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LA Good Question: Local Fan Repair Shops?

072108restorationfan01.jpg"Dear AT: I bought one of those really schmancy fans from Restoration Hardware about two summers ago, it finally froze up on me and now I can't find a local place to get it fixed. Restoration is no help either--they say send it to the factory. Does anyone in apartment therapy (LA) land know of a local (Los Feliz/Hollywood) fan repair shop (vs. AC or ceiling fan)?"

Anyone out there with some recommendations for Mahdi's dilemma? We think their best bet might be with a local electrician who can handle ceiling fans. It's getting warm again, so the sooner they get it fixed, the certainly the better!

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Comments (16)

This is going to sound weird but you might have success at a vacuum cleaner repair shop. I had a very old GE fan similar to the one pictured. I had it repaired at the local appliance shop which specializes in vacuums. If its newer you should be able to get it fixed at any appliance repair shop. You might also want to check your warranty the fan should last more than few years, call restoration hardware explain the problem see if they can fix it.
I love these fans the one I have was my grandmothers and it looks great in my office and functions flawlessly.

posted by Jahue on 2008-07-21 20:54:25
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I use to work for Restoration. You can go to a local appliance repair shop. They will be able to fix the motor. Good luck.

posted by rikki on 2008-07-21 23:04:05
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Los Angeles Appliance Repair
http://www.precisionappliancerepair.net/
137 North Larchmont Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(866) 876-3188

posted by Palmetto on 2008-07-21 23:06:21
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Restoration Hardware is based upon CUSTOMER SERVICE. Shame on them for not being more responsive to your broken fan. They know these fans should last longer than 2 years. I would write the President of Restoration Hardware and get a new fan.

posted by wild-er on 2008-07-21 23:24:52
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I second what Jahue said - take it to a vacuum/sewing machine shop. I bet they could fix it in a jiffy...

posted by I Love Upstate on 2008-07-22 00:27:12
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I used to work the return desk for a big retailer. If you came when i was behind the counter, this is what I'd do.

Go get a new fan in a box, same model, give you the new working one, put your broken one in the box, send it back to the factory with a 'defective' label on it. Done.

If my fancypants Allaire fan breaks (we have the same one), this is what I'll do. Buy a new one, keep the receipt. Clean the broken one we bought last year, stick it in the new box. The next day, take it back to Restoration, with receipt, get my money back. Done. I sure as hell expect more than 2 years out of a $145 fan.

Make it easy for the person behind the counter, all they (and their supervisor) care about, is a current receipt and the damn packaging.

posted by southof290 on 2008-07-22 04:44:23
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but that would be return fraud...

posted by I Love Upstate on 2008-07-22 09:41:37
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I would go back into restoration hardware and speak to the manager. Up until a few months ago, they had no return policy in place, so technically if you bought it a while ago, they should give you a new fan no questions asked... unless of course they don't carry them in store anymore.

posted by CGfromMN on 2008-07-22 10:48:25
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Southof290 - So are you the a$$ who put their old hairdryer in the box of a new one I bought from Target last weekend only to have to drive back and stand in line for 20 minutes to return it? Yeah, you suck.

posted by LilyC on 2008-07-22 11:45:29
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If they do still carry this model you are getting jerked around.

And actually if you DID buy it from restoration hardware thats not fraud... its making a rigid policy work for human reality.

I second, "all they (and their supervisor) care about, is a current receipt and the damn packaging". Get what you want w/o arguring and the clerk doesn't have to bend rules they don't have permission to bend.

posted by DahliaCactus on 2008-07-22 11:49:02
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Hello
I don't know how handy you are or if this is even the issue, but you may want to try giving the fan a really thorough cleaning.

Here are some instructions here:
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-rejuvenate-a-box-fan/

posted by backyardbeans on 2008-07-22 12:12:01
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I've done exactly what Southof290 said, and agree with him/her and Dahlia. If you are clear that it does not work when you return the offending fan, it should not end up on the shelves again, so the only entity this affects is the company who now rightly has the bunk fan back in their hands where it belongs.

posted by amt230 on 2008-07-22 15:05:11
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hey everyone!

I actually work for Restoration Hardware. I can promise you and everyone who has posted here that we will do whatever we can to make a customer happy.

Mahdi, if you still have your fan, please bring it to any Restoration Hardware in the LA area. I'll let them all know you are coming. We have similar fans in stock and will be more than happy to do an exchange. If you have a receipt handy, even better. no worries if you don't.

thanks!

posted by mavenjen on 2008-07-22 16:47:14
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oh, and don't do the whole "buy a new one and swap it out" thing. that is just bad karma. we are a nice bunch and we'll take it without the box or receipt. :)

posted by mavenjen on 2008-07-22 17:00:14
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I had the same fan that I bought at R.H. last summer. It just stopped working recently, so my husband and I brought it into the local R.H. store without a receipt and asked to exchange it for one that was working. It was as simple as that. Whether you bought 2 years ago, or 2 days ago, it was an expensive fan, and they still sell them, so you should be able to exchange it.

posted by natalie1215 on 2008-07-22 17:20:16
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I'm going to try to return it to RH this weekend. I'll let you know if it works.

Thank you all for your suggestions.

posted by Mod-squad on 2008-08-09 01:55:13
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