Oven door shattered

Moomum

The glass on the front of the oven and literally just exploded, I was emptying the dishwasher and the only explanation is that maybe I tapped it with a mug but I don't think I did!

It is a miele oven and about 18months old, we bought them especially as we have two children and the fronts do not heat up and are meant to withstand pretty much anything according to their testing.

I have spoken to miele and they will send an engineer next week to fix it but she was unable to tell me wether I would need to pay until she has spoken to someone more senior, fair enough.

What is your opinion on wether I will have to suck up the cost of this?

Thanks in advance

greyteam1959

Seems to me to be aa fairly common occurence with glass oven doors....however much you paid for the oven.
I would have a very careful read of your oven warranty & its T&C's.

saffmonster

This happened to me with a candy oven. My 2 dogs were in the kitchen at the time, the oven hadn't been on all day and the dogs were nowhere near the oven. Good job no one was hurt. Candy replaced the door free but charged me for an engineer call out :-(

Moomum

Thanks for replies

tuttifruiti20

I would definitely expect to pay with Miele. Be sure to check over any details that you can find for your specific oven with regards to any guarantee on the glass. Speaking from personal experience I had a friend in the same situation, she waited about 4 days for the engineer to come out but she did end up paying, then again I think that they know that you have to with an issue like that as it isn't like you can use the oven without the glass.

Fingers crossed for you that they replace it for free.

toerag33

Hi Moomum

We are thinking of buying Miele appliances. Can you give an update of how the oven door was resolved by Miele please?

Thank-you

toerag33

Moomum

Hi, was just searching for this to update. It was replaced free of charge after a few phone calls. They have great customer service.

Asadora

I have a three year old Miele oven. I was warming up some left over pizza Saturday night, September 20th, 2014. I turned around to wash some dishes and a few minutes later heard a loud pop and bang noise. Turned around again, saw something wasn't right and proceeded to open the oven door to find that the inner glass door had exploded and shattered. Glass was everywhere inside and glass was pouring out into the floor.
My two year warranty had expired. I sent an email via the Miele's online web form Saturday night, after the incident. I got a phonecall on Sunday at 2pm from a guy from Miele customer service. He sounded very concerned and assured me that him and his management team would 'do what they can to help me. As this was unheard of for a Miele product.' He told me to email pictures and proof that I purchased the oven and any other relevant information. All of which I did.
I called Miele on Monday to see if they did receive my emails. I used the reference number that was given to me. They did receive my emails. After speaking with two other different cusomter service people, I was finally offered a 50% off discount(the first offer was 20%) of the replacement glass, but was to be charged the full labour at £117 per hour. I still wasn't happy, but I accepted the offer because after contacting the kitchen company that I used to get my kitchen and appliances from, they told me they had issues with Miele products and complained for results and Miele refused, so they just stopped selling Miele products because their service was 'appalling'.
I received a phonecall today, from a different woman from the Miele customer service management team. She told me that she has the same model oven as me and the same thing happened to her! I told her that I paid a lot of money for the oven and I have not mistreated it. She proceeded to explain to me about how to make sure the oven racks and shelves are properly to the back before closing the oven door. I asked her if she was careful with her oven. How long did she have her Miele oven for before the inner glass door exploded and shattered? She didn't answer my questions. I told her, 'Do you not think it is a problem if the same model of oven from two different people have an issue with exploding and shattering inner door glass? She then compared chips in car windshields to ovens. I said, 'It is not the same comparison.You don't drive your car into scorching and searing heat.' Anyway, Miele refused to budge and refused to admit that there could be a fault with the glass and they didn't see it as a safety issue. I don't understand how something advertised, which you can plainly hear on their customer service hold music, '..our products are built, tested and designed to last operational for 20 years.' fails to comply only after three years of use. I also do not know why Miele states they have 'award winning customer service' when in fact it is not.
I contacted my local CAB and they have passed my concerns to the Trading Standards Authority, because CAB felt that it makes a case for product safety issue.
I will never buy a Miele product again and I hope to the high heavens that I do not have to deal with Miele any time soon. They have lost my trust and faith in them as a company and regarding their products. I paid £2000 for my oven, an oven which even when it is repaired, I'll be fearful to use it.
Thank you for reading my personal experience with Miele.

ryder72

I do understand your frustration with Miele and this oven. Miele do test their products to simulate 20 years of service and they are good products. However, simulating any duration of use does not eliminate the possibility of failure and any mechanical device can experience failure. If their testing proved that nothing would fail, they wouldnt need a spares or service department.

The problem with this failure is that you cant easily prove there isnt a failure in the glass caused from manufacturing, design, wear and tear or misuse. Equally, they cannot prove otherwise.

As regards your kitchen company saying Miele products and service are appalling - This is something I find hard to accept. We have dealt in Miele appliances for a long time and find that the product quality is generally very good. We do get the occasional fault with their product (as we get with absolutely ever other product we supply). Miele can be less forthcoming with gestures of goodwill than some other suppliers when dealing directly with customers. However it quite poor that the kitchen company has just washed its hands off the case and left you to suffer. We do enough business with Miele to have built up a relationship with them that we can call upon to get issues resolved.

I would keep the pressure up with CAB/Trading Standards and see where you get with it. Be prepared however for a battle as product safety is never easy to prove.

You might get better results by dealing with Miele directly and escalating your complaint in writing (recorded delivery).

Your best bet for resolution would definitely have been the kitchen company though. When they supplied you with an oven and it would be in their interest to get you a satisfactory resolution and a happy customer.

yangptangkipperbang

ryder72 wrote: »

However, simulating any duration of use does not eliminate the possibility of failure and any mechanical device can experience failure. If their testing proved that nothing would fail, they wouldnt need a spares or service department.

(My highlighting)

What a wonderful, common sense statement.........................