Bray & Scarff Appliance

I usually don't write reviews but I hope this will help potential customers. We purchased a dishwasher and built in microwave, from the Arlington, VA store, to replace our old appliances. They told us the microwave was on back order but the dishwasher was ready to deliver and install. A few days later they came and installed the dishwasher. Unexpectedly they also delivered the microwave but said it couldn't be installed.

Our current microwave was 210watt and the new appliance was 110watt. They took a few pictures of our existing microwave and left the new microwave boxed up on the living room floor. They said somebody should call soon about installing the microwave. Nobody called for a week so I called the salesperson who had no information but said he would check on it.

I waited another week and then visited the store. Still they had no information about the installation. I called a few more times over the next few weeks with still no information. After about a month of patiently waiting we decided to cancel the order. It took about three weeks before the pickup was scheduled. They charged us a 20% restocking fee for appliance that apparently was never going to work. They have lost our confidence and business. We really enjoy shopping local but never again with Bray & Scarff.

I recently turned to Bray and Scarff when my dishwasher in my new house broke down. I use them exclusively to recommend and install new appliances because they are reliable, expert and very customer focussed I was going to try having this fixed, but asked them to make a recommendation on a replacement for me just in case. They did that and also gave me a range of acceptable repair prices.

While the repair price was within range, no repair was completed by the repair date 2 months later. I cancelled the repair, sent an email to Bray and Scarff, who gave me the lower current price and scheduled the delivery for the next week. So glad I found them years ago.

My wife and myself went into the store knowing what size and type of refrigerator we wanted. The salesman, Rodney, was very helpful, knowledgeable and made the transaction a successful one. It is hard to wax poetic about the purchase of a refrigerator, but this particular transaction was a good one. I personally have dealt with Bray and Scarff through the years(although not recently) and have found them to be a well run operation.

The Fairfax team is top notch! Billy was so flexible with delivery and installation times, since we were timing delivery with a laundry room remodel, which was not staying on schedule. Once the washer and dryer were delivered, installation was difficult due to some issues with our contractor. Cliff and his team were so kind to come back out multiple times to reinstall and uninstall to make sure we could do laundry while our contractor corrected the space.

They also provided a custom drain pan and installed for us. Great service, so accommodating and they made sure the remodel was completed smoothly, even though it was not their responsibility. They really care about their customers.

The Team at Bray and Scarff are awesome! I was replacing appliances in my kitchen which was remodeled but not reconfigured (House was built in 1968). Jordon, Rodney and The manager all took a LOT of time finding the appliances in the color I needed. They are amazing and I am very appreciative! I Highly recommend them.

Once again, Bray and Scarff disappoints in the repair department. I was assured by my friendly salesperson that their problems with their repair department were fixed. Not true -still long waits (10 days) to get your 4 month old $5k range to work. Called my local store to nicely express my disappointment and was told by the Langston Blvd. store manager, and I am paraphrasing just a bit, that our repair department stinks, but every other store has even worse repair departments. Do NOT purchase from Bray and Scarff.

I'm surprised by the other reviews, because we've had nothing but positive experiences so far. We bought a refrigerator from them in 2018 and it works fine. CUSTOMER SERVICE is friendly, and they always get our appliances to us quickly. We just bought a gas dryer from them. We went in on a Monday and had the dryer delivered and the other one taken away on Saturday.

They opened up the dryer and it had a crack down the front. By Tuesday, we had a functioning and intact dryer. We don't fault them for the damaged dryer, because anything can happen in the warehouse or in route. They quickly replaced it. We've had a lot of issues with other businesses in Arlington, so this one is one of the best we've dealt with so far.

We try to stay with local businesses when we can, or at least local to the area. My advice to consumers is to choose brands that are easy to get repaired. We have found that Samsung, for example, is difficult to find maintenance for, so we tend to stick with the same brands, which are whirlpool/Maytag and GE. It's not the stores fault if certain brands are harder to maintenance.

Another great experience with Bray & Scarff! Went into the local store, and Jordan was very knowledgeable, listened to our needs, showed us various options (top load washer), checked availability and delivery dates, and completed the transaction quickly. The delivery was on-time, and the personnel was friendly, efficient, and answered any questions.

They made sure the work area was clean and the product was working. We have bought almost all of our appliances over the years from B&S, including a kitchen remodel, and the work, communication, and final product was always exceptional!

