3yr old electric towel rail broken, do i have any comeback?

Billy_B_2

Good afternoon all,

I haven't posted for a loonng time, but regular lurker, so hopefully someone can advise me.

I bought an electric heated towel rail (wall mounted ladder style) about 2 and half years ago. It was professionally fitted along with my new bathroom. All has been fine, but last night as my girlf was hanging some towels up, the top of it has broken (physically cracked and fallen apart) away from the brackets that hold the top of it to the wall. She managed to stop it crashing to the floor and its now being held onto the fixing brackets by gaffer tape. (The brackets are still firmly fixed to the wall).

Now i paid £320 for it from a local electrical & plumbing supplier and i know its made by a company called Ultraheat, which i think is a pretty big and well know manufacturer/supplier of towel rails.

Obviously im unhappy that something with no moving parts, not exactly subject to rigorous use and whos only job is to hold my towels off the floor and very occasionally heat up, has broken so unexpectedly and catastrophically.

So do i have any chance off a replacement etc from either the local supplier or original manufacturer/supplier, and what repsonse can i hope for after 2 and a half years??

Many thanks for any advice
Billy B

el_gringo_3

Ultraheat stuff has differing lengths of warranty iirc. Try googling the model number and seeing whats currently being offered with it.

Beware though, at that length of time they may insist you registered your item with them within a certain number of days, using the form that will have accompanied it or their website. If you didn't install it you may be able to plead ignorance on this point, and hope they honour it.

scullster

Whilst the onus would be on you to demonstrate that it was not fit for purpose, I would like to see them argue their way out of it (the retailer that is as that is who your contract is with)

As el-gringo suggested, check the manufacturer to see how you stand re: manufacturer's warranty.

Hopefully you paid with credit card as that could be another angle to claim via.

Billy_B_2

Thanks for the replies, ive found out from mnfr. (Ultraheat) that it has a 5 year guarantee. Though the supplier has to initiate a new order as Ultraheat wont deal directly with domestic customers.

Reading between the lines, i assume that i will be responsible for removing/replacing the rail. Im also unsure at the moment exactly who will determine whether it can be fixed or should be replaced. No-one seems to want to take responsibility for that. So im banking on Ultraheat taking my word for it that it cant be fixed, and hopefully i will get a replacement.

Ive written to the supplier asking them to contact Ultraheat, so we'll see what happens!

Billy B