Right before Thanksgiving, our refrigerator stopped working. It was making a strange moaning sound about every two minutes, but neither the freezer nor the main compartment was cold. A repair visit confirmed that the condenser needed to be replaced to the tune of $1,200 to $1,400. The refrigerator was just past the one-year warranty detailed in the owner’s manual. I began to research new refrigerators.

A few days later, I was bemoaning our fate to a friend who mentioned to me Maine’s Implied Warranty Law. Most consumer goods bought in Maine, including appliances (and mobile homes, clothing, new cars, furniture, sports equipment and more), have an implied warranty of four years. That means the seller or the manufacturer must honor a warranty for four years, even if the customer has not purchased an extended warranty.

After researching the statute, I called the appliance store where we purchased the refrigerator. Sure enough, the repair was covered under this law.

When the repairman returned (a month later), I asked why he hadn’t told me about the law. He said that had he done so, he would have lost his job. Yes, he is not allowed to inform customers about this law that protects us from shoddily made things. So, be informed. Think twice before buying an extended warranty if it duplicates what we would already have under Maine law, and hold appliance makers accountable.

Genie Wheelwright
Harpswell