Is dirt inside a dehumidifier my fault or the designer's?

semo

I have a dehumidifier that has dirt in it and is therefore leaking. I think that dirt should not cause such a malfunction and that the consumer should be able to rectify such a problem themselves and not have to pay for a repair (think vacuum cleaners, washing machines, dishwashers, etc…).

Here is the long story:
1. I do all the checks that the manufacturer asks me to but the unit is still leaking
2. I thought that my warranty is 2 years but it turns out it is only one year
3. The manufacturer agrees to extend my warranty to 2 years but tells me that
a. If they find dirt inside, the standard chargeable repair cost is £70 but they would reduce that to £50 for me
b. There is no way for the customer to check if there’s dirt inside and only their technician can
c. If the technician finds dirt inside and I refuse to pay the repair fee, the power cord would be taken out as the law requires it (it took several email exchanges for me to get that info)
d. I’ve been refused access to a repair manual so that I can perform the checks myself after several requests
4. I’ve decided to risk it and send the dehumidifier back anyway and they have found dirt inside and are asking for the £50

My argument being that the product should be more resilient and that such a fault should be rectifiable by the customer as is the case with other home appliances. There is only one filter for the air intake and I’ve kept that clean but it obviously doesn’t stop all dirt.

Should I pay the fee?

wealdroam

semo wrote: »

I have a dehumidifier that has dirt in it and is therefore leaking. I think that dirt should not cause such a malfunction and that the consumer should be able to rectify such a problem themselves and not have to pay for a repair (think vacuum cleaners, washing machines, dishwashers, etc…).

Here is the long story:
1. I do all the checks that the manufacturer asks me to but the unit is still leaking
2. I thought that my warranty is 2 years but it turns out it is only one year
3. The manufacturer agrees to extend my warranty to 2 years but tells me that
a. If they find dirt inside, the standard chargeable repair cost is £70 but they would reduce that to £50 for me
b. There is no way for the customer to check if there’s dirt inside and only their technician can
c. If the technician finds dirt inside and I refuse to pay the repair fee, the power cord would be taken out as the law requires it (it took several email exchanges for me to get that info)
d. I’ve been refused access to a repair manual so that I can perform the checks myself after several requests
4. I’ve decided to risk it and send the dehumidifier back anyway and they have found dirt inside and are asking for the £50

My argument being that the product should be more resilient and that such a fault should be rectifiable by the customer as is the case with other home appliances. There is only one filter for the air intake and I’ve kept that clean but it obviously doesn’t stop all dirt.

Should I pay the fee?

Yes, in my opinion you should pay the fee.

It was made quite clear to you before you sent it to them that they would charge the fee if dirt was found inside.
I believe you accepted that condition when you sent it to them.

Maybe the product should be more resilient, but the time for that 'argument' was before you sent it off.

JJ_Egan

Usual story same with PCs etc you have dirt in the air that accumulates as it is sucked in .

frugal_mike

The manufacturer can attach pretty much any condition they want to their warranty as they have no legal obligation to provide one at all. Your legal rights are against the business that sold it to you and come from the Sale of Goods Act.

I have no idea whether the law says they must remove the power cord if you refuse to let them fix the unit. That would seem to be holding you to ransom somewhat.

Hintza

semo wrote: »

Should I pay the fee?

You won't get the machine back if you don't.

shaun_from_Africa

frugal_mike wrote: »

I have no idea whether the law says they must remove the power cord if you refuse to let them fix the unit. That would seem to be holding you to ransom somewhat.

It could well be covered under the "Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994" which state that it is an offence for any business to supply electrical equipment that is unsafe.

Even though the company concerned isn't selling to the OP, the law might take the view that by returning the goods to them they are in essence supplying the goods and by returning something that they consider unsafe they could be leaving themselves open to risk of prosecution should something untoward happen such as overheating or a fire due to the dirt ingress.

semo

wealdroam wrote: »

Yes, in my opinion you should pay the fee.

It was made quite clear to you before you sent it to them that they would charge the fee if dirt was found inside.
I believe you accepted that condition when you sent it to them.

Maybe the product should be more resilient, but the time for that 'argument' was before you sent it off.

