If You Don't Ask, You Will Never Know

Yesterday's post compared my life over the past week to the Bermuda Triangle.  Almost everyone in the house got sick and just about every crucial electronic we own malfunctioned, requiring expert attention.

Thankfully, things are on the path toward recovery - except the budget, which took a bit of a hit.  The family is feeling much better, the nail holes in the roof repaired, the car battery replaced, a new digital camera purchased, the MacBook "geniused", a free replacement cell phone ordered, and a new motor for my energy and water-efficient clothes washer purchased.  This last one taught me a very important lesson.  You never know what you can get unless you ask - nicely.

I called a repairman we'd previously used to repair the same washer while it was under warranty.  This time, I was told that the entire motor needed replacement.  The total cost of parts and service would be close to $400.  When I asked the likelihood of a motor wearing out within two years of purchase, he indicated it was fairly unusual.

I know that the manufacturer stands behind its products, so although the washer is two years old and it only carried a one year warranty, I called the parts line and asked what they might be able to do for me.  I was extremely nice about it, and so were they.  While I did not get the part for free, they did give me a good discount.  I should receive the part soon, at which point the repairman will return and install it.

Unnamed washer manufacturer: you rock.

The lesson here: if you don't ask, you will never know what you can get.  That is true in just about any situation in life.  And if you get nothing after asking, at least you stood up for yourself, tried and have nothing to regret.