MSE News: Hotpoint tumble dryer help: 3 extra tricks to get you a refund

dippity

I have a machine that requires modification but they will not send an engineer to carry out the work as I live in Shetland. They also won't offer the £99 replacement. I have been instructed to dispose of my machine, provide them with proof that I have disposed of it and then they will refund 50% of the original purchase price. Opinions on how to proceed are most welcome....

naedanger

dippity wrote: »

I have a machine that requires modification but they will not send an engineer to carry out the work as I live in Shetland. They also won't offer the £99 replacement. I have been instructed to dispose of my machine, provide them with proof that I have disposed of it and then they will refund 50% of the original purchase price. Opinions on how to proceed are most welcome....

How long have you had the machine? If you have had the machine for more than half its lifetime then I don't think you would be entitled to more were you to win a case in court against them (except possibly any other costs that you could not avoid in practice e.g. disposal costs if your council charges).

dippity

There would be a charge for disposal via the council - the amenity site is 35 miles away and I am disabled so wouldn't be able to get it into my vehicle anyway! The machine is 4 years old, which is, as you rightly say, is over half of it's expected 6 year life span. However who knows how long it might last? I see others on here with appliances over 6 years old that are being given replacements. Surely it goes against any environmental credentials a company claims to have, to instruct me to dispose of my machine? And why should all people in Shetland be marginalised by Indesit? They are quick enough to sell machines here, but cannot deal with safety issues? If my Sky dish fell off, an engineer could come and fix it - what is Indesit's excuse? The crux of the issue is that I am being treated unfairly because of where I live, having bought a machine that is unsafe. I no longer have the receipt so cannot take it up with the retailer, I am dependent on Indesit to rectify their error.

naedanger

dippity wrote: »

There would be a charge for disposal via the council - the amenity site is 35 miles away and I am disabled so wouldn't be able to get it into my vehicle anyway! The machine is 4 years old, which is, as you rightly say, is over half of it's expected 6 year life span. However who knows how long it might last? I see others on here with appliances over 6 years old that are being given replacements. Surely it goes against any environmental credentials a company claims to have, to instruct me to dispose of my machine? And why should all people in Shetland be marginalised by Indesit? They are quick enough to sell machines here, but cannot deal with safety issues? If my Sky dish fell off, an engineer could come and fix it - what is Indesit's excuse? The crux of the issue is that I am being treated unfairly because of where I live, having bought a machine that is unsafe. I no longer have the receipt so cannot take it up with the retailer, I am dependent on Indesit to rectify their error.

I would use the bit in bold as leverage to try and get a better offer.

You could also try and shame them into offering more e.g. by trying to get publicity within Shetland to the poorer treatment compared to customers in other parts of the UK.

But I don't think Indesit will be legally obliged to offer you a better deal just because they are offering better deals to customers in other parts of the country. (I am only saying what I think the legal position actually is - I am not saying that makes it fair.)

I also don't think the retailer would be legally obliged to offer more than what Indesit are offering, so I don't think your lack of a receipt will make a difference to the best offer you can get.

dippity

Thank you for your constructive comments naedanger. I thought from the forum post that if I had the receipt that I could use Consumer Rights Act, I will go back and re-read it.

And to wealdroam,

If you have no other proof then you only have yourself to blame for losing the receipt.

unless you know what has happened in my life in the time since purchasing this machine, I respectfully request that you refrain from addressing me as if I have been in some way tardy in my affairs.

Zandoni

dippity wrote: »

I have a machine that requires modification but they will not send an engineer to carry out the work as I live in Shetland. They also won't offer the £99 replacement. I have been instructed to dispose of my machine, provide them with proof that I have disposed of it and then they will refund 50% of the original purchase price. Opinions on how to proceed are most welcome....

If you had a nearly new appliance which needed a warranty repair would Hotpoint attend then?

dippity

Zandoni I took this point up with them when they told me they have no engineers covering Shetland. I put my postcode into the Hotpoint website to request an engineer and it told me there were some covering my address. When I pointed that out the response I received was "Do you think we wouldn't send an engineer if we could?"
Great customer service all round.

Zandoni

dippity wrote: »

Zandoni I took this point up with them when they told me they have no engineers covering Shetland. I put my postcode into the Hotpoint website to request an engineer and it told me there were some covering my address. When I pointed that out the response I received was "Do you think we wouldn't send an engineer if we could?"
Great customer service all round.

Did you try talking to a higher ranking rep? You could create a bit of a fuss on their Facebook page.

dippity

I have posted on their fb page and am also notifying my local Trading Standards, CAB and MSP. I am also considering contacting our paper, as geographical discrimination is a real problem here, especially for those already disadvantaged in some way.

wealdroam

dippity wrote: »

And to wealdroam,

If you have no other proof then you only have yourself to blame for losing the receipt.

unless you know what has happened in my life in the time since purchasing this machine, I respectfully request that you refrain from addressing me as if I have been in some way tardy in my affairs.

As you wish.

I have deleted my post in it's entirety - just in case anything might've been useful.