I think the point that I've sent the item even though they've told me what they'd do is moot. Think of it this way, if a shop sold me an item with only 1 month warranty, I'd still be entitled to a full year warranty because of SOGA. The agreement is void if it doesn't agree with the law in the first place

frugal_mike wrote: »

The manufacturer can attach pretty much any condition they want to their warranty as they have no legal obligation to provide one at all. Your legal rights are against the business that sold it to you and come from the Sale of Goods Act.

I have no idea whether the law says they must remove the power cord if you refuse to let them fix the unit. That would seem to be holding you to ransom somewhat.

I think you do have a point. I am dealing with the manufacturer at this point and not the seller. And yes, I do feel like I am being held to ransom somewhat which is why I've posted here.

Hintza wrote: »

You won't get the machine back if you don't.

I will, sans the power cord. I've considered this option as I've worked as a wirer but on simpler devices. I can do the work myself if I had a repair manual but they are refusing to give me one.

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

It could well be covered under the "Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994" which state that it is an offence for any business to supply electrical equipment that is unsafe.

Even though the company concerned isn't selling to the OP, the law might take the view that by returning the goods to them they are in essence supplying the goods and by returning something that they consider unsafe they could be leaving themselves open to risk of prosecution should something untoward happen such as overheating or a fire due to the dirt ingress.

Well there's two ways of dealing with an electrical safety issue.
1. Bring the item back to a safe operating condition
2. Make the customer pay for the repair

What I'm trying to establish here is, whether I have the right to demand the repair cost be met by the manufacturer as they've not designed the product to handle something as common as air born dust.

I'm drawing inspiration from the argument that things like washing machines should last 6+ years regardless of what their warranty is. When it comes to dirt, yes I've neglected some of my appliances from time to time but the issues have easily been resolved because I've been able to retrospectively apply the necessary TLC as a customer (throughly clean filters, etc...). In this case, I've cleaned the filter regularly and I've even tried to do a more thorough clean with a thin vacuum nozzle and long brushes but you just can't reach the offending nooks and crannies without disassembly

societys_child

Not sure how the designer can be blamed for dirty air being drawn in unless it's a very poor filter. Dehumidifiers I've had state the filter should be changed periodically depending on use. Is it used in a particularly dusty area?

semo

societys_child wrote: »

Not sure how the designer can be blamed for dirty air being drawn in unless it's a very poor filter. Dehumidifiers I've had state the filter should be changed periodically depending on use. Is it used in a particularly dusty area?

The filter can not be changed and only cleaned. It is just a mesh that you vacuum every few weeks and it is not a cloth filter you buy and change regularly. I think this is the reason why fine dust was able to get through.

So to answer your question, I think that the designer should have specced a filter that can trap the type of dirt that can cause a leak.

The thing that grates on me is that they ask for the filter to be cleaned every two weeks, else they charge for repairs due to dirt. I did as they said, yet there's still dirt inside and they still want to charge. So what was the point of me cleaning it regularly and why do they ask if I'd done it if they would charge me anyway?

EDIT: Just to put my argument into context, I've had my DOMESTIC vacuum cleaner for longer than the dehumidifier and I used it to clean CONSTRUCTION debris. I did go through more dust bags and filters than usual but the thing still works as expected and its cost to buy was nearly as much as the dehumidifier.

DaveTheMus

Was the construction debris in your home?

wealdroam

semo wrote: »

I think the point that I've sent the item even though they've told me what they'd do is moot.

What do you mean?
Are you suggesting that they cannot charge you £50 in this situation?

semo wrote: »

Think of it this way, if a shop sold me an item with only 1 month warranty, I'd still be entitled to a full year warranty because of SOGA.

SoGA does not provide a one year's warranty.
It allows you up to six years to seek a remedy from the seller.
There is nothing wrong in a shop trying to sell you an item with one month's warranty.

semo wrote: »

The agreement is void if it doesn't agree with the law in the first place

You are right... the agreement is void if it is trying to take away your statutory rights.
But they are not doing that.

As Frugal_Mike has said, your rights are with the seller, not the manufacturer.

I stand by my earlier opinion... as you have accepted their terms by returning the item to them, then you should pay the sum agreed.

Read more about you consumer rights in MSE's article on the subject..