Engel Refrigerator sale

[dr_nelson]

Man! Thank you HDR
Just ordered the MT45.

 

[dr_nelson]

I don't know what to do.  I ordered a fridge, and paid via credit card. The unit was paid - at least I see my card was charged. This was 7 days ago.
Now, Engel emailed me and said their 3rd party vendor cannot guarantee my order.

[font=Calibri,sans-serif]Good afternoon,
[font=Calibri,sans-serif]I am writing to you today in regards to an online order placed a few days ago.  Unfortunately, I am not able to ship  your order as our 3rd party verification system has declined the guarantee on your order.  I do apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. If you have any questions regarding your order, please feel free to contact us at your earliest convenience.[/font]
[font=Calibri,sans-serif]Thank you for considering Engel products.[/font]
[font=Calibri,sans-serif]Sincerely,[/font]
[font=Calibri,sans-serif] [/font]
[font=Calibri,sans-serif]Xxxxx Xxxx[/font]
[font=Calibri,sans-serif] [/font]
[font=Calibri,sans-serif]ENGEL COOLERS[/font]
[font=Calibri,sans-serif]900 Jupiter Park Drive[/font]
[font=Calibri,sans-serif]Jupiter, FL 33458[/font]
[font=Calibri,sans-serif]PH# 561-743-7419[/font]
[font=Calibri,sans-serif]engelcoolers.com[/font][/font]

I replied to the email. No answer.
So I called the next day and asked: "What do you mean with 'cannot guarantee my order'? I paid and you got my money, why don't you ship it like normal companies that sell stuff? I pay, you sell."
The Engel-lady doesn't know what exactly their 3rd party vendor checks, but it is to prevent fraudulent actions.
Of course, they currently still have my 700 bucks and I have not heard a single word if they will give me my money back. Oh, the lady also said that I can place a new order and maybe that one will go through. Boy oh boy, really...??!!?

Can anyone explain to me what on lord's earth they mean with "guarantee my order"? Why would they even do that? I paid. They have my money. I don't have what I paid for. And even if I had the merchandise that I paid for, what fraudulent action could I possibly do?!
I want to shoot some serious shit with Engel's management.

My stomach aches

Oh btw, I got an automated email from Engel today regarding my "verified purchase" to give feedback about how the transaction went.

 

[John61CT]

Your card account being debited doesn't mean theirs is credited yet.

But I think a supply glitch on their end, like airline overbooking?

Maybe they set a limit on how many of each unit they wanted to sell at the sale price.

Order was direct from Engel right?

Their using a third party is not your problem.

Stick to your guns and insist, at least a few weeks. Get the contact info for head of marketing, then the President.

Calm, polite, confident expectation they will do the right thing.

Later, threaten to escalate, one week at a time, contact every couple days

BBB local to HQ

Social media, you're a vandwelling youtube star

state's Consumer Protection

attorney general

small claims


Squeaky wheel gets the grease.

In the end not much you can do but get your card credited back. Real CC or prepaid? But not until you've given up.

 

[dr_nelson]

Your card account being debited doesn't mean theirs is credited yet.
Order was direct from Engel right?
Social media, you're a vandwelling youtube star
Real CC or prepaid? But not until you've given up.

Thanks John61CT!
Yes, I placed my order directly on Engelcooler's homepage.
I don't know about PrePaid or real CreditCard. It is "just" a credit card, and every month I pay in full what I spent with the card. I have no debt.
I didn't know that I am a vandwelling youtube star

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I've noticed with most big companies, the answer I get totally depends on who answers the phone. You can call some companies 3x in a row with the same question and get three totally different answers. So when I want an issue resolved and know what I want to be done to have it resolved, I'll literally keep calling and talking to different people until one of them gives me what i'm looking for.

If all else fails, the credit card company will refund you the money. But i'm confident you can get the product you paid for.

 

[John61CT]

Yes debit cards don't, and prepaid CCs barely, help you with merchant disputes. Real CCs no problem, just check with them how long you have to haggle with Engel.

 

[jimindenver]

Doc, I am sorry to hear you are having issues. This was such a nice thread too.

 

[dr_nelson]

Sorry guys, I didn't mean to pull down the happiness of this thread.
I'll keep trying to get what I paid for. You guys gave me hope, thanks!

