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LG Appliances - My Review and Complain

stainless steal appliances review on how LG brand has stood up

I bought my LG stainless steel appliances almost five years ago. Those were the first items I bought when I first began thinking about renovating my kitchen. Yeah, I did it kind of backward, the appliances were right there in the kitchen even before I started to paint the cabinets or to extend the kitchen island. I still remember how I protected them while in the middle of all those projects. I didn't want a single little scratch on any of them! :)

Well, the time has passed and they still look great! I'm still in love with stainless, even though many people complain about the fingerprints and issues to keep them neat and shiny, that's not a big issue for me.
LG stainless steel dishwasher - stream line look

Just two months ago I did a review on how to keep stainless appliances spotless and that has been an easy way to keep them shining like this.

But back to my review, one of the major things I decided to go with LG appliances was because of their look, their streamline. At the time, when I compared them to other brands, they were relatively similar in performance and price but LG was a winner in my eyes because of their looks.

Stainless steel stove range with big knobs

Comm'n, I simply adored those knobs! The stove range has been working nicely, I have no complaints whatsoever about the oven or the burners, they work nicely. What I don't like about my range is the cleaning of the grates (they are HEAVY), and the drip pan, they get gross easily. :/

LG range knobs damaged

However, my precious knobs, the thing I loved the most about my range were the ones who surprised me when they just began falling apart. Their front still looks OK, but the plastic connectors to attach them to the stove began disintegrating!

plastic part of LG knobs broken

A bit over a month ago one of them broke.

plastic connector on knobs breaks easily

Then, the other, and then, one more! The fourth one is ready to break.

stove range without knobs because they broke

And I don't even want to take off the fifth one!

remodelando la casa kitchen appliances review LG

The dishwasher, just the same as all the other appliances, looks nice on the outside but its performance hasn't been that great. 

There's been always issues with this dishwasher not cleaning the glasses and dishes properly. I've tried to deal with that issue the best I can, trying to rinse everything well, not overloading it, and changing the detergent we use in hopes of it doing a better job. 

The liquid detergent has been somewhat better than the powder one.

dishwasher by LG with broken upper arm

Now, even for the dishwasher, things went from bad to worse during these last couple of months! 

One morning I woke up to unload the dishwasher and when I pulled the top rack, the upper spray arm fell. :(
broken plastic component to attach the upper arm to basket

Once again, one of those plastic components that kept the arm attached to the rack broke!

Plastic connector is broken

It's amazing to me that even before five years of use these things are happening. I remember my old appliances were still in good working condition when we supposedly -upgraded- to these ones.

side by side LG french style refrigerator

And can you believe the freezer stop freezing for an entire week, three weeks ago?! I was fuming! :(

We went ahead and turned things around, cleaned it up and down and somehow it began freezing again.

After reading some online reviews, it looks like we've been lucky with them not having problems for the first four years of use.

The beautiful knobs besides having that lousy plastic part that brakes easily, are prone to get burned when the oven door opens and the heat from the oven reaches them.

The problem was there, so looking for a solution I search for the knobs at Sears appliance parts and sure enough, they have them. Almost $50 apiece! Incredible. :/



I also found some similar knobs at Amazon at a much lower price.
There's even a retrofit you can buy to replace the plastic part on the knobs for a metal piece.

The dishwasher part I need is this:


Well, only the small flap, the arrow is pointing at, was the one that broke, but the whole arm needs to be replaced. Its price is not so bad.

However, before placing an order, I decided to call LG to explain the issues I've had with my appliances and to know if they were willing to replace those parts.

After a quite long time explaining the problems I had, and asking why on earth they're still using cheap plastic parts on their appliances (without receiving any good answer), the guy helping me put me on another quite long hold while he talked things over to the supervisor.

Long story short, they were willing to replace all the parts if I have the receipts or proof of purchase of the appliances.

They sent me an e-mail with a "Proof of purchase upload portal", you cannot reply to this e-mail, you're only allowed to upload three pictures.

Boy o' boy, I was happy to be this organized!
attach receipts to the end of owner's manuals for big appliances- you'll need them

All my big item receipts are taped to the back of their respective manuals. So, I immediately sent a copy of the receipt and began waiting for the parts to arrive.

Six days later and without a word from them,  I, again, called the 1-800 customer service number to make sure they got my files and to check the status of my complaint aka if the parts were already delivered.

