It pays to shop around

Had a little accident with my oven a while back. The front glass got broken, and I went hunting around for a replacement part.

GE’s offering:

GE PartSelect

Are you out of your Vulcan mind? That’s extortion! Well, that was disheartening. Let’s see if we can find a competitor or aftermarket alternative.

PartsDirect

Well, Sears PartsDirect did a little better, but a bit more searching came up with this:

BlackDrive Glass

Why a black sheet is so much less expensive than a white one is totally beyond me, but I ended up saving over $300.00 just by settling for a black front instead of a white one, and the contrast looks very good.

The Internet makes comparison shopping so much easier than it used to be. Back in the day, the Yellow Pages and a telephone was all we had, and one was limited to a very local search. I’m grateful for the miracle.

The Old Wolf has spoken.

2 responses to “It pays to shop around

  1. Because in the old days they counted on your not knowing better, or being able to find their true sources, so people thought they had to pay what was asked. Like knowing that you don’t need to replace the entire icemaker assembly that is an exact fit for your refrigerator model for $200 and up, when you can get the core pieces that wear out every ~10 years for $40.

    Search up FSP D7824706Q and that one kit (mold tray & heater assembly, motor with harvest thermostat and ejector) fits most refrigerators made in the USA. You’ll have to swap over the wiring harness and mounting brackets from your old one, and possibly the sense arm, but that’s easy and fast.

    • When we bought our fridge, I was moved to pay the 100 bucks for the 4-year extended warranty. We’ve now had the repairman out three times for the icemaker, and I avoided a fourth by repairing an incorrect install myself. I’d say I’m way, way ahead on service charges; even if you count $40 a pop for self-repair, I’m still in the black. I don’t buy extended warranties for anything else, for what it’s worth.

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