Suicidal washing machine caused property damage, how to proceed?

Naf

Carnage for reference: https://imgur.com/a/VVftR

Our 1 month old washing machine committed suicide at 4am one morning last week, and as you can see it's done it's best to take as much of the kitchen with it as possible. Got straight in touch with Currys, our case is with their property damage team - that side of stuff is all right (pending technician visit to confirm it's a manufacturing fault) albeit slow given the time of year.

My main concern is about getting quotes for replacing kitchen units (they've advised me to start) and what I should be looking for. Presumably they'll want at least 3 quotes, but what will they pay out on? The cheapest? Middle? Average? And how much say do we get in picking what's what? Are we obliged to look at only the cheapest options, even if we don't like any of what's available?

I also assume that they'll only entertain like for like? If we want something a little different, we'll need quotes for a direct replacement for our claim?

We're also keeping all of our receipts for other extra costs like the laundrette, ordering food or eating out (the oven has been damaged, we couldn't use the hob, and the kitchen has been generally unusable until I got the dishwasher waste pipes replaced and we could finally use it). But what about things like our time dealing with this (phone calls, joiner/electrician visits, repairing the dishwasher), and mileage used having to travel when we would usually have stayed home and cooked/washed? Can I expect to be able to be compensated for those? And is it uantifiable losses only? The stress has made my wife break out in awful eczema all over her palms, so she has been in considerable discomfort, as well as being limited in what she can do - is that just not accounted for?

Any help appreciated.

Fosterdog

Carnage, seriously?

There is a bit of fronting come off from in front of the sink which will be easy to stick back on, apart from the clutter on the worktops and dirty dishes in the sink there is no carnage in that photo.

Who installed the washing machine? For it to bounce around like that it sounds like it either wasn’t levelled properly or the transit bolts weren’t removed.

custardy

If you are hankering after a new kitchen,forget it.
That looks like an easy repair.

Gavin83

What damage has the oven and hob sustained?

It’s honestly coming across like you are trying to get as much money out of the them as possible and get a new kitchen fitted. You won’t get a new kitchen, all it’s done it knock a few panels off, it’s a 5 min fix. It looks old and fairly cheap anyway, quite why you think you’ll get a brand new expensive kitchen, far better than your current situation is beyond me. I can picture you going through the B&Q website, picking some real oak kitchen, the most expensive you can find and suggesting this as a replacement. And claiming for stress? Please.

If it wasn’t for your post count I’d assume this was a troll post.

The best you’ll get is someone to come out to fix the panels that have fallen off and the oven sorted, although without knowing what’s wrong it’s impossible to say what this is. You can’t honestly expect to be in a much better position than you were?

Naf

Fosterdog wrote: »

Carnage, seriously?

There is a bit of fronting come off from in front of the sink which will be easy to stick back on, apart from the clutter on the worktops and dirty dishes in the sink there is no carnage in that photo.

Who installed the washing machine? For it to bounce around like that it sounds like it either wasn’t levelled properly or the transit bolts weren’t removed.

There's multiple photos, and if you read the captions you'll see that the cabinets to the right of the washer have been smashed completely off their legs. This has damaged the oven which the electrician has condemned.

As to installation, I did; following all the instructions. Bolts are all removed and the machine was perfectly level. It has been running pretty much daily for a month with much larger loads than what it had this time. One of the pictures shows the load area, and you can see that the drum seems to have come off its mountings inside.

custardy wrote: »

If you are hankering after a new kitchen,forget it.
That looks like an easy repair.

Not according to the joiner who has said the units are not worth repairing.

custardy

Naf wrote: »

There's multiple photos, and if you read the captions you'll see that the cabinets to the right of the washer have been smashed completely off their legs. This has damaged the oven which the electrician has condemned.

As to installation, I did; following all the instructions. Bolts are all removed and the machine was perfectly level. It has been running pretty much daily for a month with much larger loads than what it had this time. One of the pictures shows the load area, and you can see that the drum seems to have come off its mountings inside.



Not according to the joiner who has said the units are not worth repairing.

You misinterpret as it suits you.
you having crap units doesnt mean they shouldnt be repaired.

Naf

Gavin83 wrote: »

What damage has the oven and hob sustained?

