D&G Hotpoint-Repair Protection plan/Extended Warranty

snoopy1971

Well it certainly has protected me from GETTING a repair and rather than extending the company has now curtailed the warranty......

I apologise in adavance for lengthy post but do not wish to omit anything as need another opinion to see where I went wrong please.

I have, or my partner and I have, a Hotpoint Washer Dryer that is covered by an extended warranty.

Sept 08 a spring needs fixing which holds the washing drum in place, engineer comes round (15/09/08) doesn't have the right spring so "doctors" one for another machine to fit ours.

This proves to be useless as it allows the drum to rock and roll (like I imagine Bill Haley used to do) I only noticed this when returning home early Dec 23rd I catch the machine in full dance right before the drum inside frazzles the circuit board.

I call up Hotpoint as directed by Domestic&General (underwriters) paperwork told by Hotpoint that they will come out 2nd Jan (hey ho holidays and all that)

2nd Jan engineer comes round and after tinkering around and some searching on his laptop and a couple of phonecalls he tells me that the despite his efforts machine is to be replaced as one part is now obsolete and I am to wait for D&G to call me in 48hrs as a new machine has been authorised as part of my plan/warranty. (please note: I just want a working machine) He leaves a piece of printout paper stating "exchange team contacted D&G and D&G will contact customer" (this apparently shows it has been logged and emailed to D&G)

5th Jan I call Hotpoint to advise them I think there might be a delay in the process to be told that it is now down to D&G to sort and that [Hotpoint & D&G] "have nothing to do with each other as they are two seperate companies?"

6th Jan I have waited long enough and call D&G to be told that they are unaware of any replacement/repair under my policy/household and if a replacement were required then D&G will be waiting for a write off report. I ask them if they cannot speak with Hotpoint to chase up the initial repair call they made to me, and was again told "we're a seperate company and don't have that facility, you'll have to go back to Hotpoint"

At this point I highlighted that it was not my job to be going back and forth to chase up companies that were supposed to be in contact with each other and that I would like to make a complaint I then get told right well if I do that that will escalate your comments and someone will contact Hotpoint??????
point 1. Why could she have not told me this before
point 2. I thought they were seperate companies and had no facility to talk to each other?!

7th Jan I get a call from a D&G operative who claimed he had "sorted" my problem he explained I wasn't waiting on a replacement machine but a replacement part!! After failing to listen then to anything I said and prefering to talk over me I asked to speak to someone else he refused, he then refused to let me speak to a Manager, I took his name and then bid him farewell.

7th Jan p.m. I call Indesit and they confirm that obsolete part is actually available but needs to be ordered and that when that part is ready the engineer will have all he needs to complete the repair.

I email domgen.com to ask someone to take up my complaint as I am less than impressed, to which I am afforded contact with a Miss C(I wont put her name)

15th Jan the previous Engineer arrives at door looks sheepish and says "erm do you know what has been happening?" "Why?" I ask. He then goes onto explain that all he has been sent in his van is the cosmetic part of the obsolete/available part (in a different colour to the machine) but with no switch gear and no other parts hve been sent as previously ordered so he can't do the job!!! Worse still he will have to re order the other parts which when doing so is informed that another part is now obsolete :mad: .

However he assures me this time the machine has been written off and I will be contacted by D&G and that I may have to pay a delivery charge of £20

Nothing 16th Jan and Miss C despite her promises fails to call and check that all has gone to plan.

19th Jan I cll and speak with Miss C and she tells me she is chasing up the "write off" now and a letter detailing replacement model is being sent out to me to arrive Wednesday if I am happy with model chosen I am to phone to the "Exchange Dept". To expedite matters I ask for and receive number for "Exchange Dept" to investigate model vi internet in adavnce.

Turns out (tho not surprised) replacement model does not offer anywhere near the same options i.e. Variable Spin, Variable Drying time, Timer Delay, LCD Display unit to show time left on cycle etc as current model. Worse still I have to pay £120 incl. remainder of payment left on old repair plan (which is now null and void) on the broken machine and a £37 delivery charge no installation for the new machine.

Today - Call Miss C who whilst sympathetic (finally some human emotion) she says she cannot waiver the charges as D&G have fulfilled their terms and conditions etc etc She refers me to a Manager to double check and get a heels in the ground attitude straight away and "...a letter will be out to confirm our position"

I want to know

1. Why should I have to pay the full cost if I Have been forced into having a new machine because Hotpoint didn't repair a repairable machine because they didn't order parts.
2. Why does the lengthy delay caused by their incompetence on two seperate occasions not generate some form of compensation from them.
3. What have I not done that I can do or could've done to get a quicker resolution to my problem
4. How can I be forced to have a machine that is not similar as the contract states.
5. Why am I having to pay the remainder of a repair plan at all on a machine that they will no longer repair due to parts obsolete due to their delay.

Sorry for longwindedness but really at end of my tether shall I just give up bite the bullet and pay the £120?

dreamypuma

Oh dear! Hotpoint, Washer Dryer, Domestic General, failure. All in one post how unique?

I sympathise with you, but understand why D&G will request payment of the entire term of your insurance plan to replace. This is how majority of Insurance works, when paying monthly instalments.

Whether if D&G should morally request this payment, after all the hassle you have experienced is another story.

snoopy1971

yes I gather it is not unique at all doesn't make it any less painful unfortunately.

Maybe as you say it is a moral issue but I just feel that the machine could've been repaired, but due to their !!!! up at not ordering parts has resulted in me being deprived of a repair/s as now other parts are obsolete which were available prior to the !!!! up.

I am waiting for a letter today to confirm exactly how incapable of drying the new machine being offered is compared to my old one