The sales team did a very good job, however, I really wanted to compliment the installation team, Joe and Shene, did a particularly notable job. They had to make an unexpected modification to the cabinetry to properly support the new oven. It was extremely professional. They also cleaned up the job site and provided us basic instruction in the use of the touch screen.

All of this was done with utmost efficiency and the time required was surprisingly short. We'd be pleased to recommend them, and have them for another installation in our home, if that instance ever arises.

We've bought several appliances from this Bray and Scarff location, always a good experience, but I wanted to particularly call out the exemplary customer service Tyrone and Richard provided to us during our recent purchase of a new refrigerator. Our old one failed suddenly, and they both pitched in to ensure that we were able to get the model we wanted in a timely manner.

I also want to give kudos to the installation team who were professional, efficient and unphased by the somewhat tricky layout of our 1940s era condo. Everyone we dealt with made what really should have been an incredibly stressful experience enjoyable. Thank you!

All I can say is based upon my experience- I should have read the complaints filed on BBB before I purchased a washer and dryer from them!

I have honestly never seen a business operate this way, straight up not responding to customers who have a defective product. Why won't they even try to make it right? We have given them our contact information at this point four times. We have not had a functioning dryer for months. We are wearing out our drying rack with the heavy loads. You can read my review below. they responded to the review an hour after posting but never got back when we sent our contact information to the email provided.

I bought all new kitchen appliances from Bray & Scarff. The new range was installed today and the old one was removed. The purchase process was easy. The showroom had a good mix of appliances to look at and the sales person (Michael Katac) helped me determine what type to buy for my kitchen, and what the choices were in the size I needed for the refrigerator specifically.

He was easy to work with and it didn't take long to select the right appliances. The installers came today right on schedule and the entire process of removing the old range and installing the new GE gas range took less than 30 minutes. I would buy from Bray & Scarff again.

I went to this location twice. The first time I went in a salesperson informed me that they do not sell anything other than Stainless Steel (stylized) dishwashers; and he was rude about it. He was wrong, but I quickly found a salesman that new what he was talking about. I received the information I wanted so that I could perform more research and make an informed decision for myself - seems reasonable to me.

Three weeks later I went back to the store, in person, while waiting for a callback from the second salesman I met during the first visit. They said they would have him call me back, and said nothing more. They person on the phone did not inform me that they were having a 1-day-sale, which for me really does not change anything. I never heard back from the salesman.

On the way to the store, 15 minutes out I call again to speak with the salesman, and spoke to someone who said they would have him give me a call. They were a little rude about the way they spoke to me too. Fifteen minutes time elapsed, and I walked into the store when I got there - still had not heard from the salesman. I waited a couple of minutes and saw the second salesman, finally walking around, that had never picked up the phone to speak with me.

He was polite and professional, and was not informed that I was waiting on the phone for him while I was driving into the store. I was STILL on hold with my cellphone and I made an issue of this problem with the store manager before starting any commerce with the store. I was livid! I was not polite about my disdain for the store's lack of professionalism.

I executed my commerce with the store and made my purchase, but why did it have to be so difficult to do a basic thing. Bray and Scarff Corporate needs to send a Mystery Shopper into this store and evaluate for themselves what the problem is. I did not want a discount for my purchase, nor was I offered one for my troubles, but this store really needs to get things straight. Customers do not exist for the store, the store exist for the buyers. If it was not for the fact I had a good salesperson who knew what I wanted and how to find it, and execute the purchasing process swiftly, the rating would be lower.

We purchased an oven from the Fairfax store and paid in full in February. A tech came to our home to measure to insure that the new unit would fit. When the installers arrived on Feb 25th with the oven they looked at space and said it they would not be able to install it because it was too big. I had been very specific in what I was doing and the salesman said it would not be a problem.

I went the next day to the Fairfax showroom to discuss solutions and the salesman did not seem to really care. He confirmed that I had given him the correct information and that they were responsible for the mix-up. I asked what my options were. He said that they could try to get another oven to me by May. I asked to cancel the order and to have my payments refunded.

I was promised that this would happen on Feb 28th. I saw no credit processed during the week. When I followed up on March 4th the person that helped me told me that my credit had not been processed. The overall lack of knowledge and poor follow up is not how a quality organization operates. I will never purchase from them again.

