Please: Unreasonable repair time. NOT FIXED YET

clkaz

Story cut short:


4 year old treadmill

Started slipping recently

Visit 1 Called a specialised treadmill repair company who are official contractors for our treadmill. Paid them call out charge and for new parts (as parts warranty is expired) because they said treadmill needs new belt and motor control board

Visit 2 We paid for new parts and they came and installed new parts - belt and motor control board. New running belt was installed BUT the motor control board was faulty

They sent motor control board back to manufacturer and got a new one.

Visit 3They came out to fit the new motor control board but found that the motor is faulty also

Visit 4 They fitted new motor (which they ordered under our warranty as motor warranty is for 10 years) and even a new motor control board to be on the safe side! Still not working.

Now it has been 3 months since visit 1, nothing has been fixed. Have had to take out a gym membership due to my medical condition as I cannot use the treadmill at home. So the costs are adding up.

Now...I don't know where to take it from here.

It looks like its not going to be fixed anytime soon and if it is, it seems like it will take ages.

Also, for all subsequent visits (2-4), they have writted £45 labour charge on the invoices. They haven't asked for any of these payments yet and we haven't given them. Surely they can't expect us to pay £45 X 4 charges. When we initially contacted them we were told many problems gets fixed on the first visit, and if not then, the second visit.

We seem to be going on to our 5th call out now!

Ideally I want to know where we stand with regards to both the manufacturer, and the repair company. Ideally I would like the manufacturer to replace the treadmill, although our model is discontinued now... but similar spec would be good.

I would appreciate any help pleaseee!

frugal_mike

If the warranty has expired then you have no contract with the manufacturer so cannot force them to do anything. Your contract is with the retailer. Where did you buy it from?

clkaz

frugal_mike wrote: »

If the warranty has expired then you have no contract with the manufacturer so cannot force them to do anything. Your contract is with the retailer. Where did you buy it from?

Treadmills are a bit funny warranty-wise:

Parts and labour warranty - 3 years
Frame and Motor Warranty - 10 years

So, although out parts and labour warranty has expired, the frame and motor warranty is still valid. And our motor has been replaced under the warranty. But it still isn't working.

Shouldn't things last a reasonable length of time, especially when its something you've spent a grand on.

My problem isn't with the repairs themselves, it is the fact that after having ALL of the major parts of the treadmill changed - it still isn't working. And even if I did call the manufacturer direct, they would send out the same treadmill engineers as this is the treadmill repair company that the manufacturer has a contract with.

Retailer was a local fitness equipment retailer.

frugal_mike

clkaz wrote: »

Shouldn't things last a reasonable length of time, especially when its something you've spent a grand on.

The warranty you have with the manufacturer is above and beyond your legal rights so will pretty much depend on whatever the terms in the warranty contract state. Do you have the terms of the warranty, and do they cover what happens if the treadmill can't be fixed?

Goods certainly should last a reasonable length of time, but that is because the Sale of Goods Act states they should. This act infers terms into your contract with the retailer, so any rights you have from that are against the retailer.

Under the Sale of Goods act the retailer will have to provide a remedy if the fault is inherent and the goods haven't lasted a reasonable length of time. They have to repair, replace or refund you (but the refund can be partial to take account of your usage). You can't force them into a remedy that is disproportionately expensive.

Also since it is more than 6 months since you purchased it the retailer might require you to get an independent report stating that the problem is an inherent fault. If the report is in your favour then the retailer would have to refund the cost of this for you.

clkaz

frugal_mike wrote: »

The warranty you have with the manufacturer is above and beyond your legal rights so will pretty much depend on whatever the terms in the warranty contract state. Do you have the terms of the warranty, and do they cover what happens if the treadmill can't be fixed?

Goods certainly should last a reasonable length of time, but that is because the Sale of Goods Act states they should. This act infers terms into your contract with the retailer, so any rights you have from that are against the retailer.

Under the Sale of Goods act the retailer will have to provide a remedy if the fault is inherent and the goods haven't lasted a reasonable length of time. They have to repair, replace or refund you (but the refund can be partial to take account of your usage). You can't force them into a remedy that is disproportionately expensive.

Also since it is more than 6 months since you purchased it the retailer might require you to get an independent report stating that the problem is an inherent fault. If the report is in your favour then the retailer would have to refund the cost of this for you.

Firstly, thank-you for your help.

I have emailed the retailer.

The independent engineers have cant seem to fix the treadmill. They are specialists with the brand and have even been in touch with the manufacturer.

The engineer company, who also sell treadmills, is offering us the amount we have paid in repairs as a discount on another treadmill.

This essentially equates to forking out for a new treadmill...but considering it has been 4 years I am not going to spend the equivalent of a new treadmill.

We are happy to pay for repairs as the treadmill has moving parts and obviously like a motor vehicle, parts need replacing regularly depending on usage. But to be told its either no treadmill or a new treadmill is just not satisfactory.

I have emailed the retailer and will see what they say. If they say I need a report, I will try to get a report to prove an inherent fault, otherwise I hope to claim under Section 75 of the consumer credit act and try and at least claim for the repairs so we can put that towards a new treadmill.

The situation is not our fault and neither is it the fault of the engineers. We are very frustrated as 3 months on from the initial call out we have gotten no further.