Atherton Appliance

My husband and I have frequented Atherton Appliance on several occasions to check out their refrigerators and stoves. On one of our visits they were selling a Subzero Pro 48 refrigerator at a discount. We inquired about the fridge and was told that it was only a few months old and the reason it was discounted was they had to make room in their showroom so it got moved to the Atheron store. We wanted the fridge but because it was 900 pounds we were concerned if our entrance way could support the weight plus if it could fit into the house. We live in the hills and there would be issues of whether the passages would be too narrow for the fridge to go through. He told us no problem he would hold the fridge for us and send his movers out to the house to access the situation and if it couldn’t be done then we did not have to purchase the fridge. Perfect. Movers gave us the okay so we bought the fridge. There were some parts missing and we were told they would be shipped to our house. After several weeks passed we called and visited many times asking for our parts. Each time we were told no problem they would send them. Nothing, and by now it was more than six months.
In the meantime, while still waiting for the parts my husband decided to call Subzero to come and align the doors. When the service person came he told my husband that our fridge had been serviced before and it was two years ago. When we phoned Atherton about this they ignored us. My husband sent a letter and finally someone replied but not to our satisfaction. The lady at Atherton was defensive and defended her position, which was, you got a good deal so what are you complaining about. In the end, we got our warranty extended and they finally sent us the missing parts. They didn’t seem to care that they misrepresented the product and that once we made the purchase they treated us poorly.
We purchased an expensive fridge and still more expensive than their other fridges, even after the discount, the manager also knew we were looking at high end stoves, dishwashers, and a microwave. There was a good chance we were going to buy all of our appliances there so it was surprising when we were given the cold shoulder. I don’t expect you to kiss my feet but I do expect honest and decent service.
Though they have great stuff we will never be back. They are shusters who are not sincere and can only see pass making a quick buck. Even if you don’t care about your customers, at least, have the decency to try and make amends once you’ve been caught out.

Bought a dishwasher here. This store is more knowledgeable than the other Atherton Appliance and way way better than stores like Best Buy. Minus a couple of stars because they need to recommend better installers for their appliances. The installer didn’t call until I call him and the price was higher than quoted by Atherton appliance.

The differences in experiences posted here may be due to the fact that there are two quite different stores called Atherton Appliance in Redwood City. They are not two branches of the same store but completely different enterprises. The one on Middlefield Road, is the original. I’ve been dealing with them for years and they have always been great. The store itself is kind of funky and bare bones, like a neighborhood appliance store from 30 years ago. The other store is fancier.

If you want a place that has top quality appliances and an extremely knowledgeable staff, this is the place. It is owned and run by a father and son team. These people know their appliances. They are very familiar with the features and the pros and cons of each one and will help you pick the appliance that best fits your needs. We went in for a consultation and learned more about large house appliances that we have ever learned. You will not get service this good anywhere. Their depth of knowledge is amazing. Highly recommended and worth a long drive.
We have not purchased here yet but are seriously considering it.

I had a wonderful experience with these guys…
I’ve only been a homeowner for a little over a year, and this was the first serious appliance malfunction… and of course it’s on a dishwasher that I have to replace with the exact same one (there’s a matching one on the other side of the sink), and it’s some random obscure brand that you can’t waltz in to best buy to get.
I called them up, they checked to see what the replacement would be, quoted me a very reasonable price, ordered it, dropped it off… it was totally flawless. They were so nice too… even when I called them for recommendations on a person to install it, they had a couple of choices. They’re a total class act, and they made a real pain in the ass a little less painful.

Fantastic service and great prices. My neighbor works for GE and gave us access to the employee pricing. Atherton’s prices were the same as the employee prices. I highly recommend them for future purchases

This place is the BOMB! At the beginning of the year, a squirrel fried itself on a nearby utility pole, causing a huge power surge that killed our DCS wall oven. We came to the original Atherton Appliance ready to purchase a replacement oven, but when we told our story to the salesman, he immediately told us to call Aloha Appliance (an authorized DCS repair service) to come fix our oven. He insisted that it was probably a simple repair and we didn’t need to get a new oven. He actually talked us out of a sale — WTF? Lo and behold, when the repairman came out, he fixed the oven in 15 minutes and charged only cost $ 300. The next time we need to buy any appliance, we are definitely returning here. Who is THAT honest these days?

I am really surprised this place got so many stars. My boyfriend and I were looking to buy a very expensive stove from this store. We drove all the way out from San Jose and from the moment we walked in the store, they were dismissive and plain rude. The older gentleman tried somewhat to help us, but his son just sat at the computer and didn’t even say hello to us. Rather than showing us some compareable products, they simply said they didn’t carry the stove we wanted and gave us the name of another store. We were also interested in Fridges, but they completely neglected to even show us a couple. We were really baffled. There were no other people in the store, so it wasn’t that they were busy. We would have probably spent at least 20K there, but because they didn’t even greet us or show us any products, we left. In this economy it really pays to be friendly to all customers! Especially ones who have money to spend.

If you are looking for the kind of outstanding customer service which disappeared with the advent of the big box store — look no further! Gary at Atherton Appliance in Redwood City (on Middlefield Rd, not to be confused with the company of the same name on Veterans Blvd.) epitomizes honest-​to-​goodness service that one only sees nowadays in 50s TV shows re-​runs.
I have been shopping at Gary’s Atherton Appliance store for many years and every time I go there Gary goes above and beyond what is expected, even of him. Encouraged by Gary, I’ve even brought in various pieces of dinnerware to make sure that I’m getting the right interior racks in my new Miele dishwasher! Gary has also advised me in the past about extractor fans (which I did not end up buying because he said I probably wouldn’t do any better than the one I already had); and trash compactors (which, again, I did not buy because Gary thought I probably didn’t need one as there are only two of us in the household and we generate very little trash). That’s the kind of money-​saving, honest help you get at this unique store!
Sadly, I am moving out of the area but am in need of quality appliances at my new home. Last week, after I’d done my due diligence on Consumer Reports, I felt I needed help from someone who could explain exactly what the new decibel ratings really mean, whether or not I really need those new bells and whistles, etc., so … where did I go for help? Yup, Gary! I explained to Gary and his associates that I am moving away (so very unfortunately I wouldn’t be buying from him) but that made absolutely no difference. I spent over half-​an-​hour in the store talking to the most knowledgeable men in the business who advised me on which models I should consider, and which I could reject (and, incidentally, save myself some money!!). How many places do you know where you can count on service like that?
Bay Area friends, I am losing a huge resource — in addition to an old friend — when I move away, but you are fortunate enough to enjoy a unique shopping experience at Gary’s Atherton Appliance.
DON’T GO ANYWHERE ELSE UNTIL YOU HAVE CHECKED OUT GARY’S ATHERTON APPLIANCE! I promise you wont be disappointed.

great place for appliances. but the installer they use leaves much to be desired…

Gary’s Atherton appliance is fantastic. They carry and are knowledgable on a wide range of appliances. On multiple occasions, I have called them because an appliance is «acting up» and they have walked me through steps to fix it myself. When there is something more needed, they point me in the right direction for service. In short, this appliance store goes far and beyond simply «selling» appliances and I whole heartedly recommend them.

By far, Gary’s Original Atherton Appliance is the *best* place to purchase household appliances. They were by far the most knowledgeable and the least snooty!
I can’t tell you how many places I have been to which have been less than that. But thankfully there are no used car salesmen at Gary’s… ;-) So far they’re the only ones who can also answer all of my ridiculous questions about appliances.