Haier freezers any good?

[me]

Local Walmart has some small freezers made by Haier in China.

Anyone know if they are of decent quality and reliability?

[EXT]

Made for the price dictated by Wal-Mart --- I doubt the quality is very high with reliability questionable.

A good freezer should last 20 - 25 years, this one may last as long as the warranty.

[PaPaPeng]

They're selling like hot cakes. Do you see any returned for a warranty refund, for repair/replacement or tossed into the dump? WalMart will be the first to toss that product out of the door if it has to handle warranty returns and refunds.

[EXT]

I don't know if they are selling like hot cakes, do you have Wal-Mart's statistics. I do know they are made for a low price, you cannot build long lasting quality in a real cheap product. They may be selling. Possibly Wal-Mart doesn't handle the warranty. Maybe they will drop them if there are problems that show up, however most retailers place that responsibility back to the manufacturers. I don't check the dumps - do you?

Would you trust $1000.00 worth of meat to a cheap freezer, if it fails the meat goes bad. Many people don't think of this when they buy, and just buy on price point. Wal-Mart shoppers may not even be aware that a good freezer will last 20 - 25 years.

Buyer beware.

[me]

True?

Not arguing cause I have noticed my local Walmart STOP carrying some products after time and have assumed they have done so cause of too many failures and returns.

[me]

This freezer from Haier is only five cubic feet ...small

[PaPaPeng]

Store helf space is very precious. Any product that doesn't meet sales returns goals for whatever reason (eg no demand) do not get reorders. The remnants go to the clearance bin and the shelves are cleared for a new product. That's mass merchandizing. That's one reason when I see something I like I buy it first, keep the receipt and if it turns out to be not that good an idea I return it for a refund. Of course I keep the packaging in excellent shape and do not abuse the privilege, like trashing the item and claim its faulty. I don't know about bigger ticket items like appliances since everything I have is thirty years or more and working as good as the day I bought them. I like to do repairs myself but since I maintain them well they rarely break down.

[Jim Redelfs]

I agree with most of what the OPs have said.

I did a ~two-year, part-time "stint" at a local Wal-Mart Supercenter a few years ago. I loved the job and would/will work there again in a heartbeat.

While there, I worked in the Electronics department and became familiar with most of the goings-on in the "back room". Every week or so there was one or two pallets loaded and shrink-wrapped for return to the distribution center. The contents were returned items, virtually all defective. Given the volume of sales done by this particular store, I believe that that was a rather LOW rate of return in general. Most of the returns were consumer electronics and other, so-called "durable" goods.

Given that Wal-Mart is the "thousand pound gorilla" in the retail world (the world's largest retailer), they have a LOT of clout with their suppliers. Whether you like their business practices or not, they would not - and DO not

- put up with an item that gets returned too frequently.

One would be hard-pressed to find a small-size "major" appliance such as a freezer that is NOT made by ChiComs. Given that, I suggest that you purchase the freezer, save all the packaging and paperwork, and use it. If it craps-out in the first 30-days, take it back to WM. After that, up to its (presumed) one-year warranty, you would have to deal with the manufacturer and their potentially numerous and convoluted requirements to get satisfaction. A more DOMESTIC-branded freezer might offer a "local" service outlet making a warranty return/repair a bit easier. Go for it.

[JimR]

The freezers may well have been built in the U.S. Haier is one of the more agressive and progressive Chinese producers and have a manufacturing facility in South Carolina to produce goods for the U.S. market.

Info at

According to a story in Forbes, Haier built their plant here to take advantage of the skilled but low cost American labor. I suspect that this same facility may produce OEM goods for other brands, such as Magic Chef --

[Edwin Pawlowski]

This past summer I needed an AC unit and the only one I could find to fid the window was a Haier. I had doubts, but it runs quiet and did as good, if not better job than the previous unit. Once season does not prove reliability, but it seems well made, especially for the price. I'd take a chance on the freezer.

[dgk]

Isn't most of the cost of a freezer the electricity it uses? I'd check how efficient it is compared to others. Is there some sort of energystar rating?

[me]

I'm curious

What did you love abt the job? Serious question as working at Walmart always seems to get a bad rap

[me]

Ok thanks

One thing I like is that since I live in a small town abt all we have here is Walmart. hence if the unit goes bad I don't have to haul it miles away back to another big box store

[me]

It claims to use abt $30 a year total in electricity. Its a chest model so maybe that why its so low in electrical usage?