Well, they haven't shipped them yet. The lady who took the call said, those part replacements take time and only the knobs were approved. Somehow the supervisor didn't approve the replacement of the dishwasher part.

That happened this week, so I had to wait 7 to 10 days to receive the knobs. And believe me, I'm crossing my fingers for that to happen, because yeah, my fingers are the ones getting hurt by turning on and off that stove!

I still keep on asking why o' why LG continues using cheap plastic materials on their appliances. Reading all the online reviews about malfunctioning LG appliances makes me even more nervous. I was hoping for these appliances to serve us for at least 10 years like the ones before did.

How long have you had your appliances? Are you happy with them? What brand do you recommend?

I'll update this post if the knobs arrive. ;)

-------------

As promised, I'm updating this post to inform you that the knobs arrived today, Feb.19, exactly one week after this post was published.

Thanks to Brittany-Pretty Handy Girl, who forwarded this post on Feb.13 to LG Electronics USA -Facebook Page- I also received the dishwasher part, even sooner ;) --> yesterday!

You can read the things I learned from this experience right HERE.
And we found a way to protect those plastic connectors on the knobs, right HERE.
Thanks so much for all your comments and good wishes!

39 comments :

  1. Ugh--frustrating! It does seem that appliances are made to be a lot more....disposable than they used to be. I remember at our old house, the repair guy told us it wasn't worth fixing a 7 or 8 year old refrigerator because it was "so old." It's ridiculous

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  2. That's so true, Gretchen! I remember my parents had a stove that kept on working for ever, really, like 25 years! Then, my last appliances were still working after 10 years of use, and now 5!

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    1. Actually, 25 years used to be no big deal! I am in the process of choosing a new range to replace the one I have used for 39 years. Yes 39 years and it is still going strong. My friends who have gone to new,condos or remodeled have told me 7 -9 years is average on new appliances. Pitiful!!! Our culture is doing a poor job of producing quality products. I am getting nervous about getting a new range. My old one will probably outlast my next one. Sad commentary. We need to be build to last again!!!

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    2. Wow, 39 years is a whole lot of time! As Gretchen said, it looks like appliances are made to be disposable nowadays. :( My advice for you: Don't change the range, unless is not working any longer.

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  3. That is so frustrating! But I'm thankful that you did this review because my fiance' and I have been trying to decide on new appliances and now I know to stay away from those!

    xoxo, SS

    The Southern Stylista

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  4. Frustrating! They don't make things like they use too. Our last home was new, and the appliances broke numerous times over eight years. A magnetron on a built in microwave is expensive. By the way, I had the same thing happen with my car doors as your stove. They look like chrome, but were attached with plastic. It is super hot here, and after baking outside for years, the handles wore off within days of each other, and the car was handleless except for one door. It is a high end car, and it cost 200 each to replace, because the doors had to be taken apart. Manufacturers do the cheapest thing now, because of all the changing regulations to make them efficient. Most things will not last twenty any more. I read somewhere that the life is about seven or eight now.

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  5. Como no entiendo inglés , no pude comprender el porque de esa perilla en el la vajillas

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  6. I'm so sorry, not fun at all. I have to say I will never buy LG again! Ever! Good ole LG is what caused our whole kitchen to be destroyed. The only thing left I have of their's is the washing machine, can't wait for it to bite the dust because it smells like sewer every time I use it. OK end of rant.

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  7. Hi Cristina! Sorry to hear you're having so much trouble with your fairly new appliances. That is ridiculous. I have to say I do appreciate this review and from your comments and the other reader's comments I must say I will be avoiding LG appliances for sure. In our previous house, my husband and I had a LG front loader washer and dryer and the washer would leak from time to time. Water everywhere! My husband who is a handy man, took the washer apart and cleaned it well and put it back together. We even thought maybe we were placing too many clothes in there so we lightened our loads AND still from time to time it would just leak. Who knows, but never again!! :) Hope you have a Happy Valentine's Day!! xo Anna https://www.crazygorgeous.net

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  8. THIS. THis is why I do NOT want to replace our 27 year old appliances - refrigerator, double oven and gas rangetop. My husband, on the other hand, wants to. Why? Because when he sits in the great room, about 20' away from the fridge, with no tv on and is reading, he says he can hear the motor!!! smh.....and that is why I will forego replacing countertops...because I know one thing will lead to another (aka scope creep), and I don't even want to go there.
    I have a BIL who sold appliances for 40 yrs at Sears, and the answer to your 5 yr question is simple: profit. Cheaper parts, cheaper products, more profit. He has told us to be prepared for any replacement to last no more than 5 yrs, and anything more would be surprising. Sad, but best of luck with your replacement parts. That's decent, I suppose.
    Rita

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  9. So sorry you have had all this trouble with your appliances. We have Kitchenaid and Whirlpool oven/micorwave and cooktop. The dishwasher was replaced over a year ago and we got a the cheapest Bosch and love it except it could be a bit bigger inside. My Kitchenaid dishwasher had more room. I hope you get this all resolved.

