecting the range, and the service man stating that an "air shutter" was missing. All they would say was that it has been over a year and the range is no longer under warranty. I brought to their attention that this is not the type of problem that should have been discovered within a year. On page 6 of the User's Guide, it clearly states "Do not attempt to lift the cooktop for any reason". Why should I or the tenant lift the cooktop when the User's Guide clearly states not to. No matter what I said, they refused to listen. I asked to speak to a Supervisor and a man by the name of Frank Engelbert talked to me. He also repeated the same thing and refused to listen to how flawed their logic was.

3-18-2008 This is what I discovered before I called Magic Chef's customer service back the second time and I also told them of my findings: Range #1 Model -- CGR 1425 ADW Serial # 118 434 33GA Left rear air shutter missing. Put in service September, 2006. Range #2 Model -- CGR 1425 ADW Serial # 118 433 79GA Left rear air shutter missing. In addition, a port hole approximately inch in diameter has been drilled in each sealed burner along with the normal size port holes. Put in service October, 2005. Range #3 Model - CGR 1425 ADW Serial #107 950 72GA Left rear air shutter missing. Never put in service. This stove is still in basement. NOTE FOR RANGE # 1 - I don't know why this problem was not discovered in September, 2006. Perhaps that gas man did not know his job. This is the second tenant in this apartment.

I am not trying to get something for nothing. I want Magic Chef to fix their defective gas ranges because it is apparent Magic Chef knew the ranges were (defective) missing air shutters. Why else would they drill a hole in the sealed burners? Thank you for your help in helping me to get this issue resolved. I hope you can help me with 3 problems that I have with Whirlpool/Maytag or at least I hope it is the type of issue where a Class Action Law Suit can be brought against them.

I also explained that Whirlpool/Magic Chef had to have known that the stoves were defective because one of the stoves had a "large air port hole" drilled into the surface burner to compensate for the missing air shutter. She asked me if I had an authorized Whirlpool serviceman to make the adjustment to the stove. I told her that he was not but he was able to make an adjustment so that the gas flames were not as yellow as when the service person from Peoples Gas tagged and turned the stove off and told me to have it fixed before the tenant could use it. Finally, I was told to have my contractor contact them. The Contractor called and talked to someone, I don't know who he talked to but he said that they were going to send the part to him.

As of 6-27-08 no part(s) had been received. I notified Ms. D. @ Menards in EauClaire, WI that the problem still has not been resolved. Evidently, she telephoned someone because on July 8, 2008 I received a telephone call from Monica at Whirlpool. She stated that I would have to get an authorized Whirlpool man at my expense for labor and the cost of the part(s) He must be able to see how the flame lifts off. I told her that that is not necessary to see that the air shutters are missing from all 3 stoves. I also reminded her that one of the stoves has never been put in service. I asked her why they didn't mail my contractor the part as they said they would do. She stated they had no record where anyone had talked to my contractor. Beside, the contractor must be an authorized Whirlpool person. I informed her that the person who told me to have my contractor call knew that he was not an authorized Whirlpool contractor because I told her.

In addition on July 9, 2008 I received a telephone call from Dawn @ Maytag's Customer Service. She told me the same crap, stoves out of warranty etc. etc. I would have to buy the part and have an authorized Whirlpool person to install. I finally told her that I didn't want to talk anymore and hung up. I have been so stressed out over this problem. I don't understand how a company can sell products that they know is defective and if the customer doesn't discover their flaws within a year, the customer is out of luck. The people at Maytag and Whirlpool were rude, insensitive and didn't care.

Frank E. was the worst. He was outright nasty and mean in his conversation. The exception was the young lady in parts. She was nice and pleasant to talk with. I was going to order the 3 air shutters and have my contractor to install them until I learned that they were not sold separately but I would have to buy 3 sealed burner assemblies. The Sealed Burner Part # is 74003963 @ $34.60 each. The total price for 3 Gas Ranges were $956.68.

To add insult to injury, there was a power outage. Tenant called me and said that oven would not come on. Told her to read the stoves user guide and if she could not find the answer to call Maytag. Maytag told her to throw the circuit breaker to see if that would solve the problem. She did what they instructed. She was able to get the oven to heat up. Same problem again but this time using the circuit breaker did not work. I requested a service call on 7/21/08 for 7/28/08. Diamond Factory Service came and had to replace the Ignitor Assembly. Labor $77.93 + Use Tax $4.87 + Service Call $129.95, Total $212.75. Will I have to get a new Ignitor Assembly after each power outage?

Each time I have this part replaced it costs more. The last time it was over $100 and it is going bad again. I have an Emerson microwave that is 13 years old and has never given that type of problem. I feel that the manufacturer of this replacement part is putting out faulty parts. They should last longer than 2 years.

NOT sat. with an incipid answer, I again wrote to them and rec'd e mail back that this happens ONLY from some sort of dropping or trauma to oven. This oven has not ever , not ever been moved from counter in all the time I have owned it let alone dropped. I stated that and man wrote back and said well give me serial number/ I replied it is on a counter that if I rotate oven out to get serial number which they foolishly put on back of oven, NOT in an accessible place, that my wooden edge of counter will scrape. i also stated I live alone and can not life it, too heavy but I can provide model numer and what I stated was WHY are they nt more concerned with health hazard than some serial number/

I got a few more e mails with the exact same information, totally inoring what I said an dnothing further. Apparntly they do nOT care about safely. I know the oven is past its warranty, but so what, this is not something anyone should expect with an oven at all, let alone this early on and they do not care about safely. I wrote that they could come pick up the oven if someone can lift it for me and got NO response,

worried about health hazard

The manager called and said that they don't service that particular model that we have even if it was a magic chef. In other words, a day was wasted for nothing! when we called magic chef to voice out our concern they again scheduled another one this time we got the name of the person. Christina on June 6, 2008 at around 4:28PM scheduled another appointment for a technician to come out. She gave us the number of A and E Factory Service and the order number to complete the call. We were already doubting the service so we called A and E and true enough we were not in the list to be serviced. We called back again Magic Chef and said that nothing was scheduled for us.

A days work was wasted on our part. Whatever perishable items was there was discarded since that extra hours that we had to wait was extended unexpectedly.

Home Depot will not handle its sales service on behalf of its customers and simply replace the defective products and ensure that its suppliers deal with its warranty issues. We purchased the microwave for $320.00 and repair man will charge an additional $100 to look at it. Although the (magnatron Part only) is still covered on Warranty, I will not invest any more into a product that a company will not reasonably stand behind or support. It will now cost me another $30 to take this nice looking microwave to the dump. Product repuation and service do not seem to count anymore.

Not sure how you are supposed to cook food if it keeps shutting down with the cooking time amt. I could not even pop popcorn without it shutting down after a minute. It comes back on but you have to wait about 5 minute in between. Never heard of such a thing and if this is a safety feature why is it overheating during the allowed cooking time. I could see if I put it on to cook over the amt of time but after a minute, come on.

My hand was bandaged after bleeding heavily. It was quite painful but I did not know I needed stitches. Now healed but scarred.

Needless to say at some point an error of F1 starting flashing on the clock display. It all went downhill from there. Now all the clock display will show is F1. I've tried unplugging the oven from 15 minutes up to 1 hour, tried pushing the cancel button, tried pushing a combination of buttons. Nothing helps. So now I have an oven that does not work. Stovetop works fine. I am so irritated because I spent money on a new fandangled appliance and now I have to consider paying a repairman to come fix this new appliance. I've gone without using the oven for several months now out of defiance but with the holidays coming up I'm feeling pressure to call someone.