Thing is, once I give them my order number, they always connect me with the same lady (who is nice, btw. I am mean nice and understanding... nothing going on there  )

 

[Kathleen]

Great to learn about the sale. Nice discounts.

I was planning to get a Dometic, like the one in the CRVL Sedona Minivan video. Smaller and less pricey.

But all say Engel is better quality, quieter performance, and draws less energy. All good things.

I'm wondering if the 45 would be too large for my minivan, which is in the shop til tomorrow. Need to measure the bed build space and see if the 45 would fit in there too.

I toss and turn, so I need a 32 inch wide bed. Am also a very light sleeper, so am wondering if the Engel in freezer mode would disturb me at night in my small space.

Wish I could listen to what one sounds like before making the purchase.

If any of you are light sleepers, and are using a 45 in a minivan please give me feedback. Would not be fun to spend nearly $700, then learn I could not use it because it kept me awake.

Thanks!

 

[SternWake]

While I have not had an Engel, nor a Dometic, I have had a Norcold which used the same Sawafuji compressor as the Engel, and it did bother me at night, especially when I was on the verge of achieving sleep. I went through rather extreme efforts to isolate the upright front loader fridge from its cabinet in an attempt to reduce noise and vibrations.

I now have Vitrifrigo which uses a Danfoss compressor, and the Dometic's Waeco compressor appears to be a clone of the Danfoss, and my Danfoss is significantly quieter than the Sawafuji.

Also the design of the upright front loader VF fridge allowed me to employ more effective extra insulation and better condenser ventilation. My VF is an estimated 15% more efficient holding 32.5f average interior temperature compared to the 39f average temps I held on the Sawafuji powered Norcold.

As to Noise reports from Sawafuji compressors, it appears some are much quieter than others, and the hearing ability of some people is obviously different to that of others. Some here report thier sawafuji compressor based fridge is whisper quiet. Mine most certainly was NOT.

My experience with a sawafuji compressor led to many knuckle dents in the fridge door, and much time and effort was expended into quietening it down/ isolating it from cabinet and isolating compressor from fridge body. While its failure at 5 years was not a happy occurrence and might be partially attibuted to knuckle dents and the attempts at noise reduction, the replacement fridge with a Danfoss compressor is a much better performer, and much much quieter, and I will run screaming from any compressor fridge with a sawafuji compressor due to my experience with a noisy one.

My opinion from having experience both compressors, is for the noise sensitive to get a compressor fridge with a Danfoss compressor, and the least expensive offerings of such fridges appear to be the Truckfridge:

http://www.truckfridge.com/tf51.html

BUy from here for better price with free shipping:

http://www.westyventures.com/parts.html#cart_restore

I do believe the sawafuji compressor is more durable in a high vibration/ physical stress mounting location, and the reported longevity of Engel portable models in rough and tumble 4x4's is certainly good, but it did affect my sleep when there was not enought ambient white noise to drown it out. The white noise solution was more effective than basically suspending the vibrating fridge in a foam rubber noise and vibration supressing cabinet, and lining all adjacent surfaces with noise supressing materials.

Perhaps my Sawafuji was simply poorly balanced with the wrong density of rubber bushings, but Again, I will run screaming from one as its noise was in a frequency most bothersome to my ears.

 

[rvpopeye]

Ear plugs...

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Ear plugs...

I would consider that to be a safety issue.  If someone is outside my truck trying to quietly break in, I *WANT* to hear him in plenty of time to wake up and reach for my Glock.

 

[SternWake]

I consider ear plugs to be a health issue.
Due to ear canal blockage due to surfer's ear, I am pretty much guaranteed an ear infection from their overnight usage, and find them extremely uncomfortable anyway as it reminds me of when I do have an infection and can only hear my own heart beating, and little else.

White noise is a better solution for me. Powerful computer fans with adjustable speed are how I can drown out barking dogs or screaming children and have the added benefit of air circulation/exchange.

But not having a sawafuji compressor inside my van has been a big improvement to my sleeping habits.

 

[Kathleen]

While I have not had an Engel, nor a Dometic, I have had a Norcold which used the same Sawafuji compressor as the Engel, and it did bother me at night, especially when I was on the verge of achieving sleep. I went through rather  extreme efforts to isolate the upright front loader fridge from its cabinet in an attempt to reduce noise and vibrations.

