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Built-in Distributors offers quality kitchen and laundry appliances, outdoor grills and decorative plumbing for the home. Since 1962, contractors, designers, property managers and their clients have been relying on Built-in Distributor's professional sales people, excellent selection, quality service and competitive pricing.
Services
Visit either of our two showrooms to peruse a vast selection of appliances to complete your project. Both of Built-In Distributors' convenient showroom locations allow you to select kitchen, laundry, outdoor, or plumbing appliances in person to ensure they fit your design needs. Our professional sales team can help you Monday through Saturday at our locations in Seaside and Santa Cruz, CA. We're available to deliver and install appliances anywhere in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito County, CA.
Today's kitchens are being designed as an open and inviting extension of a great room where family and friends gather. As a result today's kitchen appliances offer a wide variety of choices reflecting a homeowner's lifestyle and needs whether they are simple or sophisticated. Visit our showrooms for a complete selection.
Your property's kitchen space is a valuable part of the home, where family and friends congregate for meals and to socialize. The quality of your refrigeration appliances can enhance your home's style. Built-In Distributors has a multitude of makes and models from which to choose at our showrooms in Santa Cruz and Seaside.
To make your meals the best they can be, you need cooking appliances that measure up to your daily cooking needs. Built-In Distributors has the vast selection of ranges, ovens, cooktops, and more to help you enjoy a gourmet menu any night of the week. We carry trusted brands like Wolf, Miele Dacor, Viking, KitchenAid, Electrolux, and many others.
Reviews (25)
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Belinda Bailey
Jun 16, 2022
We were looking for a refrigerator and decided to shop at BID as they do have some very nice appliances. We were helped by the Darren and Bob! We decide on a model and ordered it. When the paperwork was written up, they said they didn't do installation of the water line and we told them that that was not a problem as we (my husband) would do it himself.

We just needed it delivered and the old one taken away. Not one time did either of them mention the cost of delivery. We just figured there would be one as most places charge for that. I had to call to check on the status of our order as they had said it would take two and 1/2 weeks for it to arrive. It just happened that when I called our refrigerator had arrived. Darren gave me the number for the person who would deliver the fridge.

You would think that they would have set that up themselves, right? Nope, I had to call the delivery person myself. When we made contact, he said he would deliver the refrigerator. Perfect! They delivered the fridge and installed the waterline which we didn't realize they were going to do that because my husband was going to to that himself! We were NOT aware that it would cost us an extra $225 for the installation of the water.

We paid them, as they did do a great job with the setting up and clean up (he even cleaned my floor and walls) where the fridge was going to be placed! We checked our invoice and all it had written on it was "needs installer". I called them to voice my complaint in regards to the cost and Darren said he had written it on my invoice. I told him that no there was no mention of what the cost would be.

He said that if "we", meaning BID, had made the delivery, the fee would be $89. He never once mentioned that to us. We would have gladly paid the $89 compared to the $225. I was going to also buy a convection/microwave from them, but I am not a happy camper! Shame on them!
Rosalie L.
Apr 16, 2022
I purchased a washer and dryer from this company two years ago. I recently had a problem with the dryer and it stopped working. A repair appliance company came & Identified the issue. BID was most helpful in taking care of it all. I highly recommend BID, I have only experienced five star support and service from this company.
Jessamy Barker
Mar 24, 2022
You know that bit where you measure your kitchen and try to figure out what will fit and go slowly mad? Avoid all of that and go to BID! They looked at the figures and recommended appliances which we have just had installed, couldn't be more delighted with the fit. It was cheaper than buying the same appliances online.
Shelby Ataman
Feb 24, 2022
I had the same experience that many others seem to have had. They are very helpful until your order is placed and then you get no customer service at all. The only reason I'm giving two stars is that they do have good prices, but I wouldn't purchase from them again after my experiences anyway. My first purchase was placed and once it arrived, they called to let me know.

