TroubleShooters: Refrigerator meltdown

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- We expect major appliances to work properly and last a long time. So when one family's refrigerator kept breaking down, they contacted Action News Troubleshooters.

Water was about the only thing Diane Coneby could keep in her refrigerator.

The thermometer inside read 70 degrees!

And this wasn't the first time the appliance broke down.

"I'm exhausted. For the last year, it's been every four months," Coneby said.

Diane says when the problems began, the fridge was only four years old and still under warranty, but she couldn't get its maker, LG, to replace it.

"So basically I just want the company to give me a machine that works. I spent a lot of money. I think as a consumer, they should take care of their customers," Coneby said.

Action News TroubleShooters agreed.

I took on Diane's case to get her the results she deserves.

"As soon as you left, within a couple days, they called me and they said they'd be willing to work with me to resolve the issue," Coneby said.

In the end, LG gave Diane a full refund so she could buy a new refrigerator of her choice.

"I'm excited. I love it and I'm thrilled they gave me the option to get my money back," Coneby said. "I'm very grateful and it's just wonderful that you can advocate for us to deal with these companies, to put pressure on them, to get them to make good and do the right thing."

A spokesperson told me LG did want to make sure Diane is happy and while the company is sad to be losing a customer, it is pleased Diane has received a resolution with which she is comfortable.

Now if you have an appliance problem, you can try to use something called the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. It's basically a federal lemon law for defective, damaged, and poorly made products including appliances.

More Information: http://timothyabeel.com/lawyer/PA---NJ-Breach-of-Warranty-Attorney_cp10277.htm

Consumers can use this law on their own or they can use a consumer attorney since the law allows attorneys to recover their fees from the manufacturer. The consumer pays nothing for the attorney services - win or lose.

And if you need Action News Troubleshooters. Go to 6abc.com/Troubleshooters or email us at TroubleShooters@abc.com. You can also call our Action News volunteers Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.