WholeLatteLove.com Reviews 

Quick shipment

Less than a year after purchasing a new Gaggia Academica from this company, a solenoid failed. Because it was under warranty, I paid close to $200 to ship it to their repair factory in New York. This repair facility is clearly a weak link in the company's operation. They sent the machine back with a broken dial and leaking water. It was impossible to reach them directly to ask for a solution. They do not answer emails. The customer service people are friendly and effective. I had to write the Gaggia North American representative to get any traction. I was then sent a prepaid label to mail it back to the factory, a few weeks later, sent a bill for the repairs. Again, because they do not answer emails, it took phone calls to the customer service groups to get any resolution. The machine was sent back full of coffee grounds. Huge disappointment and would not buy or use them again.

Not sure i have confidence in this company. Half the time i get competency from them. They send me wrong information about servicing my machine, have to waste time and call them back. I also never heard back from them on a pricing mistake on their website, and I stopped waiting, they lost a $3,000 purchase from me. They really need to train their staff to follow up w/ someone trying to purchase high end equipment. I decided to go somewhere else with more focus on the customer.

**Título:** `DECEPTIVE PRACTICES: UPDATE: THEY ARE LYING ABOUT CALL RECORDINGS! ORDER #WL834412US
UPDATE MARCH 4th: Sales Manager Alysa Hammond is now LYING, claiming they called me and have a 'recording' of a call that never happened. My phone logs show ZERO calls from them. They are fabricating evidence to justify canceling my order while holding my funds for two different machines. This is a total scam. DO NOT TRUST THEM!"

`Avoid Whole Latte Love if you are an international customer or traveling to the border. They sold me a machine they didn't have in stock, held my funds for TWO separate orders (Lelit and Profitec), and lied about a resolution. Their agent 'Emma' promised a manager would call me at 9:48 AM to fix their inventory error. Instead of a call, they just sent an automated cancellation for $733.68 USD at 11:37 AM. Now I am at the border (Calexico) with no machine and my money tied up in their system. This is a 'Bait-and-Switch' tactic. They take your payment for 'In Stock' items and then cancel days later without a real solution. I have filed a formal complaint with the BBB and I'm initiating a Chargeback with my bank. Extremely unprofessional and untrustworthy!`

I rarely leave negative reviews, and I truly hate complaining, but I’m writing this because I think other coffee lovers deserve the full picture.

I’m a long-time Whole Latte Love customer and a serious home espresso person. My first “real” machine was a Rancilio Silvia I bought from Whole Latte Love around 2001/2002 and it is still running today. That history is exactly why I felt comfortable investing in a premium machine from them again.

Fast forward to my Profitec 500 PID, purchased about 18 months ago and still under warranty when the issue came up. I expected warranty support to be inconvenient at worst, but manageable and fair. Instead, I was told I needed to pay roughly $120 for a packaging kit (a cardboard box and foam inserts), and then about $400 to ship the machine to their repair team in Rochester. At that point, the warranty became unrealistic to use. Paying hundreds of dollars just to access warranty repair on a relatively new, top-tier machine is hard to justify.

What made this worse was the lack of coordination. I spoke with several genuinely kind people on the phone who sounded like they wanted to help and said they would escalate to managers, but nothing changed. Email communication also felt fragmented, with multiple people and departments not clearly aligned. Mark was helpful in diagnosing the problem and even sent a video, but the link he provided for the needed part was sold out, leaving me stuck. Juli was also kind and tried to help, and I even gave feedback that it would be basic courtesy for emails to be signed with a name so customers know who they’re speaking with.

In the end, I had to fix the machine myself with a friend by replacing the solid-state relay (ordered from another supplier). It’s working now, but I should not have to DIY a warranty-era repair after being quoted hundreds in shipping and fees.

To be clear: the individuals I spoke with were polite and decent. My disappointment is with the warranty process and pricing structure. I care about the coffee community (I’ve lived in Rochester and love that area), and I wanted to keep supporting this company. Unfortunately, this experience cost me confidence and trust.

