Waeco "Best Mates" Warranty - Yeah Right.

I had a waeco fridge once...once.
Engel sh%t on them any day.

Well guys, as we all know, there are two sides to any story as well as experiences.

I have a Waeco 70 Litre and when I had a problem with the lid cracking, I could not have had better service.

Fridge sent to Brisbane, fixed and returned in a week, as well as being offered a "loaner" which I did not need at the time.

Just goes to show you that some of us can have "bad" and "good" experiences with warranty.

Here is a previous post on the same subject

I think you're gonna see a lot more of these Waeco complaints coming out of the woodwork in the future. They have just been around long enough for all the faults to start appearing. I do know of a few people who have seen the light and gone back to a 'proper' fridge.
Just because a unit has a Danfoss compressor inside- doesn't mean its the greatest. Its how it's installed and the associated capilliary/condensor etc relationship. If you installed a Gen3 Chev motor in a HD Holden- it would still handle like custard.
One day I will have pleasure in telling some home truths about the often quoted (and misquoted) details of the (tongue in cheek) ADI fridge test.

My experience has been the opposite.

Bought one of those 'demo' 30l waeco models from the fridgeshop. Initially wasn't wrapped in it because it appeared a bit more knocked around and older than I expected. When it stopped working I rang them and was given the names of several local dealers to take it back to. Took it straight to the first one they gave me. He told me if he couldn't fix it by next day he would arrange for a loan unit. No need for that, rang me the same afternoon and said it was ready to go.

Hasn't missed a beat since.

Also have an engel 40l, and can't split my opinion on them. Both fridges have gone well.

The moral of the story is, Take it to the authorised dealer. Dont muck around with the middle man. Better to drive 100km and have a replacement fridge than to be sobbing over warm beer with melted ice.

Why do you have a problem with Waeco? Your problem exists withe the bad service and advice from Ray's Outdoor. My waeco came from the frdgeshop and i needed a repair done on the handle.I took it to an auth dealer and was treated like royalty. Don't go crying foul about a retailer not knowing the correct procedure. Ray's should have served you better!

Yep I've also had a great run with mine. Haven't had to bother about repairs - nothing has gone wrong with it. It is now nearly 4 years old, has done 2 trips to Cape York and numerous other outings including fishing trips (ie used as the boat fridge), has run for weeks on end as a second beer fridge in the shed...I have absolutely no complaints. BTW mine is a CCF45 - and was one of the very first sold in Aus. I really can't understand why some people resort to the "you get what you pay for" line - the WAECO is an excellent fridge that is at the very least equal to the massively overpriced Engel (and other of the same ilk).
Cheers
Pete

I realise you did ask for a loaner and they refused but I have found that a lot of places refuse you something if it is going to put them out. If you hassle them enough they usually come to the party.

who in their right mind would pay $1100 for a 40l fridge when you can get an 80 or 100l for $1100 - $1200 from the fridge shop. 20yr old engles are usually dented, rusty, and only attractive to their owner. just my opinion.

Bob

Gents,

I have both Engel and Waeco and don't have a clear preference. Both have good points.

The waeco cools more quickly IMO, while the engel is more sturdy. I'd buy either again.

I often use the waeco in my boat because it is slightly lighter to carry around so I'm interested to know if anyone has expereince with Evacool. I have one of their eskies and it is fantastic. Holds Ice for about 6 days. I like the fibreglass construction and have often thought it would make a great fridge particularly in marine applications. They have a Danfoss compressor with 2 speed settings from memory so I'd like to know what others think of them. (I know they had a disaster with 'SuperKool' but they did learn alot from that).

That raises another question. Has anyone ever seen a 12V fridge with Danfoss compressor with automatic compressor speed adjustment? My understanding is that the efficiency of the Danfoss is governed by compressor speed which governs power consumption. Is it possible to sense when the fridge is getting more than 14V (ie vehicle engine is running) and go into boost mode? Kind of like a Eutectic fridge but atleast it would drop back to economy mode when power drops back to 12V.

Andrew

Hi, brew69 hit the nail on the head

Just for the record mate,
The cause of your problem was Ray's NOT Waeco. I am a courier and it dont take 5 days to get something to QLD or W.A for that matter. I'd assume the problem was that Rays didnt want to send 1 item up and pay for it. Sometimes places hold good until they "fill the bag" so to speak as they still pay same freight charges weather the so called "bag" is full or empty. So go easy on Waeco ok, you can blame Rays for the terrible service you got.
Im glad i dont deal with them. Had a similar problem once. I only allow it to happen to me once and thats the last time they take my money.

Sorry you had to expierence that, i too would be very angry.
Hope things get better cheers Angelo

I had my Waeco CF 50 thermostat repaired in 3 days
I will never shop at Rays again as the service is lousy
We are still waiting for a replacement Coleman stove regulator 7 weeks later
Last time I phoned the girl laughed at me when I complained about waiting 5 weeks and said that was normal

The problem was Rays not Waeco. Report the service problem to their head office, make them aware of the issue. That's the only way to get the info to the relevant people. Telling the 18 year old beyond the counter you don't like their service isn't going to do much

i have had a Waeco for a few years now and it has never missed a beat and was considerably cheaper than a 40lt Engel. My brother uses a 110lt Waeco for outback touring and it has performed flawlessly. they also use a 80lt that had a faulty compressor was sent from Alice Springs to brisbane and was back within 8 days. Waeco also threw in a fridge bag just for the inconvienence.

our weaco stopped working at easter phoned weaco and they said take it to your local repair man.
took it there explained what happened.
7 weeks later its ready .
nothing wrong with it must be your power supply.
say thanks and of i go.
2 days later a bill for $58 arives
minimum charge.

I just laugh when large numbers of Waeco owners try to justify their cheaper purchases by telling us how great the repair service is. Why not just buy a fridge that's less likely to warp or breakdown in the first place? I've got too much to do to be running around fixing things. ;-))

Craig..............
Autofridge
Do it right first time.