New double wall oven was 2 months delayed but we understand this was beyond their control. However, when it did come it was hastily installed and we had much difficulty getting it to work - we were never told it would not function without being connected to our WiFi. We called GE Direct as well ast B and S and as of today, 3 weeks after installation we STILL have not even gotten a call back form the alleged service rep. Further we were charged for $500 of electrical service that was not needed or done and promised a refund.

Like the service man this has not come either in spite of a promise by B and S (or should I just say BS) that we would get an immediate refund for services paid for and not received. I tried to give a ZERO star but apparently you have to give them 1 star!

Called to ask about a wall microwave oven combo, and the sales rep, Mike, was super unenthusiastic about his job and the call. All my questions were either simple short answers, and otherwise met with a simple "yes" or "no". I genuinely wanted to do business with this smaller business, but it sounds like Mike is the barrier between us. Just because he doesn't carry the width of the microwave oven combo my house can hold, doesn't mean he can't try to be helpful.

Almost two months later, I still have a non functioning $1000 now 6 month old dishwasher. Bray and Scarff has been no help. DO NOT BUY from them. I never heard from contacting the person who replied to my original review. Buy directly from the manufacturer unless you want to be treated terribly.

I was totally surprised walking in this store at their selection and knowledge that Jerome had of the products. He was a pleasure to work with and to think I was hesitant to try this store as I thought their reputation of only selling high end professional grade appliances, that myth was totally debunked. Jerome was honest and I got a very fair deal better than the big box stores and had it within a week. Merry Christmas team and happy new year

Jerome, the sales manager, and Tyrone, the installation specialist, did an outstanding job with the sale, delivery, removal of our old dishwasher and the installation of a new machine. There were a couple of challenges getting the right size dishwasher and the installation, due to existing hardwood flooring. Jerome helped to get the right size and Tyrone was able to flawlessly install the new dishwasher, on time and efficiently. I would highly recommend Bray & Scarff for any of your appliance needs!

Jerome was terrific - knowledgeable, direct, friendly and not pushy. He showed us the entire lineup of dishwashers, but pointed out what was available. When we told him we had purchased from Bray and Scarff before, he asked if we had also purchased a warranty and if we'd used it. When we said we had, but not used it, he told us we were due a refund on that, saving us $200! We didn't even know that was available. What a great guy.

We have finally found our go-to shop for all of our kitchen appliances at Bray & Scarff! They have the most competitive prices and most incredible customer service. We had the pleasure of working with the store manager, Jerome Peterson at the Fairfax, VA location. Schedule an appointment with Jerome when you go. He is very knowledgeable, personable, consultative and honest.

We ordered a new fridge, oven and microwave/ oven and will be returning to do more business soon. There was a defect with the delivered fridge and Jerome made sure the situation was quickly resolved and was most concerned with our satisfaction and experience throughout the process. As a result, he and Bray & Scarff earned loyal, long-term customers who won't go anywhere else.

As others have mentioned, terrible repair service. Technician broke our oven trying to fix it, ordered replacement part that he broke for "free" then came back again and our oven is now completely broken right before Christmas. We will be taking our business elsewhere for future appliance needs. Sad because we liked supporting a local company over big box stores but they've gone way downhill.

We just recently purchased a GE Cafe Suite of kitchen appliances. From our Day 1 introduction to Rodney Pierce in the Farifax, VA store, to the delivery and installation in our home last week with Nestor & Alan of the PH8 Crew, the level of service, responsiveness, professionalism, and expertise has been just AMAZING! It is very obvious to us that caring for the customer is the backbone and foundation at Bray & Scarff.

We can't thank both Rodney and Nestor/Alan enough for making our experience so great. HIGHLY recommend working with these folks whenever in the market for home appliances, for sure! Darryl & Roslyn Eadi - Gainesville, VA

I bought a new condo earlier this year and despite the kitchen being recently remodeled, none of the appliances matched. So I needed a new stove and microwave. I tried buying from a popular warehouse retailer, but that experience was above and beyond a nightmare - I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy and three months later of poor customer service and unprofessional shenanigans, I cancelled my order and was still without new appliances.

I decided to try Bray and Scarff since they use their own people for delivery and installation. Yes, you pay a bit more than other places - particularly with delivery, installation, and haul-away fees, but the comfort that I could actually talk to a human being who would actually want to problem solve and go to a local store in case something went wrong outweighed this nominal extra expense. Ali was my salesperson and he couldn't have been nicer or more professional.

