Damaged Stand Mixer - rights to repair?

Cornish_Joe

Hi all,

I'm hoping someone with more knowledge/experience with such situations can help, as I feel I'm going round in circles and getting nowhere. I've tried to condense it down but include as many of the important points as possible, so if this post is a bit long I apologise.

I purchased a Kenwood KMix stand mixer from an online retailer in February. it was a gift for my partners birthday, and whilst not expensive in the grand scheme of things it was a significant amount of money to me. I'd looked around, read reviews etc. And the KMix was similar to the Kitchen Aid equivalent, but significantly cheaper.

The mixer was purchased in late February, and given to my girlfriend in March. She used it a couple of times for making cupcakes without issue. While she was out having her hair done I thought I'd try my hand at making bread with it. Without going all over the emails again this was around the beginning of April.

I was being VERY cautious as it was not mine to use so checked a simple recipie against the user instructions. The recipie used 900g strong white flour, and the manual states that the maximum capacity for a stiff bread dough is 1.35kg flour, or for a soft bread dough 1.3kg of flour.

Being well under these limits I went ahead, and Sod's law after a few seconds of switching the machine on (when the dough had come together a bit) it made a horrid grinding noise. I switched the machine off as soon as I could turn the control and removed the dough, but the damage was done and now it makes a horrendous noise and doesn't really mix anything particularly well.

The machine has a large 5 year guarantee sticker (ironically neither myself nor my girlfriend removed it) so we contacted Kenwood Customer Support by email to find out how to get this repaired. Initially things were fine, they asked what I was doing at the time, the contents in the bowl, proof of purchase etc, so I scanned a copy of the recipie book and the user manual showing maximum capacity for this model.

After a few back and forths (they mentioned an overloading of the machine, which I responded to by referring to the recipie and the quoted maximum load) they agreed to arrange a collection to send it for repair. They took my details, gave me a collection date and took my mobile number for their text message service, which they said would keep me informed of the progress. My partner took a day off and the courier arrived to collect.

About a week later we had a missed delivery card from Royal Mail through the letterbox. Thinking this was an Amazon order or something along those lines we walked to the shop and I was a bit peeved to see it was the mixer, which is quite big when boxed and not exactly light!

When we got home we immediately plugged it in to check. It had new wrapping over it and PAT test stickers but still made the grinding noise. I contacted Kenwood to ask what happened and was told the repair agent found no fault - the noise is the standard noise for this model machine.

I couldn't quite believe this so was a bit stern when I contacted them to express my annoyance, and they asked for a video. They didn't receive it as an attachment so I uploaded it to YouTube (unfortunately I cannot post a link, being a forum newbie) and sent them the link. I didn't make the video available for public viewing at the time, though now wish I had!

They were very quick to arrange another collection and I made certain to confirm my mobile number. Again heard nothing until a Royal Mail missed collection card was on my doormat when I got home from work. Still nothing has been done, it's exactly the same.

I'm now at a loss now how to proceed. This was an expensive (to me) gift which is now essentially useless. I struggle to see what I could gain by continuing an email exchange with Kenwood - it's being sent to a third party repair agent, not Kenwood "themselves", and I'm unsure what rights I have in this situation. My feeling is the motor or some such is damaged and the repairer clearly feels they have no need to do anything other than PAT test it and send it back to me. I've emailed Kenwood again to find out the repairers comments but not mentioned anything else as yet.

I'd thought about going around getting quotes for its repair myself and sending these to kenwood with an engineers diagnosis, but this is time consuming and likely costly, and in all honesty I've no idea who could repair these types of machine, and if they'd report/quote on it in the first place!

Has anyone ever experienced a similar thing before? Anyone with any expertise on this type of thing that can provide some advice I would be most appreciative.

foxtrotoscar_2

Contact the retailer you bought it from and see what they have to say about it

LilElvis

Did you use a dough hook to mix the bread? Using the wrong attachment (e.g. the K-beater) can overstress the motor.

unholyangel

Food mixers can be noisy but I can't think of ever hearing one making a grinding noise (rotating/whirl noise yes but not grinding).

What mixer was it? Are you able to post the link to the youtube video for us to see at all? I know it tells you you can't as a newbie but you can break it up like http:// youtube.com/ 49492 or whatever the link is and one of the forum regulars will repost it as a clickable link for the rest of us

As above though, you might be better going to the retailer - especially give you are still within 6 months from purchase (therefore for the retailer to prove its not inherently faulty rather than for you to prove it is).

If you paid by credit card and it cost over £100, you can also start a section 75 claim with your card provider.


Also, what attachment were you using at the time?

unholyangel

LilElvis wrote: »

Did you use a dough hook to mix the bread? Using the wrong attachment can overstress the motor.

:rotfl: Great minds think alike, fools seldom differ.

Was one of the first things that crossed my mind - well that and the motor not being powerful enough but then the manual probably wouldn't have stated it could be used for stiff dough if that was the case!

LilElvis

unholyangel wrote: »

:rotfl: Great minds think alike, fools seldom differ.

Was one of the first things that crossed my mind - well that and the motor not being powerful enough but then the manual probably wouldn't have stated it could be used for stiff dough if that was the case!

My mum's machine is 6 months younger than me, so in its 49th year (:eek:) As it can cope with her gargantuan Mrs Beeton Christmas cake I think it could probably double as a cement mixer.

unholyangel

LilElvis wrote: »

My mum's machine is 6 months younger than me, so in its 49th year (:eek:) As it can cope with her gargantuan Mrs Beeton Christmas cake I think it could probably double as a cement mixer.

Thanks, nearly spat my water over my laptop at reading that :rotfl: :T

Cornish_Joe

Hi folks, thanks for your responses.

Here's the link, with a space between the http:// and the rest: http:// youtu.be/JVPp2SHSOBI
In the video my girlfriend mixed up a small batch of cupcake mix to demonstrate with some resistance, we didn't want to run the machine on empty.

Yes I used the dough hook, I was being particularly careful (which is the most annoying thing to be honest, if I'd overloaded it or been negligent I'd only have myself to blame). The machine also mentions things like turning it off immediately if it sounds like it's struggling which I also did - I honestly think there was a pre-existing weakness in the unit, it had barely had any use up to that point, and it wasn't exactly a large bread dough mix either.

I did purchase it on a credit card so I guess I'll have to go back to the retailer.

Le_Kirk

Here is your link http://youtu.be/JVPp2SHSOBI

I have to say that noise does make it sound somewhat sick.

[Deleted User]

Whenever I've had a problem with something ordered from Amazon, I've gone straight back to Amazon. Manufacturers don't seem to be as good with warranties. I've never had a problem replacing a defective item with Amazon (or getting a refund). Your contract is with Amazon.

suki1964

You say it went belly up a few seconds after switching on? At the time the dough had come together?

To me that sounds like you had it running way to fast. I have the old workhorse kenwood and when I'm making bread it takes a good 4/5 mins for dough to come together I used speed 2 and slowly crank it up to 4/5 when the dough is pliable