ComplaintsforWabash Valley Farms

• Initial Complaint

  01/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I own a 6qt ******* Pop Stainless Steel high temp popcorn popper. The unit was purchased some time around ****. After more than a decade of monthly use, the unit started to have issues. The original pan appears to have possibly warped due to excessive hating and cooling. The lid also has issues which may be the result of this. The rods that stir the corn no longer reach the bottom of the pan. I opened a dialogue with a Supervisor at Wabash days before Covid hit. Once Covid, I was unfortunately dealing with several family deaths and setback, so popcorn was no longer a priority. That said, with a 25 year warranty, the unit should still be covered and I have attached confirmation from *** that coverage was approved. Now, I am being told that I only qualify for a 20% discount instead of a free lid.

  Business response

  01/28/2022

  The customer originally emailed us in 2019 regarding his popper that was not working properly and stated is was 15 - 20 years old.  We offered him a free replacement lid at that time and he just needed to pay the $8 shipping.  He was asked to call our ******************* to place the order.  As you can see in the attached email correspondence he was hesitant to accept the free lid offer and pay the $8 shipping at that time and he did not call our Warranty Department.  His last email to us was in December of 2019 then we did not hear from him again until January of 2022 asking us to now send him an entire new unit.  ******************** emailed him back with the options and tried helping him with adjustments to getting his popper working and offered him a replacement lid.  Since that time the warranty offer has changed and the lid is no longer free but is available at 20% off the lid price + $8 shipping.  He did not like that offer. 

  We also do not really know anything about his popper because he has not registered his popper for the warranty with our company.  Regarding the free replacement popper pan.  Per the warranty the pan only has a 90 day warranty.  Attached is the popper instruction guide that outlines this.  

  Please let me know if you have any additional questions. 

  We are more than happy to work with ****************** and ship him a replacement lid for the $8 but we do need to verify information about his popper since it is now 22 years old.  

  Please advise on how to proceed. 

  Thanks

  ********. 

  Customer response

  01/31/2022

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this response/resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  

  Good Afternoon,
  
  I am both disappointed and concerned about the response from Wabash Farms. They continue to bend the timeline of events to paint a picture that is inaccurate. This event transpires over 3 calendar years, but again is 2 years in length, which is again the duration of the covid outbreak. We spoke in December of 2019, which is also the month I graduated from college. At that time, I was focused on studying for my Architects exam. Much like being a Lawyer, the degree means nothing without the license. So when Wabach reached out at the end of 2019, I was focused on studying so I could pass the exam and enter the market. I srudies non-stop and pass my exam on the last Friday of February.At that point, covid had been a recognized issue for two weeks. Ill also point out that ******* was the domestic ground zero for the event, so the situation here was much more serious than anywhere else, so not knowing much, there was a panic, so rather than call me Reluctant how about we settle on Pre-occupied.I lost my sister in the first week of May and just settled her estate in November of last year. I also lost my Father at the tail of 2020, followed by my aunt and uncle also to covid in Early 2021. As I made clear to Wabash,during all of this. Popcorn was just not a priority.
  
  In my opinion, if Wabash was truly concerned with service and support, they would have honored the original request without me having to enlist help from the BBB. The reason I asked for a new unit is the pan also appears to have issues, but I was unaware that the warranty did not apply to the pan and now that I know that it makes sense. No one is going to warranty a part they expect to be problematic and my pan has become problematic.
  
  Ill accept Wabash Farms offer to replace the lid, but I am also going to make a request. I understand the request may not be honored, but it will prove to me how they feel about support, satisfaction and the overall customer experience. I am going to ask that they replace the pan as well, and include popcorn kits to offset the loss of what had to be close to 6 kits that were wasted due to the issues related to the popper.
  
  Ill provide whatever information is required to support this effort, but my machine is not 22 years old. As advised SEVERAL times, I purchased this machine sometime in the mid ****s and it was the 2nd,if not 3rd unit I have purchased for myself and as advised I know I have also purchased at least 3 other machine as gifts throughout the years. I also just purchased a kit a couple weeks ago and now know the difference between my sturdy Stainless unit and the Aluminum kit. This aluminum kit is 100% going to be a future warranty claim. It feels much more like a toy than true kitchen ****. When popcorn caused metallic parts to flex, its not a good sign, however, well cross that bridge when the time comes and Im also sure thats why the warranty doesnt cover much, its expected that they units give out and Wabash wants to limit both costs and responsibility.
  
  Please advise next steps so we can close this matter.
  
  

  
  

  Regards,

  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  01/12/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I received the popper as a gift for Christmas. I would like a refund on it for several reasons.1. It does not fully **** the popcorn and you can bite down on a semi *************. 2. You can not check the popcorn without steam coming out and burning you.3. When you pour the popcorn the top separates from the cooker and falls on the stove or floor.4. Steam ***** you when you pour the popcorn.********** do nothing to stir the popcorn properly.I have not received a response to my email that I sent on Jan 8th 2022.

  Business response

  01/28/2022

  Attached is my customer service departments correspondence with ********************* regarding his popcorn popper.  As of yesterday, we are awaiting his response on how the adjustments worked out for him to his popcorn popper lid in order to get it working properly.  By making the adjustments suggested he should be able to make delicious popcorn without issues.  

  Regarding the inability to check the popcorn without the steam coming out and burning you.  That was by design and is addressed in the instruction manual.  You are told to listen for when the popping slows and it becomes hard to stir.  Then you know that it is done popping.  You are not to open then lid of the popper during popping.   I have attached the popcorn poppers instruction guide. 

  Please let me know if you need any additional information.

  We will continue to work with ************* to get him back popping again. 

  Thanks

  Danielle 

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