I didn't need the appliances yet because my house was still under construction. I told them I can pick them up anyways as I have a place to store them in the meantime. They told me it was no problem, and they could store them in their warehouse until I needed them. When I called and said I needed them, they tried to tell me they had never arrived even though they clearly had to have sold them to someone else.

It took another 6 months to receive all the appliances again because of backorder issues, which is why I ordered early in the first place. After the first issue I gave them the benefit of the doubt and ordered a microwave from them. Before I ordered it, I asked when it would arrive and they told me it would be 1 week. Once my order was placed I couldn't get anyone to respond to me for a week, then when I finally heard back I was told it was estimated to arrive in another month.

Overall just poor customer service, and it seems they tell you what you want to hear before you order then give you totally different information once they've collected your money with no explanation.
Heather A.
May 14, 2021
I should have read everyone else's reviews before buying an appliance from these guys. They over promise and under deliver with their time frames and service. Plus, when you call to find out why 6 weeks has gone by for something that was supposed to take a few days, nobody answers, calls back, or knows what is going on my the time you do finally get someone on the phone.

I paid extra for a special installer to come out and the installer was never told of the specific hardware requirements that prompted us to pay extra for his services to begin with. Absolutely circus just trying to get a new washing machine.
Carrie E.
May 05, 2021
I had a completely different experience with BID than I am seeing in other reviews. I bought a dishwasher, refrigerator, microwave and oven. They kindly held them for 2 months for me when my remodel was delayed and were very flexible on delivery times. Then, when the new refrigerator did not work properly they sent a service man out the very next day.

When he couldn't figure out the problem, Mark exchanged my fridge for a new one and he even offered me a loaner fridge during the time it took for the new fridge to arrive. I also called many times with questions during the purchase process and they were always very nice and even offered me better prices than the big box stores. They sure did right by me. Thanks.
Cc S.
Jul 21, 2020
Nope. Not going buy our new fridge from them after our terrible customer service experience. They never gave us samples of color options for the knobs, knowing we were getting a "souped" up stove, they directed us to the website for color options. Then when the $$$$ stove arrived with orange, not red knobs- they said " oh, it is hard to pick a color off the web site, here is the color wheel, let's compare your knob with the color wheel." Then they agreed our knob was lighter red, than the color wheel sample.

They led us to believe they were going to make good on this situation. Weeks go by and nothing. Third follow from from and.they are willing to do exactly NOTHING after we spent 12K with them! They never told us they had sample colors as we were choosing a color! They won't even re- paint our knobs, which I was willing to pay for! I call this pathetic communication and horrible customer service, unbelievable!
Carey Webber
Mar 05, 2020
Easy to talk with, competitive pricing, local, and they take care of you if there are any issues. Night and day compared to dealing with other Big Box stores! Give them a shout, they will take care of you
Jennifer W.
Feb 19, 2020
Built-In Distributors is a great appliance store in Monterey, Santa Cruz, Capitola and Scotts Valley area the staff are very helpful to aid in your kitchen remodel. I love the selection of Bosch and Thermador products they carry.
David McCartney
Dec 21, 2019
Mom ordered microwave for them to install on 12/9/19. After three calls to the store and one to the installer it was finally installed on 1/23/2020. She was quoted $150.00 to install, but because everything lined up perfectly she was going to get a discount, charged her $155.00!
Russel Berg
Dec 20, 2018
Nice selection but once they get your money the service stops. They never called to set up install while my DW was sitting in their shop for 4 days! 3 days in a row they promised to call back but they never did. I finally picked it up and installed it myself.
Jody G.
May 27, 2018
New fridge. Delivery guys ripped off the plastic sheet protectors and left pieces of it sticking out all around the door panels and handles. Impossible to remove without taking apart the doors. This is what it looks like. Never going back to BID.
Nancy S.
Apr 09, 2018
Purchased a refrigerator that had an ice maker that did not work. Have gone back and forth since January and it is now April and still is not working properly. Have had a service 5 times now with a different explanation why it is not working properly and now awaiting a 6th service. BID blames GE and GE blames BID as to who needs to get this repair done. Terrible situation for a brand new appliance that has never worked properly. Advise not to purchase at BID because if there is a problem it will be hard to get it repaired
Becky B.
Nov 14, 2017
We purchased several Appliances from BID and Darren helped us from start to finish. He helped us find the perfect small refrigerator when I was having trouble finding a beverage Center that worked for champagne bottles. The typical beverage centers only for white wine, not champagne bottles. He took the time to help find me one that works for champagne.

