The recommended Fisher & Paykel fridge model RF442BLPX6 (March 2023, pge 49) meets our size and capacity requirements, however, it appears that Fisher & Paykel offers certain fridge models for commercial purchase only and not for sale to the general public. Despite attempting to obtain clarity on the availability through Fisher & Paykel Messenger Chat Support on March 14, we have not received any response, even after sending three additional messages following their request for our location (Adelaide) the next day.
Why assess and review a Fridge that we canât buy.
Unless it is published otherwise as a special review, every product Choice tests was purchased retail on the open market. It is done that way to avoid receiving âringerâ products that do not reflect what a consumer should expect.
Unfortunately because of the publishing cycles it is sometimes the case a product has been discontinued between purchase/test and publication, or shortly after publication. There is no way for Choice to know that as that is a commercial decision companies keep to themselves to enable them to clear âend-of-product-cycleâ stock.
Thanks for the welcome PhilT and for kindly providing information and the reminder that Choice do purchase retail.
We spent some weeks hunting for the RH hinge but were told by retail stores that âno they couldnât get us one because it wasnât available to themâ. The Fisher & Paykel Australia website still lists it as âCommercial Onlyâ but it seems that itâs available in online stores again now.
F&P bot message reads âThanks for getting in touch. Your message has been received and one of our Customer Care specialists will get back to you within 24 business hoursâ but it took a week for them to get back to me to request the model number and after supplying it, they ignored my messages.
I think Iâll pass on F&P products, the support wasnât the experience I expected.
Retailers unfortunately wonât provide spare parts. RH hinges will be available from specialist online spare part businesses. It is easier to do a search for the hinge if you know the part number. Hinges are also usually not unique, but used across a number of different models by the same manufacturer.
Also check that the fridge can be converted. With F&P, they usually have plugs on the top of the fridge on the side without the hinge which are removed and allow alterative hinge placement. It is highly likely that the hinge side can be swapped as the model has left or right hand opening options.
Iâm laughing because most sensible people would do a final google search before posting so I take full responsibility for my brain glitch. Thanks for the heads-up that theyâre now available, maybe I can reclaim some dignity and suggest that my contact jogged them into action to make them available to retail buyers again. Adelaide stores arenât showing availability but Appliances Online does have them it seems.
The stores told me the RF442BLPX6 is a âCommercialâ fridge meaning itâs sold in bulk lots to developers of apartments etc and not individually to retail buyers. The manufacturers website does show them as Commercial still.
When negotiating a purchase through a retailer that stocks this model, ask for the right sided hinged one. If they donât have a RH one in stock, you might have to wait until they receive a delivery from F&P.
It could be that after the Choice test, some business came along and offered to buy lots of these fridges at a bulk discount price, and supplies from FP were devoted to meeting this order. So temporarily unavailable to retailers.
Just guessing.
But with bulk order fulfilled, now retailers can get them.
Again just guessing.
âCommercialâ in the context mentioned is new to me. I thought product targeting builders et al was a âTradeâ product. Commercial would have been heavy duty eg for a restaurant, hotel , etc. +1 to my vocabulary.
Me too. Itâs obviously a domestic fridge but the website says âCommercialâ so thatâs why I chose to believe the shop advice and message F&P to ask for clarity.
Thanks for the reminder, the fridges do actually have different model nos. for left and right and at this stage it looks like Appliances on Line is the only stockist with any availability at all. I note that Bing Lee has it âout of stockâ in the âClearanceâ section so Iâm wondering if itâs going to be discontinued soon - maybe thatâs why the F&P messenger chat hasnât got back to me with the list of stockists as they promised.
I think youâre right that itâs going to be superseded. I looked for availability around Australia early March and couldnât find anything so we started looking secondhand, itâs been a long and frustrating journey.