[DerbyDad03]

I bought a 5.3 ft^3 Holiday chest unit at Lowes a couple of years ago. ~$150 on sale. So far, so good.

I spoke to a tech who said that these smaller units run most efficiently when filled to about 3/4 capacity. Since I rarely need 5.3 ft^3 of extra freezer storage, I built a plexiglass shelf that is supported by the condenser housing and a couple of gallon jugs of water (ice). This raises the bottom of the freezer up to a manageable height for those of a shorter stature and keeps the unit at ~ 3/4 capacity when "fully stocked". Yes, I left room around it, and drilled some holes in it, for air circulation.

Tip: If the Haier unit comes with a basket, make sure the freezer lid closes all the way with the basket in place. I can't use a basket with my Holiday since the plastic one that came with it, as well as the wire one they sent as a replacement when I complained, holds the lid open just enough that you can see light from an internal flashlight around the seal.

Now I have 2 baskets that I use for storing small items in the garage. :-)

[Jim Redelfs]

Just remember that a >34-year unionist is writing...

I enjoyed working with the younger folks in Electronics. I taught them customer service basics (thank-you, may I help you, etc) and they taught me about PS2, Nintendo, etc.

Almost everyone I met while on duty and in the break room seemed content being there. I never encountered anyone with a truly BAD attitude. After all the years working for The Phone Company, my Wal-Mart experience was a refreshing change.

The company went BEYOND flexible when it came to scheduling my work times to accommodate my full-time work schedule and other requests for time off. The pay was good with monetary incentives to work particular hours and days. The employee discount was an added bonus. Profit sharing and company match of stock purchases are just a couple of benefits I enjoyed while there.

I have been "gone" for several years now. When I shop at the place (regularly) I still see more than a few familiar faces. One in particular, a Greeter, is always glad to see me and always friendly to me and virtually everyone else that walks through the door.

That has always frustrated me. Wal-Mart is the world's biggest capitalist success story and yet it gets drubbed by many. You'll notice, however, that those doing the drubbing are always from the political LEFT. Ironically, those are the same folks that freely tout their compassion for the down-trodden and less-fortunate among us, easily the most deserving recipients of the lower prices found at Wal-Mart and also as a potential employer.

Wal-Mart may have its "warts" but what mega-corporation doesn't? Without the "help" of a unionized workforce, they treat their employees well. Sam Walton would be proud.

[dgk]

Have you typed Walmart and Evil into a search engine? There seem to be some legitimate gripes. Not just the way they treat the workers, a point of view that seems to have many supporters among former Walmart employees. There is the way that it drains the cash out of a community, killing off local stores. Or the way that it gets such low prices, by having low prices paid abroad for the products.

Sure, you can get stuff cheap. It isn't clear that it is a net plus however. I try to avoid the big box stores and shop at local stores, for instance my local hardware store over Home Despot. It's tough though; I really do like Costco, and I hear that they actually treat their workers very well. I've noticed that they are closed on certain holidays, so their employees can be with their families. Plus they close at 6pm on the weekend, apparently for the same reason. I think that's called family values.

[Cshenk]

"Jim Redelfs" wrote

When I posted a bit ago about them, I forgot one aspect until you reminded me. They have changed.

My Mother is now 82. She got a job with them when se was 55 and they are one of the few who will hire older people. Nor was she paid less as 'older'. The benefits were pretty decent including the stock as part of the job which employees got at reduced prices. If i am not mistaken, she worked there til she was 72? Health made her leave (she was down to part time in the fabrics area by then and teaching new folks how to cover her job).

Not entirely. I wen to them automatically 7 years ago to web order stuff when in Sasebo Japan and FPO AP address. I went to them because of my Mom's happy experince. I was disabused FAST on their services to the military.

True, but if they serviced FPO AP customers (they say they do, but try to enter an address with that and forign phone number) you wil find JCPenny a far better deal. That their same shirt costs 2$ more is irrelevant when the shipping at JCpenny isnt 'international cost' and you do not have to call a non-tollfree number just to make an order.

Math time . 2$minimum LD fee, 4$ extra postal, for a 6$ shirt. Go to JCPenny, order online, pay 6$ less to order but buy same shirt for 8$. 4$ savings on same shirt.

[me]

Yes I've looked at the units above as well..... but the Walmart is in town for me whereas the Lowe's is abt 30 min's away. So will probably get the Haier

Thanks!! Good idea!!

Unbelievable!

[AZ Nomad]

Yes. Lots of people know. Why don't you do a google search?