Machine Mart/Clarke generator

deafxlistener

Hi

Can anyone offer some advice.

My parents bought a Clarke generator from Machine Mart on 1st july 2011. they went on holiday in their caravan on the 17th july 2011 and the generator worked.

at the end of septemeber they went away again but the generator would not start they tried everything it states in the manual to no avail.

My father went took it to Machine Mart in leeds to get a new spark plug, but was advised that they could only be purchased from the Machine Mart website. He then had to travel from leeds to lancashire to swap the generator over with his old one which is far to heavy for him now, and then travel back to leeds. Meanwhile my mother emailed Machine Mart stating the issue with the generator.

On their return from holiday there was a message on the answerphone from MM tech support in nittingham telling them to take the generator to MM in bolton and they would send it to nottingham to be looked at. They replaced the spark plug and said there was an air bubble in the fuel pipe. They got the generator back but yet again could not start the generator.

After trying for a few weeks doing everything it states in the manual they still could not start the generator so it went back again in november 2011 after a phone call from MM tech stating to they reject the generator. An engineer report was completed saying no fault found and was tested at full load. MM assistant service manager declined to refund/replace or repair the generator. They got the generator back again and could still not start it.

Once again they took the generator to the Bolton branch of MM and the guy in the shop could not start the generator he tried for 3 days. the MM engineer was instore on the friday a full week after it was taken back and he could't start it either. he looked at the generator and said that the spark plug was all coked up and that it was returned from nottingham tech without any oil in it. the enineer wasn't happy. and yet again there was air bubble in the fuel pipe. the friday after he came back to bolton store and fitted a new spark plug and got it running. Yet again when they got it home the generator wouldn't start.

now it's the 16th dec 2011 my fathers health went downhill at this time and he's been in and out of hospital every few weeks with his heart. they still couldn't start the generator after numerous attempts and by several different people including myself following everything stated in the manual.

March 16th 2012 they took it up with virgin money CC which they purchased the generator on and sent everything to them they asked for. Yesterday June 12th after hearing nothing back from virgin my father contacted them to see what was happening and they state they will do nothing under s75 claim as MM say the generator works and my mum and dad cant do anything to get it running. infact the only people to get it running are machine mart. The only way virgin say they may do something now is if my parents get a report from a generator engineer to say it doesn't work.

Can anyone advise what we can do about this problem. will they be able to claim the money back from virgin for the engineer report. the generator was £497 so not that cheap.

They are not new to generators and had one already which never has any problems and have also purchased another from lidl recently due to the Clarke MM one not working and that is fine too. Please give advise if you can 1 weeks use out of 12 month nearly is ridiculous.

Sorry this has been so long but it is a long story even shortened.