Hotpoint urgent tumble dryer recall

KellyKoo

AG1979 wrote: »

So ITV have had the chief fire officers association on this morning who's advice is to stop using these appliances immediately.

Whirlpool have fixed 200,000 of an estimated 5 million affected products so working on the basis that in 3 months whirlpool have fixed 200,000 appliances that's 800,000 a year it will take them 6 years to fix every product on paper.

Then there is the fact that so called repaired tumble dryers have caught fire a matter of hours after the engineer has left the appliance.

The whole debacle is a joke no one at whirlpool has a clue to what is going on and are lying to customers just to get them off the phone.

The company should be replacing these dryers not making people wait an excessively long time to have an appliance modified.

And I bet the tumble dryer fire last weekend will turn out to be a Hotpoint or Co one!

KellyKoo

mossstitchmama wrote: »

Hi, can anyone advise please.

My dryer was recalled while it was still under warranty and I was told I could have a straight swap for a new one. I've been waiting since I registered in November (by which time the one year warranty has expired). Hotpoint are now saying I can only get a new machine if I pay the £59. You can imagine my response to that!

I paid by credit card. I would like a refund so I can put the money towards buying another dryer (not from Hotpoint, Indesit or Creda). The retailer has said it is not their concern as the machne is now out of warranty. Am I entitled to involve my credit card company?

Any advice would be helpful. Thanks

Write to Whirlpool send the letter registered and tell them that you contacted them when the machine was still under warranty and therefore you think it is reasonable for them to replace the machine since it was sold to you with a fault and not fit for purpose.


I did this and got a new dryer, didn't pay a penny! Stand your ground though, don't let them bully you into paying £59 / £99 for a new one!

KellyKoo

Ha Ha big advert on Hotpoint website, wanting engineers, immediate start! I wonder why!

AG1979

The question wasn't if we would cope with a major recall because that answer is yes we could cope and we have coped in the past with millions and millions of vehicles recalled.

The question was if you would be happy to wait 8 months and continue to drive that vehicle for 8 months until it could be checked.

AJXX

AG1979 wrote: »

The question wasn't if we would cope with a major recall because that answer is yes we could cope and we have coped in the past with millions and millions of vehicles recalled.

The question was if you would be happy to wait 8 months and continue to drive that vehicle for 8 months until it could be checked.

What if that was your only option? You may not be happy about it, but what else are you going to do?

What was the average repair time on your most recent recall (if it was repairable)?

mossstitchmama

Right, am currently in a dialogue with Currys.

They are insisting that I provide them with an engineers report to say that my dryer is faulty. I have forwarded them the email I had in November saying I have one of the machines concerned but they say it isn't enough proof. Can they insist when they already know from the manufacturer that there is a problem?

I know they can offer repair, replace, refund. I'm saying that nine months or more is an unreasonable time to wait for a repair. I've compromised by offering to purchase a more expensive machine and pay the difference between the original purchase price. I do not want another machine from this manufacturer.

I'm tempted to just wait for the credit card company to dispute the transaction, get a refund and buy from another retailer.

Thoughts please?

LilElvis

mossstitchmama wrote: »

Right, am currently in a dialogue with Currys.

They are insisting that I provide them with an engineers report to say that my dryer is faulty. I have forwarded them the email I had in November saying I have one of the machines concerned but they say it isn't enough proof. Can they insist when they already know from the manufacturer that there is a problem?

I know they can offer repair, replace, refund. I'm saying that nine months or more is an unreasonable time to wait for a repair. I've compromised by offering to purchase a more expensive machine and pay the difference between the original purchase price. I do not want another machine from this manufacturer.

I'm tempted to just wait for the credit card company to dispute the transaction, get a refund and buy from another retailer.

Thoughts please?

They can request an independent report because the machines have been recalled as some are faulty, but does not prove that your one actually is. Currys are acting within the law by requesting the report and you may well find that your credit card company won't issue a refund unless you do so. The risk is that if your machine isn't faulty then you will be out of pocket by the cost of the report.

Edited to add that even if your machine is proven to be faulty it is up to Currys to decide which remedy to offer. It might be a repair. It might be a refund, but they would be entitled to reduce it to reflect the use you have had of the machine.

AJXX

mossstitchmama wrote: »

Right, am currently in a dialogue with Currys.

They are insisting that I provide them with an engineers report to say that my dryer is faulty. I have forwarded them the email I had in November saying I have one of the machines concerned but they say it isn't enough proof. Can they insist when they already know from the manufacturer that there is a problem?

Yes they can insist and can force you (initially at your own expense) to get an independent engineer report to confirm an inherent fault - which may or may not be confirmed as it's up in the air if the machines are actually "faulty" in the eyes of SOGA.

I know they can offer repair, replace, refund. I'm saying that nine months or more is an unreasonable time to wait for a repair. I've compromised by offering to purchase a more expensive machine and pay the difference between the original purchase price. I do not want another machine from this manufacturer.

The trouble is, I agree 9 months would cause inconvenience, but "unreasonable" isn't defined, it would be up to a court to decide if it got that far - it's not up to me or you to decide what is and what isn't unreasonable.

You then also have to contend with the fact that the retailer can repair, replace or refund - entirely up to them. You can suggest an alternative remedy but ultimately the decision is there's and they're likely to go with the most cost effective; i.e. a repair. Even if you did manage to push through all of this and somehow get a refund, you can guarantee after this length of time it'll be minus fair usage so it will not be near anywhere near the price originally paid.

I'm tempted to just wait for the credit card company to dispute the transaction, get a refund and buy from another retailer.

Likely won't happen.

Sorry to put a downer on it for you - but it'll be far easier to either wait for a repair from Hotpoint or accept a replacement machine from Hotpoint if offered.

The SOGA process is lengthy and not guaranteed to have the desired outcome - especially in cases like this re safety recall.

ThumbRemote

mossstitchmama wrote: »

Right, am currently in a dialogue with Currys.

They are insisting that I provide them with an engineers report to say that my dryer is faulty. I have forwarded them the email I had in November saying I have one of the machines concerned but they say it isn't enough proof. Can they insist when they already know from the manufacturer that there is a problem?

I know they can offer repair, replace, refund. I'm saying that nine months or more is an unreasonable time to wait for a repair. I've compromised by offering to purchase a more expensive machine and pay the difference between the original purchase price. I do not want another machine from this manufacturer.

I'm tempted to just wait for the credit card company to dispute the transaction, get a refund and buy from another retailer.

Thoughts please?

It is absolutely ridiculous of Currys to want an engineers report. The fact that the manufacturer is saying yours is an affected machine is proof enough - what more can anyone else do?

I would go via the credit card company.

ThumbRemote

AJXX wrote: »

Yes they can insist and can force you (initially at your own expense) to get an independent engineer report to confirm an inherent fault - which may or may not be confirmed as it's up in the air if the machines are actually "faulty" in the eyes of SOGA.

The SoGA states that products must be "of satisfactory quality." It expands on this to say that satisfactory quality includes safety.

I don't think there can be any argument that these machines are not of a satisfactory level of safety - if they were, there'd be no need to modify them! And lets not forget that their advice to not leave the machine unattended isn't a solution - the machine is still just as likely to catch fire, it's just the consequences are hoped to be less as you'd be aware of the fire earlier.