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  10. That really sucks Cristina. I have only had one LG appliance and other than replacing a sensor, it has worked pretty good although it is only about 6 years old. We wont buy any Samsung products as our plasma TV slowly started to get lines across it and was garbage by its 4th birthday. I bought a $250 dollar GE dishwasher about 12 years ago, and although it sounds like an army tanks in the house, it sure does clean my dishes. Hopefully you get your parts quickly. Doing dishes by hand gets old really quick!

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  11. I'm so sorry you are going through this with your appliances. What a pain. I'm so glad you've got your receipts still. All of our appliances were replaced before we moved in seven years ago. I hate the color of them, by I haven't had any complaints so I won't replace them purely because of color. ;)

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  12. My fridge (whirlpool) and stove (maytag) are 15 years old and running like a trooper. I did have to put a new control panel in my stove, but that is what the internet is for....and I think I had to replace something that had to do with the inside of the oven...again, just google the issue and you will find a solution. The water switch on my fridge has been out for years, but whatever...that is what tap water is for.
    TIP for the stove top grates...get a large ziplock bag, fill it with straight ammonia (careful not to breath) place the grate in the bag and let it sit over night...the nastiness will melt off...again be SUPER careful when dealing with straight ammonia!
    I replaced my dishwasher (Kenmore) because it quit cleaning dishes and in less that three years the new one started doing a lousy job of cleaning again...as you described. I did the baking soda in the bottom and vinegar in an cup thing...still nasty. So I started pulling parts...and you would not believe how NASTY things were. There is a little round cap thing in the bottom that was completely coated with a heavy "grease"...there is a "steam filter" in the door...popped it off and NASTY. The spray holes in the arms were clogged with gunk. I took the entire spray element on the bottom out...more greasy gunk! So I scrubbed and scrubbed the entire inside with vinegar...poured vinegar in the bottom and ran the dishwasher 3-4 times...baking soda...ran it...then 2-3 cycles with bleach poured into the bottom (no dishes on these cleaning cycles). I went through 2 gallons of vinegar and a gallon of bleach! If I could removed it and scrub it, I did...if I couldn't, I cleaned it well with vinegar!
    Now, my dishes sparkle...and I learned that a dishwasher needs way more attention than we assumed. And we are very careful to remove any food or grease from our dishes. BTW, I NEVER put pots and pans in the dishwasher...so ALL the grease and gunk came from normal dishes that had been rinsed. Now I dang near wash them!
    BTW, I own apartments and put cheap stoves and refrigerators in them...funny...those get way more abuse and last longer and are easier and cheaper to repair than the high dollar appliances I have!

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  13. Ladies, Thanks so much for all the feedback and support! Beck, you're my girl! I love all the insight you always give about fixing, cleaning and doing a heck of a good job! We have done the extreme cleaning to the spray holes and the bottom part and yeah, it was nasty but afterwords it worked a bit better.
    I remember when we were renters that none of our appliances had issues, they weren't fancy appliances but sure enough they did a good job. It's funny how we pay more and end up with more trouble!

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  14. LG is certainly off my list for new appliances! Thanks for the review of the appliances and telling us all how their service department handles complaints. Not very many people are as organized as you (although we should be) and keep your receipts for such a long time. I am sure you were not the first person to complain to this company about these problems and these parts would only fit appliances of a certain age.why not as "good will" gesture just replace the parts! No questions asked! No receipts required! Do they actually think anyone is trying to scam them for a few knobs? Give me a break!

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  15. Lois, I read hundreds of on-line complains about the knobs getting burned or broken, and that's what upsets me the most, because they know this is happening, yet they keep on using the same materials. I guess, is just like Rita C. said above, a way to make more profit.