If you’re considering buying a premium machine here, ask very directly about warranty shipping costs, packaging fees, and parts availability upfront.

(Review posted by a real customer and coffee lover who genuinely wished he didn’t have to write this.)

I have bought a few things from this group. Rocket Espresso machine. Grinders. Small parts. Service is terrible. Slow to respond, if they respond at all. They are happy to take your money but they have no interest in addressing any problems. Buy your coffee gear somewhere else.

These guys are great. I've bought equipment and parts from WLL and will continue to. They're coffee chats over video are excellent.

We purchased an ECM Synchronika from Whole Latte Love in 2019. It recently started having some issues, so we shipped it to them to be fixed and also purchased their preventative maintenance package. We paid almost $700 to fix the machine and have the preventative maintenance done to it. When we received the machine back, not only had the maintenance not been performed, but the machine was not functioning as it should. There was absolutely no backflush, and the espresso was not being pulled like it should have. Also, the steam pressure was not functioning consistently and the lever to activate the brew group was extremely stiff.

We contacted support right away, and were told it is the grind. We wrote them back and sent photos and videos demonstrating that the grind was not the issue. We told them there was no backflush - We've had this machine for years and we know how this machine functions. Then we noticed that the cleaning had not been performed as advertised. We went through their preventative maintenance package and what they were supposed to do, and most of it was not done. The package included replacement of worn out parts, and none of the worn out parts were replaced and the machine had not been descaled.

After multiple emails, we went on live chat and after waiting for a long time, got a live agent who finally agreed that the machine was not functioning correctly. She tried to get us to troubleshoot it ourselves and then tell them what component was missing so that they could send it to us. We explained that the servicing we paid for had not been completed, and we expect to ship the machine back to them at their cost so that they can fix it themselves and carry out the preventative maintenance package that we paid for. After some time, they agreed, and we sent the machine back to them.

We also sent them an email with photos highlighting what their preventative maintenance package includes and what was not done, and that we expected all of it to be done in addition to the machine being fixed.

A couple weeks after sending out the machine, we received an email stating that the machine had been fully repaired and tested, and that no new parts were necessary. We double checked that all the maintenance items had been done as well, and they confirmed that they had.

We received the machine back a couple days later, and after setting it up, noticed that it did not sit squarely on our countertop anymore. The metal frame was completely bent, and everything was askew and crooked. The shipping box itself was undamaged, so it's unlikely that this damage was caused during shipping. In addition, it appears that the machine was not drained well, as there was a puddle of water inside the box and the machine was wet. The wing nuts at the bottom of the machine that secure the pump in transport were barely screwed in. The company's own website states that it is important for the boilers to be drained completely and the pump to be well secured so that there is no damage to the mechanism during shipping. This does not appear to have been done.

We contacted support again right away with photos and videos of the damage and water issues. They scheduled a live video chat with Todd, who agreed that there was frame damage. He stated that he would talk to his team the following day, and that they would come up with a resolution that would make us happy.

The following day, we received an email claiming that this was shipping damage, and they would work to find a resolution. Shipping damage seemed odd to us since the box was completely intact, and to bend a steel frame would require a considerable amount of force.

We had to follow up with the company with regards to how to fix this issue. After much persistence, we finally heard back from them and they offered to send us a returned machine, claiming their techs had looked at it and nothing is wrong with it. After our terrible experience with their repair team, we found it hard to trust them, and declined the offer. They said they would have a meeting to decide how best to resolve this issue.

Days went by, and we never heard back from them. We sent a follow-up email, and they replied the next day saying that we have their full attention and they will get back to us the very next day. A week went by, and we never heard back from them. We sent another follow-up email. Another week went by, we followed up a third time, and they have ghosted us. This has been a terrible and baffling experience.

