Tumble dryer belt replacement after 14 months

kateandpete

We've just had to have the belt replaced on our Hotpoint tumble dryer. We bought it for £450ish from ao.com in Jan 2016. The belt had become frayed and slipped off during normal domestic usage. Warranty was one year. We have asked them to refund us the repair bill as it seems that this should not have been expected to happen to a relatively new machine. AO are saying this is a "wear and tear" repair rather than indicative of an intrinsic fault. Is it worth pursuing or are they right?

Thanks

ljonski

Have you googled model to see if anyone else has had this problem?

kateandpete

I've just done that and nothing's showing up. I think it was a very new model when we bought so not sure how common they are.

anmarj

After six months it is up to you to prove that it is an inherent fault, by producing an independent report, which they then have the option to replace, repair or refund pro rata amount. Did you contact them before you had it repaired or did you just get it repaired without contacting them?

kateandpete

I contacted them first. They said to send a report demonstrating the fault etc. The receipt i have states that the belt had slipped and become frayed. AO are saying that this does not confirm it was faulty when supplied. I'm not sure how anyone would go about proving this though as surely it's an issue of durability. Is it reasonable to expect to replace a part on a £450 machine after 14 months normal usage? It's not the end of the world if I don't get the ££ back if it is a fair wear and tear issue though. Thanks

anmarj

Your report would have to show that it was inherently faulty from outset i.e. it faulty from purchase. So the person who produced it would have to determine that. If they could not said that it was faulty from day one then AO have acted correctly.

CoolHotCold

Even then, with the required report, you did not give AO the opportunity to rectify the problem.

I'm afraid legally you're on a hiding to nowhere.

bris

A belt is a wear and tear item, how is anyone supposed to know how much you use it?


The fact you couldn't find another with the problem is also an indication that it's not a common fault so hinders your case even more.

forgotmyname

Are the pulleys aligned correctly? Any odd wear patterns or shiny spots
on the pulleys or anything near where the belt runs?