Customer Reviews

Avanti : WC1500DSS 15 Built-Avanti : WC1500DSS 15 Built-in Wine Cooler with 30-Bottle Capacity

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The fridge is fine, but NO customer service. The first one leaked freon from the moment it was plugged in. They finally replaced it.... but what a nightmare! Their people are unhelpful, do not return messages, and give you zero support. When they finally shipped the replacement, I couldn't understand why it was WEEKS late. Finally I tracked it down -- first, they'd shipped it late, second, they hadn't bothered to tell me when it was being shipped, and finally -- I love this part, since it's a snapshot of the whole process --- even when I got ahold of them, they never told me that it was a special delivery and UPS would hang onto it until I called them and arranged a special delivery. I tried to complain, the service dept wouldn't take my calls, even the President refused to take calls. If you have any choice, don't do business with Avanti -- decent products, terrible service and treatment of customers.

ADDENDUM So, it's now 3 months since the replacement arrived and this one is going bad too. Apparently the fan is shot. Just not quality products. My advice is spend the extra and buy from one of the better manufacturers.

I enjoy the product, but when it was shipped it was dented and falling apart. I would have returned it but the box had to be broken to open it and it weighed so much it was unfeasible to put it in my car to take it to the post office.

I purchased this model to replace a trash compactor in my kitchen during a remodel 2 years ago. When the cooler was first installed, it was kind of loud, but not too bad. Over time the motor has gotten measurably louder. Now, when it kicks on, it sounds like a garbage disposal. I've turned it off and am looking to replace it as soon as possible. I cannot recommend this unit.

Buy it, enjoy it, pray it never needs service. Because if you ever need a part, more than likely, you are going to be flat out of luck.

I have a 35-bottle Avanti cooler that is a few years old. The thermostat went out on it. I called Avanti.

Them: That unit has been discontinued.
Me: OK, how do I go about getting a replacement thermostat?
Them: That unit has been discontinued.
Me: Can you recommend an appliance parts store that may have a replacement thermostat?
Them: No.

Hoping that I had just had the bad luck to have drawn a service rep who was having a bad day, I called again later. Same story.

I spent hours searching the Internet for a replacement part. No luck there, either.

So, buy it, enjoy it, and pray you never need service.

We bought the wine cooler to replace a trash compactor that we never used. It's not quiet (quite noticable when it's running) but I can live with that. What annoys me is that when the power goes out (happens a lot in Houston) the cooler resets to factory defaults, ignoring any temperature you set and forgetting other settings like Celcius versus Fahrenhiet. Since I use it to store red wine this results in the wine being much colder than it should be. For this reason I cannot recommend this product to anyone serious about red wine.

We ordered and installed this wine chiller six months ago and we are greatly enjoying it. My only wish is that there was a way to lock the controls. They are so sensitive, that any random touch can change the settings, and even turn the unit off. Other than that, it is a great little built in unit.

Avanti does not support its products after one year and does not even offer service providers who can fix their products after that one year period. The customer service department is unhelpful and unapologetic. I found this out after my wine refrigerator broke (about 3 years after I purchased it, it simply shuts off periodically for no apparent reason, which is not good for something you purchase for the sole reason of maintaining a constant temperature) and still have been unable to get it fixed properly. I would avoid their products.

Update 7/16/2011 - So far we've had no huge issues with this cooler. Still running quieter than our fridge. The light on this unit is bright at night. I think someone mentioned that in a prior review. We're still pleased with this purchase.

This cooler was delivered in perfect condition. I installed this by myself. It was very easy after reading the instructions. We have a 30 year old kitchen and this fit perfectly where the old trash compactor used to be. I have not added the handle yet. I kind of like the flush mount look. The control functions are easy to use. You cannot accidentally change any of the settings by just bumping up against the unit. The controls have a locking feature where you must press and hold 2 buttons for 3 seconds to unlock and either change the temp or turn the interior light on/off. It came with 2 keys for locking the door - very nice/secure feature. The unit runs quiet, much quieter than our fridge. I've only had this for a few days and will update my review again after a few months of use.

the size of the wine cooler is just perfect to be put in a condo kitchen ' instead of a garbage compactor .