All costs were upfront, and he was very forthcoming about the stove that I wanted being on back order from the manufacturer. He was spot on about how long it would take to get it. He also worked it out that both would be delivered at the same time. They were also very cognizant of the fact that many people in Arlington County live in condo buildings and have delivery time restrictions.

Unfortunately I forgot to write down the name of the two men who delivered and installed my appliances, and I feel terrible because I would love to tell their boss what a fantastic job they did. I couldn't have asked for anyone better. They were efficient but thorough, didn't leave a mess, and didn't seem annoyed by all my questions (I an an inquisitive person and like to learn new things).

Total time from start to finish was under an hour. I was floored. They also showed me how to work my new appliances and gave me some recommendations on initial use (i.e. have it run for an hour with no food in it to burn off the new smell). I will be needed new appliances in the next few years for another condo I own and you bet that I will be bringing my business back to Bray and Scarff.

We purchased an appliance which costs the price of an inexpensive new car. We were forced to order from Bray and Scarff due to pandemic supply disruptions--Bray and Scarff was the only store with an appliance in the rare dimensions that we needed. Buying from Bray and Scarff was the most expensive endeavor I have undertaken for an appliance. Every time I thought we had the final, full price (quotes were just a starting point), there were additional fees and they were very high for the area.

We were told we would receive the appliance in a matter of weeks and it took months. It was really disruptive, and I would not have minded if we had not spent a small fortune at this store. I would never buy anything from Bray and Scarff again if I had the choice. It's simply cost prohibitive.

We've had a terrible experience trying to get them to repair an appliance we bought from them a couple years ago. We're not arguing the (very high) cost of labor and parts, which approaches the cost of the original unit. However, they wanted to charge another service fee just to come back and assess it again because too much time had lapsed.

The unit literally was not turned on over that period (it didn't work, hence the need for repairs), and we of course offered to pay for any incremental repairs beyond the original estimate. I don't know if they lack common sense or they just disregard the notion of customer service. Either way, anyone that wants support for their high-end appliances should run-not-walk away from this place and buy them elsewhere.

Blown away! That best describes our recent experience with Bray & Scarff in Fairfax! First impressions are everything. From the sales staff, Patrick was wonderful, to the delivery crew, the level of courtesy & professionalism has been nothing short of stellar! In particular, deliverymen Jeff & Sallah not only arrived earlier than expected, which almost never happens, but they took great care bringing in our new refrigerator and when moving our old fridge into our basement.

And so personable, they were a joy to talk with! Having never shopped or purchased from B&S before, we knew nothing about the company. I asked how they liked working for Bray & Scarff and they told me they absolutely love it because it feels like a family and everyone there is treated like family. Instantly I felt warm and fuzzy knowing we had made the right choice with them.

I've always believed the way a company treats it's employees is indicative of just how little, or in this case, how much they value their customers. It was even more clear to me as when they were telling me that B&S has their own knowledgable, reliable and highly-experienced Service Department Team. There's peace in knowing that should we need any service/repairs in the future, they'll be handled in-house, not out-sourced to contractors who have no investment in the customer.

Even if an Electrician is needed on an install, they have their own, ready to meet the call. I couldn't help but notice how, as they spoke, they were truly beaming with pride about THEIR family. Jeff offered me quite the education on the many ways B&S's commitment to their customers is reflected in the fact that should a repair issue arise that cannot be repaired, with the warranty they will replace the appliance. Period! Rarely, if ever, do find a company that stands behind their products AND their staff AND their customers the way Bray & Scarff does!

We've always purchased our appliances from other Big Box stores. The price of our GE Profile refrigerator was priced LESS than the Big Box stores. Even better, B&S's 5-Year Warranty comes with their Product Protection Guarantee, which offers more guarantees than I have time to list. That said, the Food Loss Protection guarantee alone deserves an honorable mention.

The BEST part is, with the 5-Year Warranty, if you never need to call on them for any repairs, you'll receive 100% CREDIT of the warranty package at the end of the 5 years to be used toward your next appliance purchase! I've NEVER been offered that before! I'm not sure we could've made a better decision that day when we decided to check out what Bray & Scarff had to offer. We never would've dreamed they would offer so much!

