11 Days Without a Washing Machine

car0line123

fishpond wrote: »

Also current ones.:eek:

Sorry if I did seem like an unreasonable tenant, just think how much you will like me when I leave my rental spotlessly clean and in perfect condition, I am as fussy with your property than I am with my own :beer:

Southend1

GrimJam wrote: »

Everyone seems to have had a hard Wednesday.

Please, everybody, I didn't come here to start a debate about hygiene or create an "in my day" rampage.

I stated at the beginning that I am washing clothes by hand. I am not some spoiled child who can't survive without a washing machine - for me, this was about responsibility.

But you were right - I'm whining about the situation.

May I add one more detail to the conversation? It's a good one:

In July, I sent an email informing the Estate Agent that the washer sounded like it wasn't in good working order and that I thought it should be serviced. I was ignored.

Hat off to you for admitting to whining :beer:

To be fair i wouldn't service a washing machine. They're so cheap to buy these days. When my 11 year old machine started making odd noises I just bought a new one for around £200.

G_M

I've just had a LL on the phone from Hong Kong complaining her UK agent spent £195 repairing the washing machine.

She could have bought a brand new one for little more.....

But then I had warned her 2 years ago to make the agent clear expenditure with her first.............

mchale

GrimJam wrote: »

Partly, I'm here to complain, but I'd also like to see what everyone here would do. Here's my situation:

Day 0: Washing machine breaks while running
Day 1: Called the Estate Agent to report it
Day 2: Contractor visits, leaves a note saying he'll report back to EE
Day 4: Called EE to ask what happened, why I hadn't been informed. They said the Landlord has to approve purchases over £100, but he's on holiday and hasn't responded. Told it should be resolved by Day 8 at the latest.
Day 6: Washing clothes by hand
Day 8: Another call to EE. "Someone will call you back". More hand-washing of clothes
Day 9: Another call to EE, as nobody called me back. Same story.
Day 10: My partner goes to the Estate Agents' office. Same story. Say they've emailed again but cannot disturb LL.
Day 11... is tomorrow.

Our current plan is to bombard the EE with daily calls, and maybe to go to launderettes and since invoices. Surely this man's "right to privacy" cannot trump my right to have a washing machine in the flat, which is an implicit term of the rental agreement.

Sorry, but why are you contacting a phone company about a broken wash mach. :dance:

G_M

mchale wrote: »

Sorry, but why are you contacting a phone company about a broken wash mach. :dance:

I didn't like to ask. Just assumed they'd branched out into the letting business now that European roaming charges have been slashed by the Regulator.

trevormax

GrimJam wrote: »

Partly, I'm here to complain, but I'd also like to see what everyone here would do. Here's my situation:

Day 0: Washing machine breaks while running
Day 1: Called the Estate Agent to report it
Day 2: Contractor visits, leaves a note saying he'll report back to EE
Day 4: Called EE to ask what happened, why I hadn't been informed. They said the Landlord has to approve purchases over £100, but he's on holiday and hasn't responded. Told it should be resolved by Day 8 at the latest.
Day 6: Washing clothes by hand
Day 8: Another call to EE. "Someone will call you back". More hand-washing of clothes
Day 9: Another call to EE, as nobody called me back. Same story.
Day 10: My partner goes to the Estate Agents' office. Same story. Say they've emailed again but cannot disturb LL.
Day 11... is tomorrow.

Our current plan is to bombard the EE with daily calls, and maybe to go to launderettes and since invoices. Surely this man's "right to privacy" cannot trump my right to have a washing machine in the flat, which is an implicit term of the rental agreement.

Well you cant count day 11 as that is tomorrow. The matter could be fixed tomorrow morning or it might not.

You also cant count day 1 since regardless of what time you contacted the EE on day one (it could have been 09:00 or it could have been 16:59), they got a guy out to fix it the very next day which in my opinion is good service.

You can't count day 2 as the contractor came out on day 2 and from the looks of it, wasn't able to fix it there and then seeing as how it needs some kind of repair costing more than £100. He can not arbitrarily decide to just go ahead with repairs so did what he is supposed to do and contact the EE for orders.

Personally, I don't think you can count day 3 since your EE has a rule not to authorise repairs over £100 without the LL say so. I disagree with people saying "the LL should have agreed stuff before going on holiday". How exactly is the LL able to agree with the EE EVERY possible thing that might go wrong before he/she goes on holiday? That would require a very long list of "what if this happens".

