Update: Tasco worked with Samsung and I got the okay to return the stove. I have picked out a new stove, which should be delivered shortly. I am so, so thankful to have this resolution. The team at Tasco exhibited the care and compassion I was hoping for. Fingers crossed I picked a better stove this time around!

On Oct. 22, our oven died. We had had a long day at the hospital for a chemo treatment, but it seemed like we were going to make it home for dinner with Ellie and be able to put her to bed at her regular time.

I had prepped the food before we left, so we called my Mom who was watching Ellie and told her to start the oven. When we got home, dinner was still sitting on the counter because the oven was not heating. I whipped up some eggs, we all ate and Ellie went to bed late.

The next day, Matt and I went out and bought a new stove.

A different company, Tasco, was in the building where our go-to appliance store had been. We went in and found a Samsung stove with a flex duo oven–a feature that we really like. We bought it on the spot, and Tasco delivered it the next day.

Yes, we rushed, but Matt could only be out for so long and I needed to be able to feed him and Ellie.

The first time I cooked with the new stove, it didn’t seem right. Everything took a long time, and the oven didn’t seem hot enough.

But on Nov. 2, Matt went into the hospital and on Nov. 9 he died, so the stove was the least of my problems.

However, the problems with the stove continued. Despite setting the oven hotter and cooking things longer, food was still coming out cold.

I cranked the oven to 500 to make pizza with my friends. After 10 minutes in the oven–my normal cooking time–the pizzas were still raw. When I reset the oven, the temperature reading was down to 300. Eventually, we ate our very unevenly cooked pizzas.

I baked a cake that came out dark brown on top and crunchy around the edges, but soggy and fallen in the middle. Macaroni was burnt on top but still cold in the centre.

By December, I was finally ready to deal with this stove. I called our salesperson at Tasco, and he referred me to their service department, which I called on Dec. 18. They said they would reach out to Samsung to arrange a service call.

Christmas came and went, and no one called me back.

I called Tasco again on Jan. 3. Then again on the 13th and again on the 20th.

I asked to return the stove, but Tasco had a 30-day return window and that deadline passed during the week of Matt’s memorial, and there didn’t seem to be any willingness to make an exception due to our circumstances.

Finally I was able to figure out that there was confusion because the name I gave over the phone was different than the name on the invoice–I had taken Matt’s last name because I wanted to carry that part of him with me. Rather than call me back to sort out the confusion, Samsung had done nothing.

On Jan. 24, a technician finally came to look at the stove.

He took readings and replaced one part, but said everything seemed to be working fine.

I gave the stove another try, and still had the same issues of food not being hot or cooking unevenly.

On Feb. 4 I called Samsung again. A few days later Samsung sent an email telling me that my stove was working properly. I reached out to my salesperson at Tasco, and he arranged a second service call for Feb. 20. Again, the tech who came to the house said that according to his measurements, the stove was working properly–I begged to differ–and on Feb. 25 I received another message from Samsung that my service ticket was closed.

I followed up again with Tasco. A representative called me back right away and was very understanding. She asked me to follow up again with Samsung.

The telephone call with Samsung did not go well. The person on the phone said that my stove was working properly and they have to “trust their technicians.” I said that felt like a lack of respect and trust for their customers and a lack of integrity in standing behind their products.

The next day I received another email that said, “unit is working fine.”

I followed up with my salesperson at Tasco again, asking “Can you please just take it back, so that I can buy a stove that works?”

So far I have not received an answer.

I am writing this post today because I am so disappointed and beyond frustrated. I am hoping that I may get some accommodation from Tasco or Samsung by sharing my story publicly.

I have tried to follow their procedures and work within their policies, and I have gotten nowhere.

I realize it is not their problem that my husband died and I missed the return deadline. But I hope that even large companies can be understanding and flexible and compassionate and act with integrity when there are problems with their products.