VENT: Hotpoint/Indesit written complaint; casual extended warranty sell

kwakwaversal

After writing the letter out, I guess it doesn't seem as bad as I first thought? I'm going to send it to them anyway.

I was annoyed by a call out of the blue about my cooker, especially because the woman I spoke to was so breezy and casual about the whole thing. I couldn't get a word in edgeways and her final sentence - to get me to agree to getting the warranty - was along the lines of: "Just confirm your first line of your address", not "Would you like an extended warranty?"

-Paul

Domestic and General Customer Care
Freepost CV2560
Bedworth
Warwickshire
CV12 8BR

Re: Outbound call; extended warranty

Dear Sirs,

I received a unsolicited phone call today (2011-03-25) at 13:07 from a lady in your outbound call centre (CLI: 0800 121 8148). After her initial greeting, she politely asked me how my cooker (Hotpoint EW38P) had been over the last year, then explained that the first year's cover has expired.

She then proceeded to tell me – without pausing for a breath – how I could get a warranty which would provide servicing, parts, and a replacement cooker in the event of any problems while under warranty. After about 2 or 3 minutes of telling me how great it would be have an extended warranty, she casually told me that I could begin the cover by just confirming the first line of my address. (I'm not sure if it was my phone, but this bit seemed to be mumbled, so I asked her to repeat herself.)

At no point in the conversation did she specifically ask me if I wanted the warranty, during the whole conversation she was under the assumption that I wanted it. I realise there are pressures of hitting targets, but her sales method left a bitter taste in my mouth. It has left me with a negative view of Hotpoint, as I could see the same conversation with other people might leave their heads spinning and agreeing to something they might not have initially wanted.

I rang the extended warranties number (08448 226226) to leave a complaint, and the lady I spoke to there was very helpful. I didn't get the name of first lady I spoke to, so asked her for it. She told me that it was a user id, and couldn't give it to me. I was just asking for her name - not her bank account - as I'm assuming she'd have told me if I'd have originally asked her for it. But the 2nd lady said she wouldn't feel comfortable giving me her user id, despite admitting that the user id was actually her name. Not so helpful.

I am seeking assurances from you that unsolicited conversations with other Hotpoint users are carried out more professionally. Rather than masking the extended warranty under the guise of a friendly conversation. I would hope it is made clearer what they are trying to sell, and the overall warranty costs were made clearer, not masked as small/simple monthly payments. Additionally, “Would you like an extended warranty?” seems a much more appropriate question than “confirm the 1st line of your address”.

I will be posting this online as reference for others, and to open a debate.


Yours sincerely,

claretmatt

Is this a hoax?

PZH

claretmatt wrote: »

Is this a hoax?

Why? Should it be?

Personally, I don't see much wrong in the OP sending the letter.

How many times do we hear of people agreeing to things that they didn't even realise they were agreeing to?

kwakwaversal wrote:

Additionally, “Would you like an extended warranty?” seems a much more appropriate question than “confirm the 1st line of your address”.

Additionally, this should be the opening question - not the last.

CyCo_2

If that was the "confirmation" of taking out the extended warranty. How exactly would they have taken payment for it?

kwakwaversal

CyCo wrote: »

If that was the "confirmation" of taking out the extended warranty. How exactly would they have taken payment for it?

I wondered this too CyCo, I'm assuming if I'd had said yes she'd have then requested payment details or set up a direct debit. They had my full address though as it had been passed on by Asda (or maybe Argos).

phoodless wrote: »

Additionally, this should be the opening question - not the last.

Thanks phoodless. It reads much better now

I'm the kind of person who lets things go as time goes on, so now that it's written I think that has got rid of a lot of my frustration.

I'm going to send it anyway, as phoodless pointed out, a lot of friends and family have been mis-sold things, and this particular strategy seemed a little sneaky to me.

sirmarcus

OP...Could also send an email to John Pearmund, Domestic and General Chief Executive. at [EMAIL="john.pearmund@domesticandgeneral.com"]john.pearmund@domesticandgeneral.com[/EMAIL].

May be worth attaching your letter to the email as well.

bundly

A very similar thing happened to me and I am rather cross about the misrepresentation. I both received AND cancelled my policy today.

I bought a freezer from appliancedeals.co.uk and a month later a guy phones and everything he said made me believe he was calling from that retailer. Well for a start he knew the make and model of the freezer, and my name. He let me ramble on for ages about the "great price I got from you" and how "your delivery men were wonderful" and never once did he point out that HE didn't work for appliancedeals.co.uk!

Like the OP it was a chatty friendly conversation and only after it had gone on for a while did he mention that "we" (by which I assumed he meant the retailer) had started offering this amazing insurance plan whereby if I paid just a pound a week that would cover all damage to the item, all breakdowns, and if it wasn't worth their while repairing it, I'd get a brand new appliance that "would not cost you a single penny". Then the new appliance would be covered, ad infinitum for the rest of my life. In other words, I will never have to buy another freezer in my lifetime, all for £1 a week.

I asked if I could read the small print online on appliancedeals website and he said no, they hadn't got round to uploading it yet. Again he declined the opportunity to point out that he didn't work for that retailer! So I said, send me details of the policy and if I like the sound of it, I'll sign up. I told him it sounded too good to be true, and he said, don't look a gift horse in the mouth, it really IS true.

I initially felt wary at giving my bank details to someone for something based on words said in a phone call that I was not recording. However, he was so insistent that this was an amazing offer that I'd be a fool to refuse, that somehow (I don't know how) I ended up giving him my bank details and the policy came in the post today.

Not only did I find the policy ISN'T from the retailer but from D&G, but I read the small print and it is NOT the same as what he told me on the phone. For example, it says I would have to pay "delivery costs" for the new appliance, but does not say WHO sets these costs and what they might be. I read online a guy complaining he was charged £37 delivery under this plan. The small print also says, if they replace the appliance, "your plan will end immediately"... so the new appliance is not covered! The plan is also dotted with phrases like "if your repair is approved" and "we may replace or repair" and "at our discretion" ... I hate these kinds of words and phrases because you can just imagine them pointing to them one day to get out of having to repair or replace.

kwakwaversal

bundly wrote: »

The plan is also dotted with phrases like "if your repair is approved" and "we may replace or repair" and "at our discretion" ... I hate these kinds of words and phrases because you can just imagine them pointing to them one day to get out of having to repair or replace.

Yeah, I hate it as well when the terminology is so loose. After I mentioned the Sales of Goods Act, she got snippy as if I've wasted her time, not the other way around.

I'm glad you were so thorough when on the phone, and following up the plan. I worry about people like my Nanna receiving a similar call, and being lured into the false promises made by such 'friendly' cold callers.