Wanted: Personal Shopper

In an effort to be authentic, I'm going to take a moment and admit a clear (but newly discovered) fault. David is probably as much to blame here as I am, but since I'm typing, I'll take the blame.

I do most of the shopping for the household. I know how much things should cost, where I can get a decent deal, and what is needed. The exceptions to this rule are the major purchases.

Like appliances.

So let's just cut to the chase, shall we?

Apparently we really stink at purchasing appliances.

Do you remember the dryer story from just a few months ago? If you're really bored and there's nothing on TV and nothing to eat, no one to chat with or no mall to shop at, go ahead and waste a bit of time reading it here and here. Oh, and here too. And, uh, here.

Well, our dishwasher began giving us trouble a few months back and we tried ignoring it. But recently it has become loud enough that you can hear it throughout the house. The racks are rusty and falling apart. One part broke off during the wash cycle and wedged between the rack and the bottom, making it (almost) impossible to open the rack at all!

So, last Saturday we made the decision and wandered into the SAME appliance store that sold us our dryer. That might have been our first mistake.

With three kiddos in tow, two of which were not feeling the whole shopping-for-dishwashers vibe, we selected a model that was located in the "scratch and dent" section. Shopping in this area allowed us to purchase more bells & whistles for about the same price as a new-in-the-box lesser model.

Here's how the rest of the story goes:

• David spent about 2 hours removing the old dishwasher on Sunday night.
  
• David breaks and replaces the water shut-off valve. Oops. (Did you know he was a plumber, too?)
  
• New dishwasher is delivered on Monday afternoon.
• David and I begin the process of installing the dishwasher. (Really who can justify paying someone $130 to install the thing for you?)
• After nearly 3 hours, yes THREE hours, we decide that the "scratch & dent" dishwasher is, uh, more than "scratched & dented." The frame is bent, making the entire thing un-level-able. (Yep, I'm quite aware that isn't a word, but it works here.)
  
• We go to bed tired and frustrated after David re-reads the receipt that says "All Sales Are Final."
• David plans the call and politely, but firmly, calls the appliance store on Tuesday and explains the situation.
• David comes home from work early, loads the dumpy dishwasher into the van and returns it to the store.
  
• David returns home with a new dishwasher (in the box!). Same price as the previous, just fewer bells and whistles, and a never-been-touched frame. SO WORTH IT.
  
• David and I spend nearly three hours (uh-huh) installing the dishwasher on Tuesday night.
• When we retire for the night, it's leaking, but we're too tired to deal with it.
• After four attempts, the leak is finally stopped and our dishwasher is fully functional on Wednesday night.

I think I may have a problem with over-explaining, but the real moral to the story is, we need someone else to do our appliance shopping for us. Clearly we don't have the knack.

Oh, and next time, I'll pay for the installer.

I take that back, we're pros now. We'll install yours for you...for a price.