 I now have  Vitrifrigo which uses a Danfoss compressor, and the Dometic's Waeco compressor appears to be a clone of the Danfoss, and my Danfoss is significantly quieter than the Sawafuji.

Also the design of the  upright front loader VF fridge allowed me to employ more effective extra insulation and better condenser ventilation. My VF is an estimated 15% more efficient holding 32.5f average interior temperature compared to the 39f average temps I held on the Sawafuji powered Norcold.

As to Noise reports from Sawafuji compressors, it appears some are much quieter than others, and the hearing ability of some people is obviously different to that of others.  Some here report thier sawafuji compressor based fridge is whisper quiet.  Mine most certainly was NOT.

Thanks for the thorough report in your full post, Sternwake. I'd be bummed to spend big bucks on a freezer that I could not use because of noise factor. I'm also concerned about how much vent space I can offer anything but a tiny unit in my minivan. Will check out the links you provided.

 

[jimindenver]

My Engel had a rumbly sound at first, amplified by the fact it sits on my plywood battery box. After coming out of Sedona on some extremely rough roads, ( my stove grate ended up on the floor) it has been much quieter.

 

[29chico]

My Engel had a rumbly sound at first, amplified by the fact it sits on my plywood battery box. After coming out of Sedona on some extremely rough roads, ( my stove grate ended up on the floor) it has been much quieter.

Interesting, my very low hour MT-35 Engel did the same rumbly thing for a while back at he house when I first mounted it in the fridge slide in the trailer. Since I have hauled it nearly 1000 miles across the west it is very quiet. Strange. I wonder why this is? My ten year old MT-35 never did this.

 

[jimindenver]

Might be the rubber mounts needing to soften up.

 

[highdesertranger]

funny, mine have always made a little noise but never to the point of being annoying. until yesterday, one was loud as hell(I thought). when it would kick on it made a horrible rattling noise. I thought oh no she is going out and is going to quit on me. I turned it way down so it would not cycle as much. this only made the noise less frequent but still loud when it came on. as I was sitting there thinking what it could be it kicked on. I notice a all metal bucket I had sat next to it. guess what, the bucket was in contact with the refer it was the bucket handle vibrating against the metal bucket that was making all the rattling noise. I moved the bucket and the noise was gone. highdesertranger

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I can fall asleep no matter what's going on around me, I often wonder if I'd wake up during a real emergency. Figure that's what my dog's for, he'll wake me if it's really necessary. That being said, I do use a fan year round because I find the noise soothing.

 

[SternWake]

 guess what, the bucket was in contact with the refer it was the bucket handle vibrating against the metal bucket that was making all the rattling noise.  I moved the bucket and the noise was gone. 

A testament to just how much at least some Sawafuji's compressors can vibrate.  

I could not leave anything hard  in my sink, or on my counter, and often I would have to put my hands up to my ears  and rotate my head like a radar dish to figure out exactly what was developing harmonics whenver the sawafuji compressor was running, and driving me crazy. 

 When I first installed it in the cabinet I built for it, pre vibration suppression attempts, and when compressor was running I could touch the van body and feel it vibrate.  

When it was super quiet I could be many feet from the van and hear it fire up and it sounded like a distant mufflerless moped was struggling up a hill.  At a quiet spot in Baja every time it fired up my friend's dog would start barking like there was a car struggling up the hill to get to the house.  It was awful, first the fridge would fire up then the dog would bark, then Jorge would yell at the dog, then I'd punch the fridge in frustration.  Next occurrence I would shut off the fridge, and find the interior in the mid to high 40s the next morning.  So l'd turn it back on and the damn dog would start barking again.

Memories... Distant memories which left mental scars still raw 5 years later.

But it was a billion times better than buying block ice every 5 days.

My danfoss powered vitrifrigo is by no means whisper quiet either, but it is 1/3 as noisy as my Sawafuji powered Norcold was, and no harmonics develop that wake me up and piss me off to the point I am slamming my knuckles into the door in a futile hope it would shut the the EmmF up.

I Used to turn off the sawafuji powered Norcold at night, not because of any electrical consumption concerns, but simple frustration at the noise when I was having issues falling asleep, and on the cusp of sleep, almost there, when it would fire up and shit would start vibrating with it.

Surprised it died not from a gunshot wound or a sledgehammer or a combination of both.