Fridge saga

MrsGSR

Hi, I don't normally post in here but I really need some advice.
We have a Samsung american style fridge and in december last year it started making a noise. So we call an engineer who comes out to us with a part and says thats the part we need and fits it. Job done or so we think...
The temperature of the fridge is up but I am assured that it will go down as it was due to the door being opened.
Anyway the fridge temp (normally 2c) goes up to 8c
I call again and he comes out and fiddles around saying it should be ok and that we may need a new defrost heater for it.
The temp still rises and rises so I call back, twice, no answer, so I leave a message and then I call again the next day having not heard anything. When I speak to him the next day it is christmas week he tells me he cannot order the part because the cutoff for ordering was the day before (had he have called me back the day before he could have ordered it :mad:)
Anyway we get the christmas day and the fridge gets so noisy and so hot (12C) that my hubby decides to empty the freezer contents into the chest freezer in the garage and put the fridge contents outside and turn it off.
We turn it on a few days later and there is no noise and the temp comes down again which suggests to us that it is in fact the defrost heater that needs replacing.
So after christmas I call again, in fact I call on a regular basis to be told that he will call me back, or his wife takes a message and says he will ring me back.
We get to the last week of jan where I call him again and his wife asks me for the fridge code so the part can be ordered.
A week later we still have not heard anything and he says that the part hasn't come yet and he will chase it up. That was last thursday so I decided enough was enough and called trading standards who directed me to a direct.gov and said my next move was to send out a letter using the templates on there.
So i sent off this letter on friday and have yet to heat anything, I have stated that he has 7 days to rectify it or further action will be taken. I have requested for the additional work to be carried out free of charge.
My hubby is worried that there will be repucussions and that he may cause trouble if we send another letter out but I said that we are well within our rights to do this because he has not done his job properly.
Sorry for a long winded post, after all that, what would you do now? Am I wrong to have sent this letter? I'm worried about him coming round and getting funny with me... part of me thinks we ouight to cut our losses and ask someone else to do the work but tbh I don't want to pay out more money to someone else when this other guy hasn't done his job properly!

visidigi

To clarify, the fridge is outside of warranty?

Why have you stayed with this one guy if he's failing to provide a service?

I'm not sure why you feel this guy should do the work free of charge...? He has indicated on a previous visit it might be another part...that's as far as you got, unless I've missed something?

zoob

How old is the fride freezer?

MrsGSR

visidigi wrote: »

To clarify, the fridge is outside of warranty?

Why have you stayed with this one guy if he's failing to provide a service?

I'm not sure why you feel this guy should do the work free of charge...? He has indicated on a previous visit it might be another part...that's as far as you got, unless I've missed something?

Sorry I should have said in my OP, (trying to placate 2 week old baby at same time!)
We inherited the fridge with our house and we have been here for 5 years, he did say when he did the work that it would last another 8 years. The point is that he fitted the wrong part, he said it was one part and fitted another. also he fails to return our calls. he came out on the 16th december and its now the 6th feb and he hasn't done anything.
trading standards said we had a case because he hadn't completed the job properly.

Hintza

MrsGSR wrote: »

The point is that he fitted the wrong part, he said it was one part and fitted another.

Possibly, but you have to assume he is using his knowledge and his best ability. The fault could be more than one part or difficult to diagnose and he will have a logical sequence (hopefully).

Stop messing around and get someone else to repair it. The next guy might be able to give you a report if you want to pursue the first (but I'm not convinced this would be time and effort well spent).

MrsGSR

Hintza wrote: »

Possibly, but you have to assume he is using his knowledge and his best ability. The fault could be more than one part or difficult to diagnose and he will have a logical sequence (hopefully).

Stop messing around and get someone else to repair it. The next guy might be able to give you a report if you want to pursue the first (but I'm not convinced this would be time and effort well spent).

Thanks for this. This is what I am tempted to do. He has ignored two of my letters which is a absolute disgrace imo.

timbstoke

In fairness, I'm not sure I can blame him based on the information given. You called him out, he 'fiddles with it' (did he actually replace anything?) and warns you that although it will hopefully be OK, it may require a new defrost heater. He turns out to be correct, and now you're expecting him to do the work for free?

I have to say, that would be one way to move to my list of "people whose custom is more hassle than it's worth"

Frostyfridge

Our 18 month old Samsung fridge has started to frost up again and becomes noisy, good thing we paid for the extended warrenty. Had a service repair callout a few weeks ago. He said he couldn't find anything wrong and said the frosting up must have been from us leaving the door open, NOT! All he could suggest was to unplug the fridge and let it thaw out. With such a common problem it seems certain that this is a defect problem and Samsung should be having a recall!! By ignoring the problem it just tarnishes their name.

cockaleekee

Frostyfridge wrote: »

Our 18 month old Samsung fridge has started to frost up again and becomes noisy, good thing we paid for the extended warrenty. Had a service repair callout a few weeks ago. He said he couldn't find anything wrong and said the frosting up must have been from us leaving the door open, NOT! All he could suggest was to unplug the fridge and let it thaw out. With such a common problem it seems certain that this is a defect problem and Samsung should be having a recall!! By ignoring the problem it just tarnishes their name.

The OP's fridge is over five years old - it is unlikely to be the same model as yours.