Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center

This complaint concerns a Thermador refrigerator costing approximately $10,000 that has failed to function properly within its first year of installation and the company’s continued failure to repair or replace the appliance despite repeated assurances.

I do not live in California but it has been four months of me coming every month and seeing the problem unresolved.

My daughter purchased this refrigerator as part of a home renovation. The appliance was selected and ordered by an interior designer, but my daughter paid the full cost. The refrigerator was delivered and installed by Thermador or its authorized agents.

From early on, the refrigerator failed to operate properly, despite being less than one year old and still under warranty.

My daughter contacted Thermador immediately. She was repeatedly assured that service would be provided “tomorrow” or “right away,” especially given that the household includes small children, one of whom is nursing. Despite these assurances, service appointments were postponed multiple times without notice, and Thermador representatives provided contradictory and misleading explanations, including claims that parts were unavailable, followed by claims that parts had arrived, followed by claims that repairs were completed—when in fact the refrigerator continued to malfunction.

This pattern has continued for over four months, during which Thermador has:

Failed to provide timely or effective repairs

Provided inconsistent and inaccurate information

Failed to resolve the issue through replacement despite repeated acknowledgments of ongoing malfunction

As of this writing, the refrigerator still does not function properly, and Thermador has not provided a permanent solution.

Additionally, Thermador incorrectly listed the interior designer as the owner of the appliance, despite the fact that my daughter paid for it in full. This error has created unnecessary complications and raises concerns about improper documentation and ownership records.

A refrigerator at this price point is marketed as a premium, reliable product. Thermador’s failure to repair or replace a defective appliance within a reasonable timeframe constitutes a failure to honor warranty obligations and basic consumer protections.

Resolution Requested:

Immediate full replacement of the defective refrigerator or

Full refund of the purchase price, including associated installation costs

Thermador has had more than sufficient time to correct this issue. Continued delays and excuses are unacceptable and constitute unreasonable hardship to the consumer.

This complaint is submitted in good faith with the expectation of prompt resolution. If Thermador fails to act, this matter may be escalated to additional consumer protection agencies and legal counsel.

I had an awful experience with this company from the sales person all the way to the owner, Igor. I built a new home and we bought all high end appliances. Our order was just under $80k. And I highly recommend any other company, even Home Depot or Loews will be way better.

Despite my contractor’s warning, I was excited to use Universal. I live in studio city, and we went to the show room there on the corner of Ventura and Laurel. Amer (sales person) seemed to be knowledgeable and sold us a suite of appliances which included a Wolf kitchen, Bosch dishwasher, Truline outdoor refrigerators, and Scottsman icemakers. One year prior to our home being finished we selected and allegedly purchased all of our appliances. I was also attracted to the alleged fact that they install the appliances.

When a year later came and we needed the appliances, we never got the Bosch dishwasher, 2 of the appliances were installed wrong, and one of the appliances was defective only to wait 6 months for a part (oh and they don’t install anything outside.) I went from the sales person (Amer), to the store manager (Maida), and then the owner (Igor). Igor told me these troubles were caused by me because I purchased the appliances to early. I wish I was that creative to come up with that excuse.

I asked Igor what his competitive advantage was with is business. He said, it was his nice showroom which displays the product. So, don’t be me and feel guilty seeing a nice showroom of appliances and then purchasing from another vendor that can actually fulfill your order because the owner literally told me that is what I should have done.

Mike at the store was incredibly helpful! He guided me through multiple outdoor kitchen setups and made the whole process easy and stress-free. Great service and expert advice – highly recommend!

Nice looking store, good brands, but horrible customer service. We spent over $20,000 in the store, all on Wolf appliances. The associate Dylan has been very nice and professional. Unfortunately, he recommended the wrong blower for our space after viewing during the consultation. For 1 week now, we have needed an exchange for the correct blower. Instead of taking care of the customer rapidly, they have been asking the same questions of pictures of the old blower and the box over and over again. We have asked for help, and the Store manager Jesse has been absolutely horrendous. One of the worst experiences we have had. he is rude, condensing and unprofessional. Corporate has already been reached and will be escalating much further. No customer should get this type of service or treatment.

Shop Elsewhere, unless they change their management. Jesse needs to go.

I had a wonderful experience at the store. Mike and Jesse were amazing. Both of these gentleman were very knowledgeable and helpful regarding all of the different appliances sold in the store. I would highly recommend Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center. So many wonderful choices

I just completed a full house remodel and this way by far the worst company that I worked with and the least professional. When they installed my appliances they damaged my brand new cabinetry and their response was " I am surprised that we didn't damage it more." They also incorrectly installed my double ovens and did not put screws in to attach them to the wall. They took no reposnsibilty for the damage and flat out ignore our requests to speak with them and come to a resolution. They will happily take your order and your money but won't stand behind their work.
The manager is also rude and dismissive.
There are many places to order appliances from, I suggest you look elsewhere.

They were great to work with and we were fortunate to deal with Ryan. He is very knowledgeable and took the time to go over the brands, features and cost. We got everything we were looking and stayed within our budget.

Ryan McElroy was very helpful. He is product knowledgeable so we could make an informed decision. He never pressured us so we could take our time and understand everything. The results are great and we are happy with our purchase. He definitely went the extra mile.

We were referred to Ryan McElroy at Universal Appliances. We were so grateful for his knowledge and professionalism. We were very satisfied.

This 5 star review is Ryan McElroy at the Calabasas location. I would give him a 10 star review if I could. We lost our home in the Palisades Fire. We were lucky to find a home to rent, but needed a refrigerator, washer/dryer and dishwasher ASAP. Ryan spent an ENTIRE day going through every box at the Santa Clarita outlet to find us brand new, unused appliances at an affordable price and arranged rush delivery so that when we moved into our rental location we could feel less untethered and lost. Ryan was compassionate, smart, beyond knowledgeable, and determined to help us. I purchased all my appliances from UAKC in Calabasas for my home that we lost to the fire, and I can say without a doubt I will be returning once my home is rebuilt and hope Ryan will be there to help me once again. Run do not walk and ask for Ryan!