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  16. If you added up the cost of each component, it would be double the cost of the original item....so I think the reason they keep producing inferior parts is because the replacement costs are so insane! A replacement grate for my stove is around $60...and there are four! That is when I started looking for a way to really clean them! The cost of the digital control panel on my stove was around $300...insane...but way cheaper than replacing the entire stove so I did it. Fortunately I don't have a fear of learning to fix things myself or it would have cost me more for a service person!!! It amazes me that stoves, refrigerators, and other appliances from the 50s and 60s lasted decades, and we can barely get newer models to last 10 years! The worst is the "style"....20 years ago, when I was building, white and black, were all the rage...now you can't give those away and stainless is the thing. But now they have the "slate" and WOW that stuff is beautiful! I think I will go get me some avocado green appliances and just hang it up...lol!

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  17. BTW, I bought a 50s model blender at an auction....worked like a champ! Sold it on Etsy for around $50 because it was "retro." Yesterday I threw away TWO newer model blenders because the plastic pieces broke on one and the other just wouldn't "blend." Brian found some of the plastic in his squash soup last night...oops! I should have kept the "retro" blender...stupid me!

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  18. First of all, your kitchen is GORGEOUS!! :) That said, do NOT get me started on LG. I went thru two new refrigerators in the span on about 30 days before I told them to take it back, and I upgraded to a Samsung, which I love. LG has some serious issues and the word is starting to get out about them. I am getting ready to do a post about my fridge experience, too. Sorry you are having all of these issues. :(

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  19. Thanks so much for posting this as I'm in the process of choosing new appliances for my kitchen. I'll probably go with Bosch again for Dishwasher and Wolf for cooktop. Refrigeration is still an open switch for me as I didn't have a good experience with SubZero. I'm going to look at GE and Whirlpool I've heard good things about them.

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  20. I believe appliances are not built to last anymore. The parts are so expensive for many repairs and the customer service is nil, so people buy new once again. We live in a disposable world. Having said that, I bought KitchenAid six years ago and I'm very happy with mine. My washer and dryer are LG and I've had the service man out twice. I'm not sure about these front loaders.

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  21. I have had my front load washer and dryer for 9 years...Whirlpool. Never had an issue but I did not know until last year that the washing machine has a "filter" that has to be cleaned. I found enough change in mine to buy a bottle of detergent (without a coupon!) and discovered where all my underwires from my bras disappeared to...lol! No seriously...underwires, change and major nastiness in the washer filter. Who knew? The only problem I have with them is they tend to "twist" my clothes...so I have to untwist them before I dry them...then untwist them half way through the dry cycle. But I LOVE the capacity and wish I had them when I was washing clothes for three kids! But it is nice to be able to wash blankets and comforters on a regular basis without having to find a commercial machine!

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  22. Barb, I had no idea you went through that nightmare! I think that by sharing our experiences we can help regular people like us, to make informed decisions, and ideally for the companies to make better products later on.

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  23. That totally stinks! When we were shopping for a new washer and dryer two years ago the sales man at HD told us that they are not built to last more than 5 to 6 years any more. It is a gimmick if you ask me. If they are not meant to last as long then they should not be charging so much for them. I hope that they send you the replacement parts. I would be fuming as well. That was a large expense to incur. We ended up buying an LG washer and dryer set and knocking on wood so far they have been great.

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  24. Regular, ordinary refrigerator with the freezer on the bottom - over 11 years. Same with our washer and dryer. We are renting, and the stove was provided. I would hate to have to replace any appliance. You never know the quality, and it can never be equated with the price. I hope all of your problems work themselves out.

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  25. My LG flat screen TV went out in < 3 years. Luckily, I had bought extended warranty at Best Buy with it. They had to replace the part which failed for free. I am leery about LG since that happened. Now after your reviews I won't consider LG for my new dishwasher. Sad they make appliances so poorly now.

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  26. We have an LG refrigerator. It is by far the worst refrigerator I have ever owned. It is noisy beyond belief and I am just waiting for the day it dies so I can go out and buy a new frig. The one we have in our garage (an old type with freezer at the top (like the very first one I owned) has been the best. I will never buy an LG product again. They are cheap cheap cheap.

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  27. We have had horrible luck with appliances, too. We bought all new GE stainless steel appliances about 7 years ago and only one still left is the microwave. I did buy an LG fridge a couple of years ago and the icemaker works sometimes and doesn't others. We always have a bag of ice on hand during parties! My new GE oven never worked from day one and has had the main components replaced THREE times. The last time they didn't want to fix it despite being under warranty because they complained they already fixed it twice before. You can't make this stuff up! I hear really good things about Bosch dishwashers, but nothing else, not even really high end appliances. A friend of mine had a Viking range and said the repairman was always at her house. It is frustrating!