He also was patient with me when I couldn't decide on ovens or ranges. He worked with us for a few months to help us make our decisions. He is kind, patient, and very easy to communicate with in person, and in emails. The clear and helpful Email communication made all the decisions easier because I felt I was in good hand throughout the whole process. I recommend this place
Kevin H.
Nov 10, 2017
I'd like to give Built-In-Distributors credit for doing something good by me. This is my second time buying appliances through them, the first was in 2009 at a previous house. Anyway, this time around, I bought three GE appliances, an oven, a microwave and an induction cooktop. Two of the burners stopped working just a week or so out of warranty.

The repair cost was going to be almost half of what I paid for the unit. I called Mark at Built-In. He was very professional and contacted GE on my behalf. I was immediately contacted by GE. They then reversed the original service call charge and are taking care of the problem under warranty. My experience with them has been great, price-wise and service-wise. I will surely do business with them again. Thanks.
Cindy Jacobs
Mar 11, 2017
I'm not sure how to give them zero stars, but I would if I could. The customer service is atrocious. Even after giving them months of notice, they were surprised that I needed my appliances when I said I did. My phone calls were rarely returned and I received incomplete delivery of my product. They also cheated me out of a portion of a refund for a hood duct that was too long.

They kept putting me off by saying that "accounting" will have to "audit" what was clearly a mistake on their part. I can only imagine that they stay in business because they are the only game in town. If you can get over to San Jose to University Appliance, you'd be much better off.
Ryan Bond
Dec 27, 2016
Got a great dryer (Miele floor model) at a great price. When we discovered we had the wrong outlet type, Louis worked with us to find an adapter until we can get it rewired. Delivery and haul away of our broken dryer was on time, professional, and thorough. After shopping for dryers at other big box and blue chip retailers, we're very glad to have stopped into BID, worked with Louis, and now have a dryer that we love and what feels like a good partnership with the local retailer.
Richard H.
Jun 22, 2016
We ordered a new fisher pykel washing machine from BID 4 months ago. It was delivered two weeks late and immediately out of the box it did not function as described in the manual. After weeks of nonsense of talking to customer service Pykel authorized a return for a new replacement. Weeks later another one was delivered and it didn't work either. Fed up we waited for the pykle regional rep to test the machine for himself.

I will never forget the arrogance of this young man claiming he would have it working in five minutes. Once he arrived I started the timer. 35 min went by and I went to check on his progress. He said he can't figure it out or fix it. So his report to the company was to replace it or return our money. Two weeks go by and I call them only to be insulted by a customer service person claiming the rep was wrong and machine works exactly as it was programed to work.

Long story short the programmers are at odds with the folks that write the manual, the advertising, the performance stickers, but most important the sales information presented to the customer. This washing machine is simply programed not to let you use hot water to clean your cloths? The opposite of what the manual claims you can do. BID sales people apparently know this but omit this information from getting to the buyer. I will never again purchase from BID. Buyer beware of BID.
Doll F.
Jun 29, 2015
They have a great selection and the staff was nice. Though nice, I got an uneasy feeling from the staff. It's hard to put into words WHY you don't trust someone. Then I read the reviews and it all makes sense. I won't be doing business with them.
C. L.
Feb 04, 2015
Buyer Beware.do not buy your expensive built in appliances here. They don't deserve your business. They want the business but don't stand behind their products. They lied about replacing a bosch dishwasher that I purchased a year ago after it broke a second time in a year. Mark, in service, is horrible. He assured me that I would get a replacement since my dishwasher is a lemon but then he went back on his word and decided not to honor it.

