Should this fridge-freezer fit?

BSW89

Hi all,

Ordered integrated fridge-freezer at John Lewis 5 weeks ago and it FINALLY came today after some previous issues, and they delivery team said it would not fit. Extremely frustrated by this as we'd specifically gone in store to seek advice on which models would fit and they assured us this one would, based on our measurements (to be sure, we also gave them the make/model of the existing fridge).

So the delivery man said our fridge-freezer has these dimensions: 550mm bottom door, 1060mm top door. He's written on the form the fridge we ordered has a 650mm bottom door according to measuring it in the lorry.

Here's what we ordered: https://www.johnlewis.com/aeg-sce8181vts-integrated-fridge-freezer-a-energy-rating-54cm-wide-white/p3459519

It doesn't give the dimensions of the fridge/freezer separately but says the height is 1772mm and it's a 70-30 split, so I would assume the bottom door height is 1772mm x 0.30, which is 531.6mm. Since our bottom door is 550mm, should this not fit? How did the delivery man get 650mm?

I have called JL to complain AGAIN and have left it with them, because either the advice given in-store was wrong or the delivery man got something wrong. Either way, I just really want a new fridge-freezer now and am trying to work out what will fit.

Please can someone help?!

Thank you

Aylesbury_Duck

I’m assuming the whole unit fits in the void, it’s just that the door fronts are the wrong size for the two separate compartments? Is that right? If so, the fridge/freezer fits but the door fronts don’t.

Can you not get new door fronts to fit that model or whatever model you end up with? Otherwise you’re limited to units that have exactly the same dimension split as your doors.

getmore4less

https://www.aeg.co.uk/kitchen/cooling/fridge-freezers/built-in-fridge-freezer/sce8181vts/

The AEG site say 650

Fire_Fox

It sounds like you have a complex complaint. Would be worth detailing these in writing (e-mail is great) to John Lewis, being clear about how different members of staff and/ or different parts of the website and/ or different figures have contradicted one another.

The AEG website should give more information but, as I understand it, you are not comparing the height or width of the fridge-freezer itself but the space they need to sit in (the aperture).

getmore4less

Integrated appliances nearly always have full dimensions in their manuals/installation instructions.

Rare for them not to be online.

BSW89

The problem was based on the measurements of the space/doors etc we couldn't work out what would fit when we did online research (even whether it was a 70-30 split or what), so that's why we travelled into John Lewis (a good hour away) and explained we didn't know where to start/what to search for on their website, and the salesman identified this one as a possible fit. Then encouraged us to leave it with him for half an hour to double check, then we returned and he said yes he thinks it will fit but then asked the AEG specialist to check too, and we got a definite yes, it will fit

Aylesbury_Duck

I think something's got lost in translation then. It does "fit" in the conventional sense of the word, it's just that your current fascia doors don't match the dimensions. I had something similar with an integrated washing machine. No problem fitting it in the cavity but the hinge locations, despite having some adjustment leeway, would not match up with any solid part of the fitted fascia front. I had to cut circular inserts from scrap wood of the right depth, glue them into the holes and that gave something to screw the hinges into.

If you can't find an appliance to match your fitted doors, you'll have to do some DIY to make the existing fascias fit or hope you can buy some matching fascias in the right sizes.

Fire_Fox

((hugs))

My understanding is that John Lewis store partners are salaried only, not 'sales' in the biased/ worst/ £££ sense. So you may have been poorly advised, but not deliberately so.

I hope and expect that you being clear with JL Customer Service what was said and by whom will end well. Sounds like you need a CS manager to take ownership of the situation.

Again ((hugs))

BSW89

Thanks all. Yeah the team in-store seemed great - very helpful, seemed to be carefully reviewing all of the information (we even printed out the spec/diagrams of the existing fridge-freezer and they were having a good look at that and comparing against the spec of the new one).

I think it's reasonable to assume if you ask for advice on a new product, there's an assumption you want something that'll fit without needing new doors? Also the delivery man didn't say 'it will fit the space but btw you'll have to change the doors', he filled his form in to say won't fit the doors, told us, so I think that emphasises that it's reasonable to assume most people won't want to do DIY work changing cupboard doors.


Let's see what customer services say on Monday - already dealing with a case manager due to earlier issues with the delivery (basically they sent a cancellation text message DURING the delivery slot after we'd emptied and defrosted the freezer, and when I phoned their complaints line the attitude was awful... so I emailed a more formal complaint; and now this has happened - not impressed with JL!)

Aylesbury_Duck

BSW89 wrote: »

Thanks all. Yeah the team in-store seemed great - very helpful, seemed to be carefully reviewing all of the information (we even printed out the spec/diagrams of the existing fridge-freezer and they were having a good look at that and comparing against the spec of the new one).

I think it's reasonable to assume if you ask for advice on a new product, there's an assumption you want something that'll fit without needing new doors? Also the delivery man didn't say 'it will fit the space but btw you'll have to change the doors', he filled his form in to say won't fit the doors, told us, so I think that emphasises that it's reasonable to assume most people won't want to do DIY work changing cupboard doors.

It does sound like JL are in the wrong, but I disagree with these points. I think it's reasonable that some DIY might be necessary to make fitted doors fit new appliances and in the case of a fridge-freezer, there will always be variations of how the compartments are split. I think it's one of the trade-offs of having the aesthetics of a fitted kitchen: it comes with appliances that typically cost more and which need DIY to make them fit the scheme. Personally I wouldn't choose fitted appliances. I only have them because the previous occupant did such a lovely job with the kitchen it would be a shame to undo it with standalone appliances but it's annoying having to pay more and to fiddle around with templates, drills and the like to make everything fit when a new appliance is needed.

getmore4less

I can't see where AEG claim this is a 70:30 unit on their information.