Action News Troubleshooters: Dress Disaster & Appliance Nightmare

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Now for a double dose of the Action News Troubleshooters.

We have the stories of a bride-to-be who is finally made whole after the Troubleshooters got involved, and a West Philadelphia woman who came to the Troubleshooters when her dream purchase turned into a nightmare.

"I bought what I thought was a dream washer and dryer from Sears," said Mia Sowers, of West Philadelphia.

But only two weeks after it was delivered, there was a problem.

"The lint from the dryer was getting on my clothes," said Sowers.

Sears sent a repair technician.

"They looked at it and they said this is a new model and it should go away," Sowers said.

But Sowers says a couple weeks after that, a new problem arose: a grinding noise in the washer. And shortly after that was fixed, a third problem cropped up: the door to the washing machine wouldn't open.

Her message to Sears?

"You all owe me a brand new washing machine."

Sowers says Sears told her she was just outside her 30-day window for replacement.

"My mom said 'Mimi, call Action News,'" she said.

Our Call for Action volunteers took on the case and got results in one day.

"I made one call to Action News," said Sowers. "The next day, Friday morning, on my way to work, Sears called me and apologized."

After fighting with Sears for more than two months, Sowers received a brand new washer and dryer within two days.

"I tell everybody, 'Call Action News,'" Sowers said. "You got a problem, call Action News!"

In a statement, Sears said: "At Sears, the satisfaction of our members is our top priority. Our member services team resolved Ms. Sowers' situation by replacing her washing machine. This original purchase was part of the Why Not Lease It program. Once the washer's full problem was diagnosed we replaced it within a week. We regret the delay and hope she remains a loyal Sears customer and Shop Your Way member."

Next, Courtney McKain came to the Troubleshooters after learning the wedding dress her mom paid for in full was never ordered.

"It's terrible. It was probably the most stressful 48 hours of my life," said McKain. "Between not knowing if I had a dress, and then finding out I didn't have a dress."

The McKains told the Troubleshooters that Brittany Ashe, the owner of Ashe B in Manayunk, promised them a refund, but then closed the shop down and never gave them their money back.

"Just unbelievable," said McKain.

The Troubleshooters reached out to Ashe repeatedly.

And finally, just a couple days before the McKains were scheduled to see her in court - good news!

"I finally got my money back!" she said. "Just in time."

The McKains got a full refund and an emailed apology from Brittany Ashe.

"It's great. I'm super happy we can put this all behind us," she said.

The Better Business Bureau offers tips on how to avoid falling victim to situations like these.

Click here for tips on purchasing a major appliance.

Click here for tips on buying a wedding dress.

------

Send a News Tip to Action News

Learn More About 6abc Apps