I'll pass this story along in case any of you encounter the same thing - so you won't be shocked as I was.
I have a GE side-by-side refrigerator and it started icing in the freezer section - ice was running down the sides. So I call GE Service and they tell me the service call will be $100 (rounded). The guy comes in, opens the freezer and says, "Yep, there's ice. You need an ice kit."
After some discussion, he discloses that the "ice kit" is about $900. To say I was surprised is to put it mildly, and I was somewhat at a loss for words.
I pay the guy the $100 and after he leaves, I do some research on the web. Looking at the operation of the defrost, it seems to me that the most likely cause is a "tray heater" which sells for about $60. If I add $100 for labor to install it, we're in the ballpark of what I expected the repair to cost.
The more I think about this, the more upset I get. Here's my major complaints:
1. The service technician did nothing to find the failing part. He just looked in the freezer and said, "You need an ice kit". I told them when I ordered the service that there was ice in the freezer, running down the sides, so they could have told me at that time about the "ice kit". There was no need for me to pay $100 to have the technician verify my observation.
2. I object to putting in a "kit" when there's likely only one failed part. Putting in a kit is just putting a cost on the owner so the technician doesn't have to do any diagnostic work.
They could argue that, if one part failed, the others might be ready to fail. But that's a decision for me to make, not for them to force onto me. I may decide I'm willing to take the chance. If it fails again, I'll pay more but if it doesn't fail, I saved some money. But it's my decision to make, not theirs.
To add insult to injury, after the guy left, I took a hair dryer and defrosted the ice. Since then, it hasn't iced up again. So maybe the drain got blocked and my defrosting it cleared it. Only time will tell.
So if you need service from GE, make sure you come to an understanding with the service tech before you allow him/her into the house.
Mike