What a GREAT company. We have been a customer of Bray and Scarff for over 20 years. WHY.because of their outstanding customer service. Our latest purchased was a microwave oven. The store manager, Richard, took plenty of time with us, explaining the features of each microwave and helping us to determine the right one for us. It was delivered yesterday and Richard was SPOT ON.

We love our new microwave. The installers were a terrific team.polite.professional.and knowledgeable. They even set the microwave clock without us asking. And we all know how challenging setting the clock can be! Thanks Bray and Scarff for continuing to make us happy!

Horrible customer service. we bought extended warranty on dishwasher, microwave and refrigerators. In the last two years each of those devices required repairs. Each time it took the technician two weeks to show up and they never fixed the device the first time. Had to order parts which extended repair time by 1-2 weeks. so 3-4 week response time.

They can't manage their business well. The extended warranty is not worth the money or aggravation. A normal appliance repair man would get the job done faster. Never buying from them again and we were a long time customer. Here's a great update for you. The part came in and they're coming out August 6th. Today is July 23. so their idea of customer service for people who paid extra for a service contract is once the part comes in you have to wait another two weeks. after waiting two week for them to show up in the first place (again) and waiting two weeks for parts. 6 weeks without a refrigerator. Way to go Bray and Scarff. wish we wouldn't have wasted our time or money. Thanks so much

This is the worst company I ever had to deal with! Today my stove top should have been installed, I haven't cook in my home for 2 weeks, the service men show up to my house today and started to walk on my newly fresh drive way I ask them to walk on the grass instead and they got an attitude with me. I told them to walk on the grass and when they came to my door proceeded to enter my home without shoes covers, when I ask them to put shoes cover on they immediately packed up the stove and drove off.

I took off from work today to have the stove installed. I have a toddler in my home who's all over the floor during this pandemic. All the service men I've ever interact with wear shoes covers. I call and spoke to the delivery MANAGER " STEVE " he was just as rude as the team I will not recommend this company to anyone. very rude service I am confused how ignorant and these guys are.

No I have to order out to eat, I haven't cook a decent meal for my family in a while and now today because of unprofessionalism I have to suffer. What if it was your family members? BAD SERVICE!

Sales rep didn't show up for my appointment. The manager "Helped" me instead. I waited 20 minutes past my appointment time, then the manager spent fewer than 9 minutes with me. He couldn't answer questions about lead times. I asked about door clearance on a refrigerator and, as I was standing in his showroom, he said he couldn't answer that. He said I needed to go and look at appliances.

We purchased a washer and dryer a few months before the pandemic shut down. Problem 1: B&S delivered our machines and that night we noticed that they'd delivered the wrong dryer - instead of a matched set, we had 2 different models. We called and they didn't want to fix the issue because the machine we had was an "upgraded" model with more features, including steam in the dryer, so we should be grateful.

Problem 2: This steam feature we got and didn't want didn't actually steam - it dribbled water on nearly dry clothes, meaning that the dryer didn't actually DRY things. Even when we turned off the steam feature, it occasionally dribbled water on our clothes from whatever was left in the hoses -- and made our laundered clothes smelled like mildewed water.

Problem 3: Just as the pandemic shutdowns started, we noticed that the nearly-new washing machine leaked water onto our floor about every 4th or 5th load. A repair person came out, said it didn't happen when he watched it, and left. We sent pictures of the problem to him later (when it did happen again) and heard nothing back. Months went by - we reasonably didn't want strangers in our house during a pandemic - and we did the wash by stuffing towels under and around the machine when we wanted to use it.

Problem 4: When things felt safe again, we called the repair folks out again. Now out of machine warranty, we had to pay out of pocket for the service fee. New guy says that the problem is a known issue with this model and the company issued a repair notice MONTHS ago (while it was still in warranty) to just replace a particular part. Of course, he had to order the part for our machine.

That was March 29, 2021. It's now June 4 and I was just told the part isn't in yet. NEVER buying from B&S again. They're great at selling appliances and their extended warranty plans, but TERRIBLE when anything goes wrong. Can't wait to get rid of these lemons.

Recently purchased a wine refrigerator and a beverage center for my kitchen remodel from here. For those of you currently shopping for appliances during the pandemic, you might have learned that manufacturers have a back order timeframe of a couple of months to up to six months. That timeframe didn't work for me, so I was glad to have been offered to purchase the floor model, which was being discontinued and replaced with a new model.

