Appliance sellers our readers swear by—or at

By: Ed Perratore

Jun 2, 2011

Shopped for appliances lately? If you tend to favor some retailers over others for their prices, service, or other factors, you might be interested to see what the more than 16,000 subscribers to ConsumerReports.org told us about almost 28,000 appliance purchases they recently made. Our 2010 appliance-shopper satisfaction survey, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, found differences among retailers in a number of essential criteria and overall satisfaction. Our findings include:

• Few respondents to our survey complained about finding a salesperson to help with a major appliance (such as a washer, fridge, or dishwasher) they were considering. But those who bought at Best Buy were more likely to report that "the salesperson did not seem knowledgeable" than shoppers who made their purchases at another major-appliance retailer.
• How much a salesperson hawked an extended warranty at the point of purchase made a difference in respondents' overall satisfaction with the store. Two retailers that shoppers rated among the highest for overall satisfaction—Abt Electronics and independent local stores—were also less likely than others to pressure respondents to shell out more money for an extended warranty.
• Survey respondents who bought small appliances gave the highest marks for overall satisfaction to retailers with no brick-and-mortar sales presence whatsoever: Amazon.com and the QVC shopping channel.

Read more about our survey findings in Where to buy appliances, and also discover strategies for getting the most for your money. Subscribers can view our appliance-store Ratings.