HOUSTON – As the price of everything goes up, you may be asking about ways to save. Our KPRC 2 team is finding ways to help your family save money. Today, we are looking into how to get lower prices on big-ticket appliances, and what you need to know about buying scratch and dent products.
Appliances are hard to find right now
If your washer, dryer or refrigerator has gone out in the last couple of years, you may have noticed it was harder to find a new replacement at traditional retailers, and what was in stock was a lot more expensive than in the past. We went to a liquidation warehouse to show you what you can get for your money.
Employees can’t unload the trucks fast enough.
“If you were to come in here and say, ‘ah- I didn’t see the fridge I wanted.’ Wait a week. Wait three days,” said Brian Pawlowski, owner of Treasurez for Less near 45 and 1960. “Ask somebody… when’s your next truck coming? Because they are always on the way here.”
Pawlowski opened this liquidation warehouse in 2018, buying overstock items from major retailers, and selling them at up to 40% off. These are savings in today’s retail market are hard to find.
“We are the anti-inflation type store, right? Because if that’s what’s bothering you? Paying more for stuff, why would you go anywhere but here where you’re going to pay less?” Pawlowski said. “None of these units have been used. They’re all brand new.”
While he sells everything from diapers to kitchen appliances, we came to talk specifically about appliances.
What to look for when shopping for scratch and dent appliances
Some may have dings or dents, but the blemishes aren’t always visible. So why would a big box retailer liquidate these instead of selling them in their stores? Pawlowski said merchants are now getting too many shipments as the gridlock on supplies loosens.
“If they have 25 of them left when the new ones are coming in, they have to do something with those 25,” He said, “They don’t have room in the store. They’re not going to warehouse it. It just costs more money every day.”
We checked the prices to find out how much you’d save.
An LG stackable smart electric dryer is $1,199 at Home Depot, but $720 at the liquidation warehouse. A Samsung Smart front-loading washer is $689 at Treasurez for Less, and on sale at Lowes for $748.
Do scratch and dent appliances come with a warranty?
At a liquidation or scratch and dent warehouse, you may not get the manufacturer’s warranty, but Pawlowski stated, “if you have any problems with it in the first three to six months, we’re going to just automatically take it back and exchange it out for you and give you a choice of whatever we have.”
Something else to think about is how you’re getting your scratch and dent appliance home. You can get a truck and take it yourself. Treasurez for Less also partners with a third-party company that can deliver and haul away your old appliances for an additional charge.
