Power failure now washing machine won't work, compensation?

[Deleted User]

My friends Hotpoint Aquarious just got over the years guarantee when an error code came on and machine would nt work. Something blown somewhere but an engineer came out and said £200 for the new part and fitting. Said it was nt uncommon. Not cost effective to repair the heap of trash so she bought a reliable A.E.G. No more British rubbish ( or maybe Italian , was told Indesit took them over ) hence the lousy quality

JC_Derby

As has been said, one item affected.... Can't see that being an issue caused by the DNO.

Cyberman60

sacsquacco wrote: »

My friends Hotpoint Aquarious just got over the years guarantee when an error code came on and machine would nt work. Something blown somewhere but an engineer came out and said £200 for the new part and fitting. Said it was nt uncommon. Not cost effective to repair the heap of trash so she bought a reliable A.E.G. No more British rubbish ( or maybe Italian , was told Indesit took them over ) hence the lousy quality

I'll vouch for that !! Touch wood, my AEG washer and my AEG drier are both going strongly after nearly 20 years with no call-outs. All I've had to do is make sure the filters are cleared out periodically, and that the water-pressure valve inlet was unblocked.

kag8

Yes it does seem more like a coincidence...

Will have to follow up with retailer now, so frustrating

PudseyDB

Surely a power surge wouldnt just affect one socket in the house? The obvious appliance to be affected by a power surge would be the tv as very few people bother to unplug that.

teddysmum

Homebase were very good, a few years ago, when I complained that an aircon unit, failed after about 18 months. It had a 12 month warranty, but had very little use.


I asked to speak to the manager, who made enquiries and found that they no longer stocked the item, so gave me a full refund. However, I wouldn't expect this level of service for an item from which I'd had more than a few days of use.


Incidentally, both our washing machines (and one tumble drier), which failed because of an electrical problem, did so without any warning.

penguin83

This happened to us last week. Three roads went off for about an hour and it took out our microwave and tumble drier only. The electric company (SP Manweb) sent a letter out to us should we need to claim from our insurance. As our microwave was a cheapy 12 years ago and the tumble drier was a second hand freebie we just replaced them. x

System

The OP might like to try this approach:

So how does the EU rule change things?

The EU directive in question is 1999/44/EC. The important bit is this: 'A two-year guarantee applies for the sale of all consumer goods everywhere in the EU. In some countries, this may be more, and some manufacturers also choose to offer a longer warranty period.'

As with UK law, a seller is not bound by the guarantee 'if the (fault) has its origin in materials supplied by the consumer'. But the EU rule does not require the buyer to show the fault is inherent in the product and not down to their actions.

The EU rule also says buyers need to report a problem within two months of discovering it if they want to be covered under the rule.

How can I use this rule?

Reports of cases where shoppers have used the EU rule to get refunds suggest that even senior staff at stores may be unaware of it, so be prepared for some blank faces if you need to use it to argue your case. But eventually, after referring the complaint to legal teams, reports suggest the stores have coughed up.

Use this checklist to see if you could try and use the EU rule:
• The goods were purchased no longer than two years ago
• The store will not provide a refund or repair because you are returning the item after their return period has ended, usually one year
• You are reporting the fault within two months of discovering it
• The goods show no signs of damage through your actions or misuse.
The best advice is to print off the EU rule and take a copy with you. If staff fail to recognise it, ask them to take your details and report your complaint to their bosses. Take a note of the names of any staff you speak to and explain that you will contact them again soon for a response.

You may manage to get your refund on the basis of the EU directive, however, shops are within their rights to use the Sale of Goods Act as the definitive guideline instead.

What about warranties? Do I still need one?

The EU rule, while extending the guarantees for shoppers does not necessarily mean warranties have no value. Under a warranty you may get extra protection against accidental damage that would not be covered by the UK or EU regulations.

With or without the extra guarantee of the EU directive, warranties can be expensive and you should be clear about the value of any potential benefits before deciding to take one. Read our guide for help on what to look out for.


Read more: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-1677034/Two-year-warranty-EU-law.html#ixzz3JJfKAK2x

leeruddecology

I think its reasonable for a washing machine to last longer than 18 months. I would contact Candy and say my washing machine has become faulty again. Perhaps they would give you a discount of another one as the costs of them coming out is clearly not a viable option. Although if they did come out and found a fault, that shouldnt have occured, would they then replace it. Lots of trust on their part though....

If you paid with a credit card, would that help... ie claim through them?

Power surge...I heard that digital washing machines are very prone to faults. Thats what I have heard anyhows.

System

Cyberman60 wrote: »

The appliance does not have to be switched on to be affected by power surge. If it is plugged in that can be enough.

http://www.angieslist.com/articles/what-power-surge.htm

That article says nothing of the sort.