Poor kettle design...who should I contact?

barbiedoll

I bought a Russell Hobbs kettle in Morrisons in Oct 14. There's no fault with the kettle itself but it is a really poor design, the spout is too wide so the kettle drips water all over the counter when you pour water into a cup.

I've had boiling water dripped onto my bare feet and the kitchen counter is left with large puddles of water all over it. We have a toaster and a coffee maker on the same counter, so I now have to put a tea towel down whenever I make a cup of tea!

Who should I contact about this? I can't see how Morrisons would be interested, it's not faulty as such. If I email Russell Hobbs, what can I expect in return? Would they replace it?

It was only £18 so I'm not after £1000's in compo for distress, hurt feelings etc, but I would like a kettle that pours water into a cup, not onto my feet! I do have the receipt and the box.

daytona0

I think there are two important questions to answer firstly:

1. When did this start to happen?

2. If it has been like this since you got it then why didn't you raise the issue around that time? If it has developed recently then why is this? Are you able to argue that an inherent fault has developed?


Ultimately, I think that both Morrisons and the manufacturer will initially entertain you so try them both together. You might want to state that it is "not fit for purpose" though, because your post here is quite wishy washy and would not do you any favours in having it replaced (if you have accepted the goods, which seems to be the case, then the retailer can choose how to resolve a not fit for purpose issue and this may result in you getting a brand new one)

cookie365

Well, a kettle that can't pour hot water safely into a cup is faulty.

But unless the spout is wider than a cup I'm struggling to follow what exactly the problem is.

If you want to know what to expect from an email to Russell Hobbs, a good way to find out would be to email Russell Hobbs.

JJ_Egan

Its not faulty the OP says its a poor design .

Just write in pen and ink to RH customer services .

They may well take your design comments on board and even offer some goodwill .

barbiedoll

Thanks for replies. The problem has been there from day 1, I just thought that I was overfilling the kettle or pouring the water out too quickly but it's clearly a fault, even with a small amount of water in the kettle, it's impossible to pour it into a cup without water dripping down from the spout. The kettle is clean, the filter is intact, it's just a poor design. I did have a look at some Amazon reviews for the same model, I'm not the only one to have a problem with it apparently.

I'm going to record a video this afternoon, which I'll attach to an email to the CS department at Russell Hobbs. I'll let you know what they say!

shaun_from_Africa

barbiedoll wrote: »

I'm going to record a video this afternoon, which I'll attach to an email to the CS department at Russell Hobbs. I'll let you know what they say!

It might be better to send an e-mail without the attached video as some companies don't accept e-mails with attachments due to possible virus/Trojan issues, and your mail might simply get deleted before delivery.

You could always mention the problem and state that you have a video should they wish to see it.

cookie365

Have you got a Dropbox or Box or Sugarsync or Google Drive or etc account?

Create a public folder, put the vid in there, then include a link to it in your email.

Laz123

I had exactly the same problem with a kettle a few years ago because it was dangerous. I can't recall the model but I posted a review here http://www.reviewcentre.com/products533.html

barbiedoll

Quick update....

I called the RH helpline, they were actually very helpful and told me to return the kettle to Morrisons as I had the receipt and it was within the warranty period. I was given a reference number and told that if Morrisons were reluctant to exchange or refund, I should tell them to call RH and quote the ref number.

In the event, Morrisons were fine, they exchanged the kettle with no hassle at all. I got a new (different) RH kettle, so it's tea all round!

philatio

Was it an 'old fashion shape' kettle?
We had one that was exactly the same. Look at the reviews on amazon. They all do it. I'm amazed they haven't been recalled.

We swapped it for a jug kettle in the same design

DCFC79

Glad you got a result OP.