Insurance company failing to repair washer - options?

PopeSock

My mum bought a washing machine a few years ago, and took out an insurance policy with a company. I know the general wisdom seems to be not to take these policies out, but it's a bit late now. The policy has set her back eighty quid a year, and now that the washer has broken, the company still hasn't fixed it.

They sent an engineer out, who didn't seem to know what he was doing, and who didn't take the number of the washer. After nothing happening, she rang them to be told that the part hadn't been order because they didn't have the number. They hadn't rung to tell her this, and it took a week or so to get the part off the engineer. More time passed, and she rang back to be told the part was on order. Then, later, she was told they needed a second part, which was so expensive it had to be authorised.. etc etc.

Basically, they've been useless. It's now six weeks after the washer broke, no-one has ever, ever rung her back to tell her what's going on, and they've fobbed her off with various cobblers. The problem is, the contract doesn't specify a fix time for the washer. Is there anything she can do? It seems flipping ridiculous, and she suspects they're just trying to get her to forget about the repair and buy a new washer.

Mankysteve

Write to them complain send it recorded delivery. Then give give trading standards a ring an see what they think. Bar the odd exception these "insurance" are a rip off.