Please be aware of this company! We sent our machine to be repaired, they had it for an entire month, almost no communication, until finally they tell us is done. We paid our 500 dollars bill, plus shipping back and forth. We get it home. make literally 2 coffees and it’s not working again! We called and emailed then al least 5 times and they did not once called us back! I don’t remember ever in my life experiencing worst customer service than this!

BE CAREFUL WITH ORDERING. I accidentally ordered the wrong sized $200 tamper, ordered the correct size tamper the day after receiving, and Wholelattelove's return policy means I'm keeping them both. I called and told them I needed to return it and they told me they do not accept returns on accessories. So to be clear... If you make a mistake with ordering you will be stuck with what you order. It's fine, I'll give it away to someone that can use it. Just be sure you do not make any mistakes becuase you are keeping whatever you order. PERIOD.

Great coffee shipped quickly! No complaints.

DONT BUY....IF I could put a ZERO I would. My Refurbished Gaggia Classic Evo Pro Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine barely last 6 months. It was fine til two months in, did routine cleanings, and still have issues. It seemed to work fine next few months, but suddenly stopped working. I did deep descaling and cleaning etc. Whole Latta Love offered some help and none of it worked. They offered no real warranty for something $350 and would cost me 150-200 for repair and shipping. Horrible experience, what a shame and waste too. Seemed to work fine til issues came up and I would have to spend $50 just to find out if warranty was possible. I took care of the machine, I have had expresso makers before. I am not perfect, but I am not going to break an expresso maker.

They sold me an Italian coffee maker that came with very limited instructions for starters. Kind of typical Italian.

There were lots of problems with this machine and I called to return it and the first thing I was told is there was a 5% restocking fee. I then explained again that there were issues with the machine and they said they would send me over to technical support, but I told them technical support can't help because I'd have to take videos of all the problems and also they can't see that the pores were coming out wrong.

The person on the phone was a bit rude with me, but he finally agreed to waive the 5% restocking fee, but I still have to pay for shipping. This is like a 20 pound machine and it's gonna cost a lot to ship. They had no place locally to return it. They're in New York and I'm in California.

The bottom line is, don't order an espresso machine online. Go and buy it locally.

Do not buy a coffee machine from Whole Latte Love.
Based on my experience, their customer support is essentially nonexistent. I was put on hold most of the time for over 20 minutes, and in several cases the call was disconnected before I ever reached a representative.

The machine I received did not work properly right out of the box, and despite repeated attempts, I was unable to get any technical support to help resolve the issues.

To make matters worse, returning the machine has been extremely frustrating. They charge a 5% restocking fee, and the customer is responsible for paying return shipping, even when the machine is defective. For a high-priced espresso machine, this is unacceptable.

I would strongly caution others to think twice before purchasing from Whole Latte Love.

I received my third Mechanika Max from Whole Latte Love two days ago. This one is also defective. It has the same drip tray problem as the first. The second one was fully bent with front right foot way off the counter.

SUMMARY: 49 days after placing my initial order, I'm sitting here with a third defective Mechanika Max that has the exact same problem as the first one. Customer service has been a nightmare. Worst shopping experience of my life bar none. Whole Latte Love has sucked all the fun out of this purchase. The amount of time it has taken to deal with all the returns and just trying to get a response from customer service is mind-boggling.

TIMELINE:

October 23: placed order with WLL for Mechanika Max & Varia VS6

October 31: first Mechanika and VS6 arrive. VS6 has "reject" written on inner box, but otherwise appears okay. Mechanika has a drip tray issue.

November 3: Chat with WLL and they ask me to send photos/video via email. Send video and serial number and they agree it's a defect. WLL says they're checking with warehouse to send out a spare drip tray.

November 5: I follow up, asking for update. WLL responds saying they're still waiting on the SKU.

November 7: Still no SKU. WLL says warehouse is 12 miles away, so their hands are tied. I respond that I'm getting frustrated.

November 8: WLL offers $75 store credit to put my support request on "extended hold" saying it will probably take a good bit of time to get the drip trays.