I will buying a new built in fridge and range oven in the next year and will never give them my business again. I'd rather find a store in San Jose than deal with these guys! I will do what I can to spread the word to everyone I know so no one has to deal with their horrible service.
Alex Gershenson
Jan 21, 2015
UPDATE: they sent me a small check to compensate for some of the expense (not all), so I'm updating to a 2 star review from the original 1 star, but all the rest stands. Stay away. I have done business with these folks before, but maybe the management changed, maybe the standards, I have no idea. To make long story short: Delivery and installation of dishwasher was weeks behind what was promised, installation was more than twice as expensive as quoted, and staff was incredibly rude when I approached them to come to an agreement (I was told that I was "fortunate" that I was charged so much, because. something.).

I try to shop local, but not at the expense of service or quality. I'm happy to pay more for local, but in this case, these guys are never getting my business again. Atrocious company.
Kathy J.
Jan 18, 2015
If you're looking to shop locally for a good selection of higher-end appliances, this is the place for you. If you value quality customer service provided by helpful, attentive, friendly staff this is definitely NOT the place for you. Worst. Experience. Ever.
Megan B.
Feb 24, 2014
BID was supposed to deliver a new fridge for me, as my freezer no longer works. Since we work all day, I needed the delivery to come at a certain time. I called BID to schedule a delivery appointment, and when I spoke with them, they said the latest they could deliver was 4:30. We scheduled it for 4:30 on a Friday. I made sure to get in to work at a certain time, and was home by 4:15.

After taking all of my food out of the fridge, I watched the minutes tick by. At 4:40, I called BID to check in. The guy that answered the phone said their delivery guy was done for the day. He said they came by my apartment and no one was home, so they left. Several things very wrong with this picture. 1) I scheduled a delivery at 4:30. No one came to my door after 4:15, when I got home. 2) My leasing agency called at noon that day to say BID was ready to deliver.

I said I was at work and had scheduled an appointment at 4:30 and they'd have to come back. 3) The delivery guy called me at 3:40, saying he was in the neighborhood. I said to come back at 4:30 because I was still at work. 4) At 4:15 when I pulled into my neighborhood, I saw a truck labeled "BID" driving away. 5) I came home at 4:15 and was definitely there at 4:30, when my appointment was scheduled. 6) I received no phone call at 4:15 to ask if I would be home shortly.

So when I called BID to check in and was told that they were done delivering, the excuse I was given was that they wouldn't send him back because they didn't want to pay him overtime. Sorry -- if you can't keep a simple appointment, why should I be the one to get the short end of the stick? The guy I was speaking with said that they also couldn't deliver past 3:30 in the afternoon, when the first man clearly said 4:30.

He had the audacity to suggest that I "find another distributor that can accommodate [my] needs." I was livid. Long story short, I then phoned my leasing agency to explain. They're delivering my fridge themselves, and hopefully not working with this company again, until they can learn how to honor their appointments and not be rude to their customers.
Dan H.
Feb 18, 2014
Well stocked and capable of selling you what you are looking for. Then is dries up. We had a lemon issue and were sold a product that was broken. Rather than swap it out and get us taken care of BID sent a repair guy. We had to wait two weeks for him to come out, spend 2 hours on site, and tell us he had to order a part (which he said would take two weeks to receive).

That was the last we heard from them. After 4 weeks I called BID and asked what the hell was going on and I was told by their warehouse guy (apparently also in charge of customer service and repairs- nice dodge by the manager/owners!) that he would look into it. Never heard back. Called the manufacturer on the appliance and they immediately scheduled a replacement which was delivered inside of a week. The manufacturer customer service was great and very critical of BID for not haven replaced our washer immediately. Basically.they suck.
K. T.
Oct 27, 2010
Great pricing and selection. If they don't have it they will order it- locals : check pricing here before buying it at Home Depot