Appliances Online offering "lifetime warranty"

mart_80

Hi,
I bought a Bosch fridge freezer 12 months ago from Appliances Online, after my 2 year old Samsung broke down and couldn't be repaired.
I've just received a call from Appliances Online offering a lifetime warranty for £1.38 a week, with no fixed/minimum term or contract. If the fridge-freezer breaks down from wear and tear, accidental damage etc. they pay for any engineer visits, parts or a new replacement if it can't be fixed immediately. The only thing that isn't covered is malicious damage or commercial use.

I don't normally go for extended warranties, but this seems like a good deal. The fridge cost £400 so if it needed to be replaced within 5.5 years I would have 'saved' money (assuming a new equivalent fridge if around £400).

I'm reasonably good at saving so I don't necessarily need the protection from a large outlay that it offers, I just can't decide if it is good value for money.

As I said above, my last fridge freezer only lasted 2 years (just out of warranty) so I switched away from Samsung to Bosch as they appear to be more reliable.

Any thoughts?

Clive_Woody

I have had my Bosch fridge freezer for more than 10 years and never had a problem with it. It has moved house three times so it has been shaken around a bit but is still going strong.

With the policy you mention I would have paid £717.60, when a new fridge would be considerably less than that.

Washing machines, dishwashers and items with high speed moving parts are more likely to have a more limited life. A fridge freezer should last a long long time.

thenudeone

I have used an electolux freezer for over 20 years without any fault. In the kitchen I have deDietrich(?) fridge and freezer which have both lasted 11 years without fail, so far, so would agree that a warranty for these items is probably not worth it.

spmc

mart_80 wrote: »

Hi,

As I said above, my last fridge freezer only lasted 2 years (just out of warranty) so I switched away from Samsung to Bosch as they appear to be more reliable.

Any thoughts?

Your rights under the Sale of Goods Act are not limited by a manufacturers warranty. I have been successful in getting a dishwasher repaired and a washing machine replaced which were outside of the warranty by reference to the SOGA. It can take a bit of persistence and effort which wouldn't be needed with an extended warranty.

Bottom line is a £400 fridge freezer should last a lot longer than 2 years providing it hasn't been abused.

macman

You're also ignoring the fact that white goods get cheaper in real tems every year. As a proportion of income, in 5 years time that appliance will probably cost £250 at today's values.
And you're unlikely to ever claim on it. If such goods go wrong, then it tends to be due to a manufacturing fault, and will manifest itself during the warranty period.

evilsheep

I've just had a call from Appliances Online offering this same deal. He started off saying it was £1.38 too, and then I confirmed with him the monthly cost - £6.99 (apparently this is a 30% discount on the usual rate, but that's almost certainly sales tactics). It sounded like quite a good deal to me too, the things that put me off were the constant stream of sales buzzwords, him telling me how long my appliance was likely to last, and the fact that he seemed to get a little agitated when I said I wouldn't give him my card details there and then in order to receive a pack to look over (the payment not due to be taken for a month).

He said it was a 'cast iron guarantee' that all parts, labour and callout charges would be covered, and at the end of the life of my appliance, this policy would pay for a brand new replacement. My appliance was a washer dryer (also Bosch) costing £470, so it would take 5 years and 7 months of £6.99 payments to get to that level. I'm kinda tempted by this policy as my previous WD (a Hotpoint ...) had one breakdown under warranty, and a further 3 (which my OH was able to fix, so we just paid for parts) after that. The latest breakage was the final straw, so we though we'd just shell out for a more reliable make.

I don't have savings to cover these things (this WD went on a 0% card, which I'm intending to pay off before it starts accruing interest), so would this policy be a wise move? Do washer dryers usually break down within 6 years (mine gets minimal use - 3 loads a week perhaps, very rarely use the dryer) or is that just Hotpoints?

I know it's one of those things that, if I don't take it out, there'll be a major breakdown when it's mere days out of warranty ... aarrghhh

evilsheep

I agree with absolutely everything you say. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend appliances online - they were cheaper than anyone else, delivered the appliance the following day (when I'd only ordered it at 7pm!), and send email and text updates to let me know the time it would be delivered (updated throughout the day). I'm glad I didn't take out the policy though, as like you I don't give card details out over the phone. I'm guessing the sales people are on strict commission or something as his tone definitely changed when I said I would not be signing up there and then without seeing further information in writing. He did have my email (he read it out to me to confirm) but didn't offer to forward anything.

Is it only Bosch products that this is being offered for?! I thought Bosch were meant to be reliable!

BlueC

evilsheep wrote: »

I agree with absolutely everything you say. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend appliances online - they were cheaper than anyone else, delivered the appliance the following day (when I'd only ordered it at 7pm!), and send email and text updates to let me know the time it would be delivered (updated throughout the day). I'm glad I didn't take out the policy though, as like you I don't give card details out over the phone. I'm guessing the sales people are on strict commission or something as his tone definitely changed when I said I would not be signing up there and then without seeing further information in writing. He did have my email (he read it out to me to confirm) but didn't offer to forward anything.

Is it only Bosch products that this is being offered for?! I thought Bosch were meant to be reliable!

I too completely agree with everything said above - I've had the exact same experience. Appliances online provided an excellent service at prices that beat everyone else and the only thing that soured it was this phone call trying to flog me the insurance cover. I politely declined telling her I didn't want to waste her time because I wouldn't be signing up. She was pleasant enough so no big problem its just a bit annoying.

No its not only Bosch - I order a Siemens oven, hob and chimney and had the same thing (albeit Siemens = Bosch = Neff).

ormus

a lifetime warranty from a large well known name such as bosch might mean summat.

a lifetime warranty from a no name online company set up last month means nowt.

perkorp

hi, just had the phone call from AO re warranty. i agree - no details over the phone, they have sent me an email with details of offer but i will not be proceeding until i get the tumble dryer delivered in about a fortnight. this deal seems too good to be true and i smell a rat. has anyone taken up the offer? any claims? any feedback?

edit - just viewed their pdf submission - no information

this does not look safe, i will not be accepting their kind offer and now i am worrying about the appliance delivery - will it ever end? should have gone to comet!

eryn_kathleen

I just wanted to bump this thread to ask whether anyone could share their experiences with Appliances Online insurance? I'm thinking of taking it out on the washer-dryer I just bought - in my previous (rented) property we had two new machines and 6 repair calls in just over 6 years, and the washer-dryer that came with the flat I purchased in August has just died. So I'd like to avoid getting saddled with these ongoing costs if I could, but can't decide whether the Appliances Online insurance is worth it. I would be happy to go for it if it's a prompt and quality service.