Currys Extra warranty nightmare

mio123

Hi

I bought a Hoover washing machine from Currys in March 2007 and for piece of mind i took out the extra warranty or so i thought.

The machine died on 23 may 2010 but luckly 'yeah rite' it was still with its warranty by a few days .

I rang them and they said an enginner would be out in 2 days , when they sent me txt message i had to phone them to say i was not available that day i have to go work so we arranged another date 6th june. My 18 yr old son would be home to allow the enginner access.

6th june enginner came and looked at the machine and said the barings had gone ' that i had already told them was the problem in my first phone call ...but what do i know ? I have a large family so i go through washing machines fairly quickly you get used to nosie they make when certain things go wrong.

The enginner left a message with my son to say they would have to order the part ....ok not too bad i thought only a week with out a machine.

The enginner returned within a week with the part ...Great i thought only had to go to the laudrette twice.

However when the enginner took the back off the machine to start the repair he found other things wrong with it .

Needs a heck of alot more than what the first one said. I came home to find an empty shell of washing machine in my kitchen ...the whole of the inside in my back garden with a message off the enginner to my son ' tell your mum i'm sorry?'

SO i rang the repair people and asked what was going on , Oh its needs a few more things for it ....like the outta drum , inner drum and new thermostate they would order them rite away.

SO i was paitent and waited a week ...............didn't hear anything so i phoned them . All i got as a reply was your parts are on order.

I have four childern any idea how much washing they make?

Off to the laundette twice a week costing £12 a time as i have that much washing.

In the extra warranty it says they have 21 days to fix the appliance ...but now i find out that doesnot include weekends and only goes from when the enginner first looked at it .

I have phoned the extra warranty people at currys and said look this is stupid i can't go with out a machine for much longer its costing me £24 a week to do my washing please could have a machine.

The parts department still have not had one part in for my machine i have rung them everyother day now because they said they can not chase up new parts orders .

Im at my wits end now , Currys 21 days doesnot include weekends!!!! Childern don't stay clean at the weeekend in fact its worse you know what childern are like.

But NO its 21 days end of! that is the only response i get off the extra warranty people at currys .

They have told me if its not done by the 2 july !!!????? then they will replace it with a new one.

I need some advice big time.

Currys have also said that they will not remburse me for the expense of going to the laundrette for what will be nearly a month!!

I have payed for this warranty for 3yrs and all i seem to have got for it is a totally stressed out ...what is approaching £96 outta pocket to do my laundry .

I need help but i don't what to do now.

thanks in advance .

Esqui

The 21 day period does include weekends, but is only from the first day of the engineer's visit. What surprises me is that you had to wait nearly two weeks as you couldn't attend the first visit date. If you'd called up after the 25th, you'd surely have had to have someone out within two days?

I think rather than a phone call, a letter into Customer Services might spur on a bit of action. That, or see if your local store can help.

mio123

Nope i was working and they had to come out on the 6th june a week later when someone was at home.

They have told me on the phone and it says in my extra warranty that its 21days . It does not include weekends or bankhoildays .

On a laptop or something fair enough but a home esstainal such as a washing machine , cooker or fridge ' they sympathize with you ' that is it.

I've have been very tempeted to just get a new machine and forget about getting the repair done. I could of half paid for a new on by now.

Currys extra warranty sales staff stick to a script and they will not budge at all , I even pleaded with one of them on the phone to ' rite my machine off' he said he would try but it was up to the repair people to say it wasn't fixable ...he asked them while i was on the phone and he said they had said no. But when i phoned the repair people and asked why they had said no...they said it was not up to them it was up to currys to say it was a rite off.

I have lost the will to live with it .....NOT one person from currys will look beyond this darn ' " 21 DAYS! thing' i have tired everything i can think off.

I am writing them a letter ....but i know by the time the correct person gets round to reading it , my so called 21 days will be up.

Never ever will i ever buy from currys again . Customer after care is totally discusting !

Chimpofdoom

Well Esqui is usually the man with the Currys advice!

However as it's a washing machine, you by chance argue under the sales of goods act that you want a replacement/refund as it's an inconvenience/not fit for purpose. The problem here is that you would have to prove it's an inherent manufacturing fault before anything happens.

Otherwise, you would have to wait the 21 days, can seem a long haul, but if you get a new machine out of it, rather than having to pay for it, all the better.

But as Esqui says, either send a letter now or visit the store, it's unacceptable on how long they are taking with it!

Esqui

mio123 wrote: »

They have told me on the phone and it says in my extra warranty that its 21days . It does not include weekends or bankhoildays .

I have a copy of the T&Cs here (several, actually )

The call out should be within 2 working days, which by definition is not weekends or bank holidays. ("Except in some outlying areas of the UK and non-mainland UK excluding Isle of Wight"). From that date, begins the 21 days:

"...if we can't fix the problem within 21 days you may request a replacement product by calling WEH customer services. A replacement within 21 days is subject to reasonable access to the product for repair. 21 days will start from the daye of the engineer's first visit"

The only exclusion is for damaged products (e.g. casings, knobs) where the product is operational and safe to use.