I was also able to have it delivered within a one week window. Upon delivery, only the wine refrigerator was delivered and they gentlemen stated that the warehouse couldn't located the beverage center. I called the store manager, and when we spoke he said the other location could not remove it from the display for some reason and unfortunately I would have to wait another week for the delivery. Apparently, their mistake doesn't warrant a special delivery to accommodate the customer.

This why I only can give this place a 3-star rating, because the customer service experience is just okay. Nonetheless, my appliances are looking great in their new home and in my new kitchen.

"Aaron" from Bray & Scarff asked to talk over this review and the incidents surrounding our displeasure. We emailed him and heard nothing. On top of that, the dishwasher we bought malfunctioned, and the wheels on the bottom of the lower tray MELTED onto the heating element on the bottom of the unit. You can't make this stuff up. We spent a good part of today looking for hidden cameras in our kitchen, thinking we must be on Candid Camera (the TV show from the 60s and 70s). Look it up on the magic Google!

Horrible customer service. Will never use them again. They replied to my original complain saying please email us so we can contact you. Well that was 2 weeks ago. Nothing!

After spending close to 10,000.00 on new kitchen appliances we are very disappointed with Bray and Scarf. The refrigerator broke after 3 years and now the dishwasher has died after 5 years. What was most frustrating was trying to get service for the KitchenAid appliances. We made appointments and no one showed up (we had to sit home and wait all day) after calling the service dept they didn't even have the appointment scheduled! this happened twice. Do not buy anything from them.

I just purchased a GE Profile Refrigerator from Bray and Scarff. The delivery guys Shane and Enon did a first rate professional job of installing the fridge and explained all the functionality. I am pleased as punch to upgrade from my old LG to this new state of the art GE Profile. They will make a return trip to install the 2nd ice maker as those are on back order. Great In House service so far. :

If I could give 10 stars I would! I cannot speak highly enough of Joseph (sales) and Meka & Edox (delivery/install). I live in a townhouse with laundry in a small closet on the 3rd floor. Home depot REFUSED to do the job, given the circumstances. Not only did Joseph agree to do the job, but Meka and Edox worked for THREE hours to get my old washer/dryer out (VERY NARROW starcases) and the new washer/dryer up to the third floor & installed.

There wasn't so much as a fingerprint on any of the staircase/landing walls (I am extremely OCD about my walls). The customer service is UNPARALLELED! It almost reminded me of a small mom and pop shop from years past. Any questions I had i could text Joseph and he responded right away. I am definitely a customer FOR LIFE! Thank you so SO much for my new beautiful washer and dryer!

I met with Sam Z back in peak Covid 19 pandemic in May 2020. It was shortly after they started making appointments for residential customers. I needed a cooktop replacement and he guided me to a few different options. After his team came out and measured for the cooktop the one we initially selected did not fit my current cooktop space. Sam worked diligently to find me a comparable replacement cooktop. Eventually we settled in on the Thermador cooktop and downdraft and it is a new focal point in our island/kitchen. Attached are the before and after photos.

Wife and I refitted our kitchen and purchased from Bray and Scarff, including the service package. On 28 October, the fridge stopped work. To the company's credit, a repairman visited to diagnose that they would need a part that would arrive "in seven to 10 business days, " i.e., a week before the Thanksgiving holiday. In the meantime, I have heard nothing from the company and only learned that they would schedule a repair on Wednesday 25th when I called and kindly requested confirmation.

Bottom line: Just go to a big box store to buy the appliances because the service upsell won't get you any better service than working with the manufacturer and a repair shop directly.

Installation team didn't show. Salesmen very helpful in making a sale, but then it's up to the customer to follow up to ensure delivery and installation. Also customer blamed for no show. Jason was extremely rude over the phone, which closely mirrors the other yelp review. Go somewhere else. Save yourself!

Last week, I posted a negative review of my experience with Bray & Scarff. Within a day, Aaron Z., an owner of Bray & Scarff, responded with an apology for my experience and a request for contact info so that he could look into this matter. I provided my contact info and 5 days later I have not been contacted. I can only conjecture that the apology was intended to soften the impact of my negative review by appearing to care and pretending that something might be done.