It’s honestly coming across like you are trying to get as much money out of the them as possible and get a new kitchen fitted. You won’t get a new kitchen, all it’s done it knock a few panels off, it’s a 5 min fix. It looks old and fairly cheap anyway, quite why you think you’ll get a brand new expensive kitchen, far better than your current situation is beyond me. I can picture you going through the B&Q website, picking some real oak kitchen, the most expensive you can find and suggesting this as a replacement. And claiming for stress? Please.

If it wasn’t for your post count I’d assume this was a troll post.

The best you’ll get is someone to come out to fix the panels that have fallen off and the oven sorted, although without knowing what’s wrong it’s impossible to say what this is. You can’t honestly expect to be in a much better position than you were?

I think you've misread the tone of what I'm asking...

The oven has taken quite a thump, and probably another when it hit the ground. The electrician condemned it. The hob was unusable because the worktop was unsupported until we could get the joiner to sure it up.

I'm not asking about getting some luxury fully fitted kitchen, more about the look of the thing, and what decisions we get to make about it. If we have three similar, bottom end quotes and we prefer the design, reputation, quality or whatever of one of them (or if one is cheaper for any extra bits which we want to pay for on top) then can we ask them to pay that particular quote?

George_Michael

Fosterdog wrote: »

Who installed the washing machine? For it to bounce around like that it sounds like it either wasn’t levelled properly or the transit bolts weren’t removed.

Or the main bearing for the drum has seized or broken up.
If this had happened, the drum would bounce all over the place, taking the rest of the machine with it.

[Deleted User]

Why has a washing machine been "installed" so close to an oven?

Does look like the transit bolts were not removed prior to operation..

Naf wrote: »

We're also keeping all of our receipts for other extra costs like the laundrette, ordering food or eating out (the oven has been damaged, we couldn't use the hob, and the kitchen has been generally unusable until I got the dishwasher waste pipes replaced and we could finally use it). But what about things like our time dealing with this (phone calls, joiner/electrician visits, repairing the dishwasher), and mileage used having to travel when we would usually have stayed home and cooked/washed? Can I expect to be able to be compensated for those? And is it uantifiable losses only? The stress has made my wife break out in awful eczema

:eek:
It sounds as if you are about to make a major compensation claim. Do ensure you also employ the most expensive legal representation you can find,

BorisThomson

Being honest, it looks like the kitchen was already carnage.

You're not entitled to betterment, so they're only obliged to bring the kitchen back to the standard it was before the issue (if the item is in fact faulty). Anything more than that will be goodwill.

Have you asked Currys for a microwave/ grill on loan whilst the issue is resolved? Eating out and ordering food is excessive, you can still adequately prepare food at home.

I can see this ending with a great deal of disappointment unless you become more realistic in your expectations.

Naf

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

Why has a washing machine been "installed" so close to an oven?

You'd have to ask the landlord. But that's where it was when we moved in, and the only place we can put it.

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

Does look like the transit bolts were not removed prior to operation..

Funny, because I have them in a bag right here, and I've been using the machine daily (sometimes twice) for a month prior to this happening.

BorisThomson wrote: »

Being honest, it looks like the kitchen was already carnage.

Sure, we were a bit behind on washing up already :rotfl:

BorisThomson wrote: »

You're not entitled to betterment, so they're only obliged to bring the kitchen back to the standard it was before the issue (

Which is all I'm asking about. Currys themselves, have suggested I look at getting quoted for new units this information is in my OP.

BorisThomson wrote: »

Have you asked Currys for a microwave/ grill on loan whilst the issue is resolved?

This implies I can get in touch with anyone about the case. The property damage team only communicate via. email, and I was only given that on Friday. Besides, a microwave alone is not sufficient to cook for a family of five, nor has there been space to put a grill anywhere until the worktop was sured up, and I got the dishwasher working again so we could make a proper start on the dishes backlog.

BorisThomson wrote: »

Eating out and ordering food is excessive, you can still adequately prepare food at home.

Until the worktop was made safe to use, and the dishwasher fixed so we could make space, no we couldn't. And even now, the stuff out of the damaged cupboards takes up almost all of the available working/eating space.

BorisThomson wrote: »

I can see this ending with a great deal of disappointment unless you become more realistic in your expectations.

Which expectations are unrealistic? I'm literally doing just what Currys have advised.