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  28. That happened on my old stove and all in a short amount of time. Oddly, my neighbors with the same stove didn't have the problem. I replaced the broken knobs to a tune of $200 and got a few extra knobs just in case. It never happened again. We replaced the stove and had several knobs to send along when the old one went out the door. I'm so sorry this is happening to you. I hope you get it resolved soon. We like Kenmore appliances.

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  29. Ha Katie, that's why I called them. I think the knob's price is way out of proportion! Why they keep on using the same materials knowing this is happening?! They should replace them to everyone free of charge! I haven't had Kenmore appliances, I think is about time to begin the search for my new ones. :)

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  30. I am glad you called and got the replacement knobs. I am so sorry you have had all this trouble but I totally get it. We moved into a home with all LG appliances 4 and 1/2 years ago. We bought an LG fridge to match since the previous owners took the fridge with them. Since then we have fixed the oven/stove twice (one time it could have caught on fire when the oven element basically exploded), the dishwasher sits unused and only because we have fixed it three times and are not doing it again. We have a new one just waiting to be installed and it is NOT LG. The fridge has several broken plastic parts inside and we are just living with them. Needless to say every time I have had a repairman in to fix things, all of them (a different one every time) said never buy foreign and they purposely make appliances now so that they need to be replaced within 5 to 6 years, which I think is stupid. Someone above commented that "they don't make them like they used to" and that is exactly right! It is super lame. And speaking of appliances we got a new washing machine and within in the first year I had it fixed three times under warranty. The last time the same guy came I told him that he needed to show me how he was fixing this "off balance issue" and he gave me all the codes and information so I can fix it myself. I have done it several times since then (funny thing is it only happens when I over load the machine oops!) Anyway...he said that the more expensive models really are not worth buying and neither are the cheap ones, so go middle range prices, not sure if that applies to kitchen appliances or not, but I thought it was interesting.

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  31. Oh wow, Mindi, that's lots of trouble for you and your appliances! That's right, it looks like they aren't supposed to last more than 6-7 years. :( Wishing you luck with your new dishwasher. As of today I haven't received the knobs. :/

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  32. Oh, I feel your pain. I too upgraded my appliances and regret it, BIG TIME! In short; the new stove has a convection feature so the fan continuously runs regardless what mode it is in and sounds like a Boeing 747 on take off. The refrigerator requires you to get down on your hands and knees to retrieve anything from the lower shelf not to mention I lost count how many times I have bumped my forehead on it getting something from its second shelf. (The poor quality and design of the crispers are a whole different subject.) In a nutshell, though they are not quite two years old I 'hate' them that I am currently on the hunt to replace both but reviews on most appliances are really not encouraging regardless of their price tag. In summary, unlike my old appliances that were twenty + years old (and working) it is sad that the manufacturers are now making junk and have little conscience of putting their name on them and adding to the landfills. I apologize for my venting ...... ☺ -Brenda-

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    1. P.S: Thank you Mindi for the heads up on LG products and customer servicing. -Brenda-

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    2. Oh Brenda, that's so true, reviews on most appliances show that they come with tons of problems! My troubles have not been cleared up yet. My fridge stopped working. :( I've been waiting and waiting for a technician to come and try to fix it. Hopefully this friday :/

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    3. No more LG applances for me after my expensive French Door refrigerator gave up within four years of purchase. Our repairman was the only one not surprised, I'll just say!! Thanks for being real about your other appliance issues...a great head's up for the rest of us...but so sorry for you.

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  33. Your kitchen is gorgeous! It's too bad about the appliances. It seems like you pay so much for things these days and they don't last. I wanted to ask, did you replace your old range vent? I have one like that and I'm trying to figure out a way to build a hood. Great job! I love following your posts.

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    1. Thanks! It's been two years since I wrote this post and I have to tell you, the knobs they sent are already getting damaged. :( Same issue, the plastic connectors are desintegrating. I'm glad they sent two sets. I haven't had any other issues with the dishwasher or fridge. Crossing my fingers.
      About the range hood, yes, I built it and use a hood insert, you can read all about it right here: https://goo.gl/NqqldR

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