Hotpoint urgent tumble dryer recall

Maverick88

peachyprice wrote: »

I got an email today saying my modification is not expected until May, but I could buy a £99/£59 replacement, which as mine is pretty old I would have been happy with, but they only have white machines, no option of a silver. So i'll be waiting until May then.

Peachyprice, we've been offered a Silver Condenser dryer FOC last Friday AQC9BF7S1 just awaiting a delivery date now. I was offered a choice of 4 dryers FOC.

pascal_sauvage

Maverick88 wrote: »

Peachyprice, we've been offered a Silver Condenser dryer FOC last Friday AQC9BF7S1 just awaiting a delivery date now. I was offered a choice of 4 dryers FOC.

On the four numbers I called today, which took me best part of the whole day, i was told that there were only two models being used on this recall offer. I couldn't care what colour they give me, I just need one that fits in the unit I have where I can still open my back door!

There seems to be an inconsistency in the advice we are all being given. I don't accept their offer to wait until the end of April for an engineer to call when it is a machine I need to use every day... And if I absolutely need to, I will pay for a replacement.. All I am asking is that it I don't need a new kitchen in order to have it fit!!!

AJXX

pascal_sauvage wrote: »

On the four numbers I called today, which took me best part of the whole day, i was told that there were only two models being used on this recall offer. I couldn't care what colour they give me, I just need one that fits in the unit I have where I can still open my back door!

There seems to be an inconsistency in the advice we are all being given. I don't accept their offer to wait until the end of April for an engineer to call when it is a machine I need to use every day... And if I absolutely need to, I will pay for a replacement.. All I am asking is that it I don't need a new kitchen in order to have it fit!!!

To be fair to Hotpoint, they do seem to offer replacements when possible which is more than fair. It's not exactly Hotpoint's fault if you have an awkwardly designed kitchen and/or tight spaces with no room for movement - I'd suggest that's more of a design flaw with your kitchen. After all, the dryer will eventually break down and need replacing (recall or not) - so what will you do then?

If none of the offered models will fit then you will simply have to wait for the repair. There's no point in throwing toys out the pram and refusing to wait, it's been said time and time again the machines are still usable just with supervision.

Not that I'm defending them, but its already been suggested that Hotpoint's customer care are hanging up on people and I'd imagine they're simply inundated with call after call of angry people twisting and moaning every which way about wait times or demanding replacements - which isn't the advisors fault personally, but ultimately they are the ones bearing the brunt of this mess.

ITV This Morning did yet another round of scaremongering today with their "customer expert" (laughable) telling people not to use the machine at all - this has probably caused an influx of calls hence the delay in getting through and numbers not working.

Nickswood

Do we know if the replacement £99 dryer is safe ?

pascal_sauvage

AJXX wrote: »

To be fair to Hotpoint, they do seem to offer replacements when possible which is more than fair. It's not exactly Hotpoint's fault if you have an awkwardly designed kitchen and/or tight spaces with no room for movement - I'd suggest that's more of a design flaw with your kitchen. After all, the dryer will eventually break down and need replacing (recall or not) - so what will you do then?

If none of the offered models will fit then you will simply have to wait for the repair. There's no point in throwing toys out the pram and refusing to wait, it's been said time and time again the machines are still usable just with supervision.

:eek:
Steady on! That's a bit harsh don't you agree?! The problem lies in the standard size dryer I have at the moment, and the only other model they are offering which happens to be 5cm deeper.... Not the design flaw of my kitchen that was fitted 6 months ago!!!!

When I pay £350 for an appliance I expect it to be fit for purpose and, if not, for it to be replaced within a timely manner with a like for like item. By the time the engineer calls, it will be getting on for 6 months :(

Spending a whole day to get to speak to someone on the phone who can help is not good customer service. Sorry, but my sympathy for the company has worn thin.

wealdroam

Nickswood wrote: »

Do we know if the replacement £99 dryer is safe ?

Why not phone Hotpoint/Indesit on one of the numbers listed earlier in the thread?

Or perhaps try twitter/facebook.

Nickswood

Tried numbers all engaged no one to speak to.Just won't to know if new one will be safe.

wealdroam

pascal_sauvage wrote: »

I have a large family, I work, and cannot afford an hour each day to babysit my dryer for fear of it burning my house down at any given time between now and April.

Oh, I didn't realise you had to sit and watch the thing every minute it was running.
Is that what 'do not leave unattended' means?

Surely you can do other things while it is running?

On a link provided earlier, a Whirlpool spokesman is quoted as saying:

"Consumers can continue to use their tumble dryers, while waiting for a free modification. Until the modification has been made for those that require it, as an extra precaution we are asking that consumers do not leave their dryers unattended during operation (i.e. do not leave the house or leave the dryer on whilst asleep)."

So you can supervise the dryer and tend to the needs of your large family.

wealdroam

Nickswood wrote: »

Tried numbers all engaged no one to speak to.Just won't to know if new one will be safe.

I can't for the life of me think why you should even doubt that the replacement machines have the same fault.

Is that a good enough answer for you?

If not, I suggest you either refuse a replacement or try a bit harder to get an answer from Whirlpool.

Marktheshark

How exactly do you "supervise" a burning tumble dryer ?
They have to page the fire service here after 6PM, by the time they arrive you would need a new house.

What you going to do if it catches fire internally ? open the door and try and blow it out ?
If they know they can catch fire any "right" company would tell you to take them back for a full refund, not ask people to wait 5 months for it repairing.