Faulty zanussi cooker, service centre being unreasonable

Stinkytink

I'm not sure if this is the right place, apologies if it's not, but here goes. In January I bought a new zanussi induction cooker from John Lewis, it came with a two year guarantee. It's a great cooker, I love it and had no problems until three weeks ago when I discovered that the door had dropped. In order to close it I have to lift the door and when I do that the glass falls out so at the moment my oven is unusable. I called JL and they directed me to zanussi where I got the details of my nearest service centre which apparently is Hereford (although there is one closer in Nuneaton). I rang them, explained the problem and he seemed to know exactly which part I would need and said it would take about 3/4 days. Yesterday I returned a call to them to make an appointment for the repair to be carried out and that's where the fun starts. I explained I go to work at 11am although I can ask to start slightly later there is no certainty they will let me. They've refused point blank to make the appointment unless I can be there all day. I have no family in the area, nearest are 200 miles away, all my friends work too (shocking I know) and the only option left is to leave them a key to gain access when I am not there. I have dogs and given the new laws regarding private property it would be a huge risk to them if someone was allowed access unsupervised and again nobody is available to take them for the day. I work for a large parcel company so you can imagine what chance I have of getting a day off next week at such short notice, it would also be unpaid due to no remaining holidayicon. I explained all this asked the SC how I could get my cooker fixed, they said "you have to make yourself available" and then referred me back to the retailer. JL had the same response so they contacted zanussi, they suggested requesting a Saturday appointment as this may be possible if I would pay the extra cost of a call out. Service centre refused point blank to entertain this as an option,they're not working Saturdays. Bottom line is they will not make an appointment to fix my cooker unless I either lie to my employer and fake a sick day or ask them nicely and hope they take pity on me (highly unlikely). Zanussi say it has to be this service centre, not sure why and I will be calling them today directly to clarify that as the one in Nuneaton is closer. The website for the service company states that they will carry out a repair at a time that's convenient to me which is clearly not the case so that's another phone callicon.

I've now been left with an oven that is unsafe to use due to the door falling apart and no prospect of getting it fixed until the end of January when I have a week off so no Christmas dinner for me this year. I honestly feel like telling John Lewis to take it back and refund my money but I'm not sure if that's even possible? Can anyone advise me on this? Currently it's unfit for purpose, unusable and basically an expensive ornament in my kitchen. I just don't know what to do next to get this resolved :-(

Hintza

A lot of companies do this which is very annoying. I could understand if they needed half a day. But what I don't understand is why they can't come to an arrangement at some time in the future to schedule their day around you.

1. Try the other service centre they might be more helpful.

2. Contact Zanussi UK.

Stinkytink

I'm going to call zanussi today. They apparently told John Lewis that there was no alternative service centre and it had to be the one on Hereford so I would really like to know why I cannot try somewhere else.I will be going direct to the main website for the SC too as I'm not impressed. I can swap my start time with another driver next week and start two hours later so leaving at 1pm which should accommodate an AM call out but they Saif they cannot do it. Apparently they will call the night before with an estimated arrival but it's still down to me to be available for that time, he called this going above and beyond........

Stinkytink

Ok I've just spoken to the main office of the service centre and the response is the same. I have to make myself available or the repair cannot be booked and this applies to every one of their agents who do the work. No flexibility whatsoever. The only option left to me is to pay an unauthorised repairer to do the work but I think that may in fact invalidate my guarantee.

Does anyone know whether I can actually return this cooker?

Poppie68

They are not being unreasonable, they can't change their system for you....If you need it fixing either book a day off or source the part and fix yourself.
You can't return it now as you have had it 11 months, they are honouring their obligations by being prepared to repair.

Stinkytink

As I've already said I cannot book a day off, I work for a large parcel company, getting time off is hard enough but a week before Christmas? Not a chance. I asked the guy on the phone if he could take a day at such short notice and he said no so why is it they think I can? I am able to change the start time by a couple of hours but that's it. Parcel companies can give a one hour delivery but these guys can't accommodate an AM/PM appointment? Paying for it myself using a local company may invalidate my guarantee and atm I cannot get anyone at zanussi to talk to me. You cannot call as it just directs me to the service centre which I've already established is a waste of my time

JJ_Egan

Problem is with any work of this sort is that no job is to time-scale .
You get 10 o clock booking > First job 8-30 am and problems job takes the guy well past the time to get to your appointment .Does he stop the first job halfway through in order to get to you .If that was the case then the exact same can happen to you . All appointments met on time no actual work finished .


You really don't have many choices as JL will not take it back and if you go down the SOGA route you are just putting yourself to the back of the queue with a faulty cooker for weeks .Due to the age of the cooker any claim against JL would require an independent engineers report to back up your not fit claim and even then it may fail .

Hintza

Poppie68 wrote: »

They are not being unreasonable, they can't change their system for you....

Of course they are being unreasonable.

I can understand they might not fit the job in straight away but they can surely arrange a day when the OP could be the first call. All the OP wants is a time.

OP take the cooker in your van to their depot and wait for them to fix it.

mel48rose

Not a good advert for Zanussi. I am looking to buy a new cooker shortly and think I will keep clear of these guys just to be safe :eek:

Poppie68

Hintza wrote: »

Of course they are being unreasonable.

I can understand they might not fit the job in straight away but they can surely arrange a day when the OP could be the first call. All the OP wants is a time.

OP take the cooker in your van to their depot and wait for them to fix it.

They are not being unreasonable..... I expect the majority of their customers wants the same as the OP due to work or other commitments so they have a system in place which they adhere too.

Poppie68

mel48rose wrote: »

Not a good advert for Zanussi. I am looking to buy a new cooker shortly and think I will keep clear of these guys just to be safe :eek:

Why?....Zanussi is no different than any other company... Unfortunately sometimes things break and to get repairs done which in turn comes with some inconvenience.