Nothing to say 21 working days.

mio123

Esqui wrote: »

I have a copy of the T&Cs here (several, actually )

The call out should be within 2 working days, which by definition is not weekends or bank holidays. ("Except in some outlying areas of the UK and non-mainland UK excluding Isle of Wight"). From that date, begins the 21 days:

"...if we can't fix the problem within 21 days you may request a replacement product by calling WEH customer services. A replacement within 21 days is subject to reasonable access to the product for repair. 21 days will start from the daye of the engineer's first visit"

The only exclusion is for damaged products (e.g. casings, knobs) where the product is operational and safe to use.

Nothing to say 21 working days.

I did request a replacement .....i even begged for one ...they still said no. Honestly i have not spoken to anyone from currys who will budge on this at all .......21 days is the only answer i get .Hence i posted this here .

As for exclusion from operational use ...if that includes the repair man putting the whole of the inside of the washing machine in the back garden ...and leaving just the shell in kitchen . I think i can assume i can't use it .

Im not arguing with you i wish someone at currys would listen but they won't .

unholyangel

mio123 wrote: »

I did request a replacement .....i even begged for one ...they still said no. Honestly i have not spoken to anyone from currys who will budge on this at all .......21 days is the only answer i get .Hence i posted this here .

As for exclusion from operational use ...if that includes the repair man putting the whole of the inside of the washing machine in the back garden ...and leaving just the shell in kitchen . I think i can assume i can't use it .

Im not arguing with you i wish someone at currys would listen but they won't .

Have you taken pictures yet? Also keep a diary/log of events so that if you do have to take matters further, you have the evidence - and exact dates/details to back you up

MarkyMarkD

I don't see what anyone is claiming there is a need for a diary/log of events for. Currys have said that they will comply with the terms of the warranty and replace if they cannot repair in 21 days. I haven't heard that they are disputing the date of the first visit.

And for the OP to be complaining about the huge delay, after personally delaying the engineer's visit by 2 weeks because they couldn't wait in, is a bit rich!

unholyangel

MarkyMarkD wrote: »

I don't see what anyone is claiming there is a need for a diary/log of events for. Currys have said that they will comply with the terms of the warranty and replace if they cannot repair in 21 days. I haven't heard that they are disputing the date of the first visit.

And for the OP to be complaining about the huge delay, after personally delaying the engineer's visit by 2 weeks because they couldn't wait in, is a bit rich!

No one claimed there is a need for a diary/log of events. Saying something would be beneficial - should it be required - and saying something is needed is 2 completely different things.

And i've not been a member of MSE for long, but the short time i have i've heard several people comment on currys aftersales services and also heard that there are dozens of threads regarding them and their lack of helpfulness/action when appliances go wrong.

Its better to be prepared, have evidence and not need it than need it and not have it.

As for the 2 week part, while 2 weeks is a bit far fetched if it is so important, i think the OP said they couldnt take the first date of the 25th and the next date offered was the 6th. Unfortunately most employers dont deem "i have to wait at home all day for a engineer coming to inspect my washing machine" as a valid reason for not going into work.

Repairing faulty goods should never be a major inconvenience to the consumer........if they've paid for an extended warranty, why should they still be majorly inconvenienced?

And their gripe of £96 is counting from 6th June when the engineer visited until 2nd July (when the company said they will replace).......they havent even complained about paying for laundry during the 2 weeks the engineer didnt have access.

mio123

I have been to the store today i am listening to all the advice on here given i also took along photos of the washing machine with me. The sales lady who i saw was a bit shocked that no one has helped me from currys. She phoned customer services for me , i spoke to them again whilst i was in the store .....still to be told 21 days, whilst the man from customer services was very nice and did appologize to me as he agreed its not fair ...he said there is nothing he can do.

I shall answer the question of why i was not available for those 2 weeks , as i said i work im a single parent so there is no one else but myself or my eldest son who is in collage who could of allowed the engineer access to my home. I did tell currys that i would be in between 1-3 as i only work until 1 and then i have to go and pick my youngest up from school. But they said no its an all day call out.
( in the past when i have delt with other suppliers or manufactures they have no problem with getting a enginger with the time i am at home)

Extra warranty had been a complete nightmare not worth the money and certainly not piece of mind at all. The only thing i can say is all they can guarantte is that they will take your money off you every month just dont expect anything in return any time soon they will make you wait and donot care how much it cost while you wait and wait and wait and wait and wait for them to help you.

I will be getting my next machine from somewhere else and make sure that the warranty fully covers me ....the customer who is paying for it .

MarkyMarkD

Best that you simply don't waste your money on extended warranties again ... as others have said, you could have bought a new machine weeks ago on the money you would have saved on the warranty and the cost of launderette.