Appliance Repair Expert

I do not recommend this company.

My dishwasher had stopped working - no water was filling into the washer and we could see there was a small leak coming from the bottom of the appliance.
I searched online for a reputable appliance repair company and came across Appliance Repair Expert (on Homestar). Reviews seemed ok - a little mixed - but decided to give it a try.

I left a message and someone did call back and said they would give us a 30$ discount for a first time call. We set an appointment time.

A man named Thomson called me to tell me he would be at my home 1 hour before the set time, which was fine as I was available. He came in and looked at the dishwasher. First, he said a valve was leaking, and simply tightening it may stop the leaking issue. Then, he determined that I needed a new circulation pump motor assembly for $390 which would fix the water not filling into the dishwasher problem. He told me parts and labour would be approx $700. I thought it was too much, and when I said so, he said he could give me a discount, making the total $610. At that point, he asked for a $450 deposit. I felt uncomfortable, because I was worried he would take the money and not do the work, but he assured me he would come back to fix my dishwasher. I paid the deposit, even though I felt that it was a lot, and for a company I was not familiar with. On the other hand, I felt I was already committed, as I already had to pay $100 for the service call. This all happened on a Monday. By Friday, I hadn't heard anything, and I called him back to see the status - at first he was confused as to who I was. He said it would be another few days. He returned the next Monday, and honestly he acted disrespectful. The weather was bad, but came to my home with his shoes on - was abrupt with me, avoided eye contact, was on his phone, and was behaving as if he was doing me a favour. He fixed the circulation pump motor assembly and got the dishwasher to work again. He said he would tighten the valve so it would not leak but asked me to monitor it for leaks. We put a small pan under it to catch the leak. He put the dishwasher back in, and left a piece off that in order to see if there was still a leak. The dishwasher was now sitting in the counter space 2 inches lower than it was before - leaving a big gap. He was rough with it, and he tore a piece off my countertop when installing it. He also left dirt and grime all over the face of the dishwasher, which was really disgusting, I felt it was very unprofessional. He took the old assembly he had removed with him, he said to dispose of it. The next morning, we woke up to water flowing from the basement ceiling below the dishwasher. I texted him immediately to let him know. I also told him that I did not trust him, or his work, and that he had taken more money and made the issue a lot worse. I had a feeling that this was not a real company as I had tried calling the "head office" and never was able to reach anyone. I contacted another company to come and fix the issue.

The new technician (who came highly recommended) came and said that the water leak was because Thomson from Appliance Repair Expert tightened the valve too tight and caused the damage. He also said that the circulation pump assembly was likely not the reason for the water not filling the basin. A new circulation pump would be needed if the water was filling but not moving - which was not the case. He also agreed that the manner he reinstalled the dishwasher was a problem. It was 2" lower and on a forward tilt, which would cause pooling and more water damage if it was left as is. The new technician fixed the valve and reinstalled the dishwasher. He left it clean and in great working order.