Vax Warranty

bells69

I purchased a Vax vacuum 12 weeks ago and the brush-bar has stopped rotating. I have contacted Vax and their diagnosisi over the phone was a broken drive belt and this is not covererd under the warranty. After much discussion they offered me a new drive belt but I would have to fit it myself!! Not happy with this because:Will this affect the warranty? What if I am not a 'competant, person to do this? Why should I fix their faults? This machine was purchased from Argos who totally refusd to deal with me stating I had to contact Vax! What next?

Fosterdog

The belts on vacuums are consumables, they are only a few pence to £3 to buy and are easy enough to change, usually just remove a screw or two, take out the brush bar and fit the new belt (goes around the brush and onto the drive shaft). The tricky bit can be with some vacuums it has to stretch a bit and getting the position right can be potchy but something you should be able to do at home easily enough.

They can be broken by a number of things, something taken up the cleaner could have snagged it, if it was used for a prolonged period it could overheat then snap.

ninja2302

We had a Vax (I can't remember the model i'm afraid but I can have a look later) and we had to replace the belt after a few months (I didn't bother going to Vax about it), it then a few months later so then I contacted Vax and just said that the belt has started slipping twice in 6 months and they just sent me a new model (I even got to keep the old one).

liam8282

The belt snapping is usually caused by an obsturction causing the bar to stop rotating, but the motor and belt continues to spin, causing the belt to heat up and snap.

Easy enough to change, just make sure you clean out everywhere around the bar and make sure it can freely rotate, otherwise the belt will just end up snapping again.

bells69

Thanks everyone for your comments, whilst I could easily change the belt, why should I? 12 weeks old, little use, I work in the motor industry and belts on vehicles are part of a new car warranty. I just feel that Vax are being very customer un-friendly! Or is it just me? They told me today that 12 weeks is long enough for a belt to last, that means for the two years of the warranty I would have to change it 8 times

wealdroam

bells69 wrote: »

Thanks everyone for your comments, whilst I could easily change the belt, why should I? 12 weeks old, little use, I work in the motor industry and belts on vehicles are part of a new car warranty. I just feel that Vax are being very customer un-friendly! Or is it just me? They told me today that 12 weeks is long enough for a belt to last, that means for the two years of the warranty I would have to change it 8 times

But on a new car it is near impossible to break a belt by misuse.

On a vacuum cleaner it is very easy to break a belt by misuse.

Of course I have no idea how your belt became broken, but as it has broken in such a short time you really need to find an answer one way or another.

Read again the first sentence of the post before yours.

As you say, this could become expensive.

bells69

Never had any problems with belts on other vacuums: Dyson, Panasonic and Miele! Just been reading some other complaints about vax products and lots of snapped belts appear. Customer service also very bad. Looks like this hoover will be consigned to the dustbin and another brand purchased. Beware everyone!

Fosterdog

Why would it be thrown out? Vax are sending you a new belt so there is no reason to expect a second one to break.

You seem to have got through an awful lot of high end vacuums that usually last a very long time so maybe it is something being done to them. How long do the usually last you?

DevCoder

You are going to bin a perfectly good vacuum cleaner because you cant be bothered to spend 10 minutes replacing the belt? (it really is simple, the bottom plate has a couple of twist couplers which you turn, remove the bottom plate, remove old belt, ensure everything moves freely and then do the reverse).

More money then sense if you just bin it.

nodiscount

It's threads like these that remind me the old maxim 'the customer is always right' doesn't ring true....

OP, if you don't like broken belts get a vacuum cleaner instead. Just don't expect the manufacturer to come and empty the bag for you...

peachyprice

Jesus, get a grip, it's a 5 min job that anyone can perform.

They won't do it for you because it's not a faulty machine, it no different to a light bulb going in an oven for example. Would you expect that to be covered by a warranty too?

And as mentioned above the cause of a belt breaking, on any vacuum cleaner, is an obstruction to the beater bar.

Beware everyone, vacuum clean bad break, shock horrror.