November 8: I respond that I still can't use the machine, and an "extended hold" doesn't sound like an acceptable solution. I request to return the whole machine for replacement.

November 10: WLL responds and sets up the first replacement.

November 10: I notice the replacement order is set up for a Mechanika Max w/o flow control, while I had paid for flow control. I wait in chat queue to notify WLL to fix the error.

November 20: 2nd Mechanika Max arrives.

November 21: I unpack 2nd Mechanika Max and find the whole machine is warped. Front right foot is half an inch off the counter. I email WLL with photos.

November 24: No response. That evening, I request a response by 12EST the next day or I'll open a credit card dispute.

November 25: I open credit card dispute.

November 26: Still no response. Still needing a return label, I try calling and using chat. I eventually get through after waiting on hold. I'm told an admin will call me later that day. I receive a call a few hours later. Admin (Megan) is very apologetic and asks if I'd be interested in a third unit if their techs open and inspect it before sending it out. Like a complete idiot, I agree. She says the easiest way to proceed will be if WLL accepts the credit card dispute, and I place a new order. She sends me the invoice. Megan provides her phone extension if I have future issues, but this eventually proves to be worthless. She never picks up or responds to voicemails. It's probably a fake extension they give out to suckers like me.

November 27: I attempt to place a new order using provided invoice, but it doesn't work. Contact WLL. Receive another invoice. Place order using that invoice.

December 3: Third Mechanika Max ships after several days of delay. I had been told it would ship the previous Friday by the admin, but after the issue with the first invoice, I thought maybe it wouldn't ship until Monday. It ships on Wednesday.

December 9: Third Mechanika Max arrives. Drip tray has exact same issue as first unit. Front left corner is too tight and needs to be pressed on to fully seat. At that point, the tray is stuck, and will send water everywhere when yanked on to remove.

December 10: Contact Whole Latte Love and am promised a response from an admin with 24 hours.

December 11: 24 hours pass. No response. Contact them again, and am promised a response by end of day. End of day comes and goes. No response. I submitted a second credit card dispute.

The second issue may have been caused in shipping. The drip tray issues with the first and third unit are identical, and point to a QC problem with ECM in my opinion. I also don't believe WLL had their techs open and inspect the unit as promised.

If you read the reviews of Whole Latte Love, you will see that the positive reviews are regarding purchases and product guidance. However, reviews of their customer service are almost unanimously negative, which has certainly been my experience. It's obvious that they are friendly and cooperative to make a sale, but anything involving a cost, will be ignored so as to keep their profits up. Specifically, I had a small issue upon receipt of my machine, I made two phone calls, sent two emails and a "damage report", and after three weeks have still not received a response.

Adding an addendum to my review to address WLL's below posted response to my issue. Interesting that they claim to have resolved my issue in October since I just purchased the espresso machine on November 20.

WLL has amazingly good customer service. I had semi-automatic machine that I purchased from them that started having some operating issues after 3 years. WLL walked me through the troubleshooting and repairs via email, sending written instructions, and providing a video. My most recent experience being yesterday. I have found the same response to inquiries about equipment accessories, maintenance, and even coffee bean selection. Having had the complete opposite experience with another company on an espresso machine I cannot more highly recommend WLL. One last thing. I would be remis not to mention the large library of video resources available. I still "attend WLL University" via videos with frequency.

Still enjoying, day after day, the amazing products I got from WholeLatteLove.

My daily ritual has been elevated to a beautiful and meaningful experience.

A coffee lover from childhood - I am colombian -, in the perfect season in life (empty nester), each breakfast, or post lunch coffee, is a conversation with my wife with the best coffee ever.

And all the parts regarding the transaction, information, quality, reliability, etc. were perfect.

I received honest advice and help ordering parts i needed to fix my espresso machine. Great company.

Do not for a second believe the whole latte love 2 year warranty… It covers absolutely nothing. My water tank broke and they said improper use, but I was using it properly.