Hotpoint: Destroying my Soul!

i_maq

Hello MSE'ers. I've been lurking for years and hoping the day would never come where I'd need to ask for help but the day is finally here, this is a rather long post but I would hugely appreciate any attention and help

I bought a brand new Hotpoint washer dryer last November from John Lewis, upon the first 3 uses there was a rancid burning stench that infiltrated all my clothes. Hotpoint support told me it's normal, give the machine a chance to wash out the smell.

After 5 more washes the smell remained, so they sent out an engineer. Despite smelling the burning smell and smelling what it had done to my clothes (unwearable), because his diagnostic software told him that the wash, spin and dry cycles were running it meant the machine was fine. Obviously the machine can't smell the burning smell.

He told me he'd submit a note stating the problem wasn't classified on the diagnostic. Surprise surprise, he didn't. I found this out the next time I called HP and they told me the engineer had marked the machine down as functioning fine.

I then had a second engineer visit - he too acknowledged the machine didn't smell right, so he opened it up, and discovered the fan encasement for the dryer, was in fact a faulty PLASTIC case that HP had stopped shipping out because it would BURN (wow, really?).

He replaced it with the new prescribed metal enclosures, closed up the machine and said the smell should be flushed out after a few more washes.

A few washes later MORE of my clothes now stink beyond belief, and the smell is still there, so HP send out another engineer.

I'd been told on the phone that after the 3rd visit I would be entitled to a replacement machine.

The 3rd engineer was very candid, and told me that HP would do anything to avoid replacing the machine, including sending more engineers until every component had been replaced even if it didn't need to be.

The problem is that it's not a component in the machine now, the stench has infiltrated the chassis and just won't wash out.

Now HP customer support state:

I am sorry to hear of this. I have looked into your repair history and can only find 2 completed repairs, the first time the engineer attended, a fault was not found. Further to this, the last engineer attended on 17.05.2017- do you have a further issue?

In regard to the clothing loss, was this communicated to us? Please send us evidence of this clothing loss with a quote/estimation/receipts for the clothing so we can look into this matter further.

So they're using the first engineer's lack of documentation on the problem as ammo to avoid helping me. And they expect me to have ALL my clothing receipts from the last 5 years to document the cost of the clothes the machine has damaged!

The current situation is that they don't want to replace the machine, they want to offer me a "free of charge care package for the machine".

They just WON'T acknowledge that they sent me a machine that had a faulty part on delivery, that BURNED in my home and has ruined the machine and my clothes.

I want to get rid of this and get a refund. I'll try John Lewis but does anyone have any advice on how I can bring the pain to HP, this is just unacceptable and totally wrong. They want to fob me off with a "care package", whatever the heck that is. I bought a washer DRYER, but I can't use the dryer anymore as it stinks up my clothes and the entire flat I live in.

I need to resolve this before my 1 year is up and I know HP are trying to delay this as much as they can. I even bought an extended warranty that THEY sold me but it's been of no use

Le_Kirk

Whilst this is in the home, so technically correct for this board, you will receive the information and advice you need if you ask a board guide to move it to Consumer Rights board. Guides on this board are: -
Nile, silvercar, Cornucopia just send them a PM

Cornucopia

This thread has been moved. We sometimes do this to put threads in more appropriate sub-forums where a better response is likely.

IAmWales

Your rights are with John Lewis. Stop fannying about with Hotpoint and get JL to do their job.

(Read the sticky for more information on asserting your rights.)

CoolHotCold

Your rights are with John Lewis.

Be polite but firm, you have documented evidence that the appliance was faulty, that was caused by a component that Hotpoint installed.

Your rights under the Consumer Rights Act are the retailer (probably using Hotpoint as their repair agents) are entitled to repair or replace once, if that repair/replacement fails then you are entitled to a refund.

Depending on what the 3rd engineer report states it'll either have the required information to confirm the fault continues to exist and should be enough to obtain a refund under your Consumer rights.

KeithP

Although, as others have said, you should be pursuing your statutory rights through John Lewis, please remember that when you purchased that machine it came with a two year JL warranty, not a one year warranty you mentioned earlier.