Timeline on the Bosch Dishwasher Flooding Claim

December 9, 2005 Bosch dishwasher purchased: FD 851100XXX / SHY56A0XXX/23

May 27, 2009 Bosch dishwasher flooded our kitchen, dining room and basement during the night.

May 27, 2009 - August 2009: Post-Flooding Repair & Recovery Period - Below is a list of some of the tasks you face when a dishwasher, or any appliance that uses water, sustains a failure with extensive flooding of your home: removing flood waters from kitchen and basement with mops, towels, brooms, and wet-vac; drying out house; preventing mold and mildew with fans and dehumidifiers; removing kitchen flooring down to the sub-flooring; removing toe boards, molding and trim from kitchen and testing for moisture; locating anything containing particle board and testing for moisture; pulling back carpet in dining room to assess water damage; making many trips to hardware stores for tools and supplies; quickly relocating furniture and household goods out of flooded areas and into other rooms; dealing with insurance issues; getting quotes from carpenters, appliance stores and flooring companies; shopping for flooring, carpeting, and a new dishwasher; coordinating and scheduling repairs and installations; managing repair do-overs; washing dishes by hand for 8 weeks; keeping a household going with a kitchen in chaos; continuing to earn a living while dealing with a major disruption of our day-to-day living; then, after all repairs and installations completed, moving all furniture and household goods back to their original locations.

We did not take a vacation last summer. Sadly, it's true. Instead, we spent our summer at home trying to restore order to the chaos of the dishwasher flooding.

In a short-lived moment of pique, I wondered where Bosch and Gerling executives took their holidays. After all, Bosch has annual sales of around 8.76 billion euros (over $12 billion U.S. dollars). Did they head to Grand Cayman, the Swiss Alps, the Galapagos Islands, St. Tropez, or Machu Picchu? Or did they go kite-surfing in Greenland, skiing in Sun Valley, trekking in Nepal, or bison-watching in the Yellowstone?

August 11, 2009 Contacted Bosch Customer Service at 1-800-944-2904 in Huntington Beach, California. I spoke with V.M., Customer Support Representative, who dismissed my concerns because it had been so long since the flood, and because the dishwasher was not available for testing since it is not installed anymore. I told her it was available for examination and testing, but it was not longer installed in the kitchen. It was in my garage. When I insisted on speaking with someone in technical service to discuss my damage claim, I was turned down. However, she did take my contact information. I told her I would appreciate a call back.

August 13, 2009 Received a letter from V.L., Claims Coordinator, of BSH Home Appliances in Huntington Beach, California. Enclosed was the Claim Acknowledgement Form to be filled out and returned to her, plus instructions for filing investigative reports and for arranging a diagnostic report with one of Bosch's authorized service technicians. There was also a request for photographs of the damage and a request to retain all failed parts.

October 23, 2009 Mailed via USPS certified mail the Claim Acknowledgement Form with photographs and a description of the incident and damage. I also included a link to a website I had set up with photos and information about the flooding.

October 26, 2009 Put up a website/blog with information and photos on the flooding incident.

October 27, 2009 T. from Bosch came to do a diagnostic report on the dishwasher which was in my garage. He said he could not test it for valve failure unless it could be hooked up to power and water. I suggested we move it to the patio where there was an electrical outlet and suggested he rig up the hose to the outdoor water spigot and run the dishwasher that way. He said he would have to check with the office, and he would have to figure out a way to connect the water hose and would get back to me. He said they might have to send the unit back to the company for testing. He did not want to try to rig it up that day because it was raining and that might pose a danger of electrocution. He did not even open up the dishwasher to look at the circuit board or any of the components. He would let me know soon how to proceed.

October 31, 2009 Sent a duplicate packet with the Claim Acknowledgement Form, photos, description, etc. via UPS since the USPS packet I sent earlier never displayed any tracking information online or after repeated trips to the post office. This UPS information packet was delivered November 2, 2009, and signed by D. at Bosch in Huntington Beach, California.

November 5, 2009 Called Bosch Customer Service for an update on my claim. Was told nothing had happened on it because there was a notation in the file that the dishwasher was no longer on the premises and was thus unavailable for diagnostics. Case had been closed. Upon further investigation, I was told that my claim forms had been received and had been sent to the insurance company. No diagnosis or testing of the dishwasher was needed. If they needed more information, they would call me. Check back in a week.

November 16, 2009 Received a call from J.H. of HDI Gerling in Chicago. Case number is GLP XXX58. A technician will call to set up an appointment to test the dishwasher.

December 8, 2009 Had not heard from the technician. Called J.H. Must have an inspection by diagnostic technician for the case to go forward. Then it will be all done. She will contact the technician again.

December 21, 2009 A.T. (Regional Manager) from Bosch tested the failed dishwasher on our patio. His assessment: Failed intake valve/pump. Failed anti-flood system. He sent his report to J.H. at HDI Gerling Insurance that afternoon. She will call with settlement terms soon. That's all that needs to be done. If no call in a week, call A.T. back. For more information on the diagnostic testing, click here.

January 8, 2010 No word from Bosch or Gerling, so called A.T. Just be patient. You're almost there. Nothing else to do. The insurance company has to check the laws when they get claims. These things take time. Call him back in a week if no word received.

February 1, 2010 Still waiting. No word from anyone. Six weeks now since diagnostics completed.

Februrary 8, 2010 Still waiting. No word from Bosch or Gerling. Seven weeks since diagnostic testing showed pump/valve failure.