Assuming the EE sent an email on day 3, lets be honest, I doubt you are so high up on the LL's list of important things that he/she is going to be sat by his or her phone/computer waiting for an email about something that has gone wrong. The LL is on holiday and is there to rest and relax. I also disagree that your [STRIKE]right[/STRIKE] agreement with the LL trumps his/her [STRIKE]privacy[/STRIKE] desire to enjoy some time to relax on a planned and paid for holiday. Lets be honest, it is not like the LL is sat at home twiddling their thumbs refusing to look at emails. If it was the other way around and the OP was on holiday and the LL was pestering him/her by email to be allowed access for an inspection or gas safety check, possibly the OP would be more interested in relaxing on holiday than replying.

Go ahead and count days 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 since it could be reasonable to think that the LL might have checked his emails by day 4. Sure the OP has been without the machine for 11 days but reasonably speaking, the LL could only really be considered responsible for 7 of those days.

My advice to the OP is not to let this cause you to stress and get angry. Have a chat with the EE about the matter and request some form of reasonable compensation.

[Deleted User]

With regard to the 'unpleasantness' of launderettes.., I remember in the 80's when there were far more launderettes around.., no one complained of getting deadly diseases like Cholera from them. They WASH, with water and heat so any unpleasant stuff from previous user tends to not be there by the time the next user gets to the machine! Honestly, I remember them being full of at least ten people doing their washing simultaneously.., all the time.., and there were no deadly disease reports. I suppose if you were unlucky, you might catch a cold but that's about it.

So nothing wrong with using a launderette.., as long as you can find one. I live in a large town and the only one I know of is near the centre of town. But there probably is one.

I always have my own washing machine. When it was on its way out I repaired it once, then when bearings went again a few months later bought a new one from AO.com., arrived the next day. You can buy one reasonably cheaply and get what you want (rather than a cheap one the LL chooses). The one I have now has cut my washing costs considerably and washes so much better than the old one (Samsung). It was reduced too and I got cashback.

I know its wrong when the property came with a washing machine.., but its worth it for the reduced hassle factor in my opinion. You still have the property, its just the washing machine in it that's not happy making.

ognum

Southend1 wrote: »

I think it's perfectly acceptable business practise to ask someone to wait for non essential repairs for a couple of weeks due to an annual holiday. Yes it's unfortunate that the machine happened to break at the time the LL was away but these things do happen. The inconvenience suffered by OP is nothing compared to an interruption to a holiday for a very trivial matter. If it was OP's own machine she may well wait a couple of weeks for a repair man to fit her in or for a new machine to be delivered anyway.

But the repair man hasn't even been instructed so there will be another wait on top of this one.

I clearly have a different attitude to my tenants than some people do, I am in buisness and like other business customer satisfaction is the key to its success.

I am often out of the country for long periods but I have an efficient letting agent (small independent) that I have worked hard to find. I check email and answer my phone when away but they have the authority to make decisions.

The reason renting is so disliked by some people is because LLs do not give the service that they should to their tenants but still take their money.

So, you may think this treatment is acceptable but as a LL I don't!

Pixie5740

I don't understand why LL supply white goods if they have no intention of fixing or replacing them. It would be easier all round if the white goods weren't there at all.

OP, if your LL doesn't want to fix or replace the washing machine ask them to remove the broken one or at least allow you to dispose of it (get this in WRITING) and buy your own washing machine. If you leave it up to the LL they'll only get some cheap piece of Beko crap in.

ognum

Pixie5740 wrote: »

I don't understand why LL supply white goods if they have no intention of fixing or replacing them. It would be easier all round if the white goods weren't there at all.

OP, if your LL doesn't want to fix or replace the washing machine ask them to remove the broken one or at least allow you to dispose of it (get this in WRITING) and buy your own washing machine. If you leave it up to the LL they'll only get some cheap piece of Beko crap in.

LLs supply white goods because that is what the market requests and the rents are higher.

People ( well the professionals I let too) want to rent with integrated appliance, washer/dryer, fridge freezer, etc. They want a nice clean modern kitchen but they pay for it and replacing a washing machine with a mid range new machine is not big bucks.

LLs can get some kind of warranty so the equipment can be mended or have a fund for replacement and repairs. Why oh why do LLs forget this is a buisness not a means of providing the least and taking the most.