Cash for appliances is a fricking joke

[joeglow3]

So, we need a new fridge and I decided to wait it out for this program. Well, the website is now up and ALL the fridges offered in our state are Bosch and cost in excess of $2,000. All other appliances appear to be about the same.

Just another government program giving free money to those who need none.

[FrenchieCat]

1. Got that website?

I need a new fridge and a new oven. Thanks! :hi:

[joeglow3]

2. I think each state is handling it separately

Mine is:

http://www.nebraskacashforappliances.com/

I assume most states would have something similar.

[Ian David]

3. It varies from state-to-state. Here's the deal in Massachusetts

<snip>

Rebates will be available on the following appliances:

* Dishwashers - $250
* Refrigerators - $200
* Clothes washers - $175
* Freezers - $50

Each Massachusetts household is eligible for one rebate per product category, for a total of up to four rebates.

The state is requiring that all older appliances be recycled. For refrigerators and freezers, residents must purchase the appliances at participating retailers that will recycle them and provide proof of recycling for consumers to submit in order to get the rebate.

The program is one of 56 State Energy-Efficient Appliance Rebate Programs, popularly known as Cash for Appliances, that are being set up in the United States and six U.S. territories with the help of federal stimulus money.

Massachusetts received about $6.2 million of the nearly $300 million available nationwide for the program from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

For more information on Cash for Appliances, visit the Mass Save Web site.

More:
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/cash-for-appliances/21406173/detail.html


In our state, we can get Bosch, GE, Frigidaire, Gaggenau, Hotpoint, KitchenAid, Maytag, Miele, Mofat, Profile, Samsung, Sun Frost, Thermador, or Whirlpool refrigerators.

You can get them from any one of 275 participating stores, including some mom-and-pop independent shops.

At Lowes (a store that leans Democrat) here are the prices for their refrigerators:

http://www.lowes.com/pc_Refrigerators_4294857973_4294937087_?newSearch=true&ddkey=http:SearchCatalogDisplay

The cheapest I see is around $900.

[itsrobert]

4. Is that the state website or setup by Bosch?

Looks like the site is an advertisment for Bosch.

[tammywammy]

5. Try this link

http://www.neo.ne.gov/ARRA/appliancerebate.htm

[joeglow3]

6. Aha!!! THANKS A TON

I thought it looked like nothing more than an advertisement for Bosch.

[tammywammy]

9. BTW, last year I bought an LG fridge

It's the "French Door" style with a bottom freezer, and I love it.

[itsrobert]

7. And in that link there is a link to eligible refrigerators

http://www.neo.ne.gov/ARRA/documents/Refrigerators-eligible.pdf

Many, many, many refrigerators on the list besides Bosch.

Looks like the OP was almost a victime of marketing by Bosch.

[Ikonoklast]

8. You went to the wrong site.

Go to the official state site; lots of different makes and models listed.

http://www.neo.ne.gov/ARRA/appliancerebate.htm

[Yunomi]

10. Didn't even get that far in Texas.

The Web site AND the phone lines froze immediately. By the time you could reach them, all the rebates were mysteriously gone. There was only one company eligible anyway, not Bosch, one I had never heard of.

[Gold Metal Flake]

11. Here is a link to the Federal Gov page

Check your state from here.
http://www.energysavers.gov/financial/70020.html

California is only offering rebates on room AC units ($50), fridges ($200) and clothes washers ($100).

[Xithras]

12. I've been waiting for this for a while.

My current refrigerator is only five years old, but I really hate the side by side. A friend of mine has a 1980's vintage power sucker, so we worked this out.

We're going to swap refrigerators, and he'll give me $250 for my trouble (it's a huge upgrade for him for only $250). I will go buy a new fridge, and get the $200 credit on top of that. To satisfy the recycling requirement for the $200 rebate, I will be calling my local power company to drag my (his) old beast away, and they'll give me another $35 rebate for doing so.

The new refrigerator should end up costing me about $600. Not a bad deal!

It did take some time to find a fridge on the list that I liked though, and my wife was very bummed when she found a fridge in the store that she wanted, only to find out that it didn't qualify. You definitely want to do your research online BEFORE you walk into a store.

[RKP5637]

13. They have run out of money here, vouches submitted have exceeded funding. n/t

[matt819]

14. Stay away from Bosch appliances

I can't comment on the program you refer to. But whatever you do, do not buy - hell, don't even accept if free - any Bosch appliances. They suck. We had Bosch appliances overseas, and they were fantastic. The ones here in the US are appalling.

Specifically, the dishwasher, while very silent, does only a moderately decent job of washing dishes, and the cycles take forever - so much for energy efficiency. The control panels for the Nexxt washer and dryer broke - physically, the plastic broke - within a year. The pump broke just after five years. Leaks constantly. The dryer works fine - when it works. It often takes multiple efforts to get it started.

Stay away.