AO.COM refusing refund for item not fit for purpose

electric_comperella

Hi gang

Briefly I bought a fridge freezer in 2017, rang AO.com to report a problem within a couple of months.

It ices up on the back internal wall then defrosts and the condensate/liquid ran down the back of the machine into the water drain.

I was informed this was normal behaviour and how the machine worked....I took the customer service advisor at her word and went on about day to day life

However the problem is now such that the drain overflows twice and thrice daily and doesn't seem normal in the slightest.

I've tried poking the drain as advised by AO, defrosted to see if it clears any blockage

I went the complaints route on the basis the fridge freezer should've had a domestic lifespan of more than 2 years

They have asked me to get an engineer to verify the fridge was faulty since purchase which seems impossible without a crystal ball or a time machine.

The added issue being I live in rural Scotland without easy or affordable access to such an engineer, I made this point and they offered £30 towards the cost which wouldn't cover the call out of 3 hour round trip from Glasgow.

I think they're looking at this all wrong. The point for me is not the issue of when the issue began...but that the item hasn't lasted a reasonable amount of time/life span

They've said they can't go any further with complaints and suggested I go through alternative dispute resolution?

All of this was via the resolver app, so now I am wondering what to do next.

I am considering a section 75 via my credit card provider but it seems unfair them taking the flack for what is the manufacturer/ao's problem....

Appreciate any guidance,

Thanks in advance

DCFC79

No harm in speaking to your card provider but they may still want the engineers report.
That's what section 75 is there for, its for you to use irrespective of "it
seems unfair them taking the flack for what is the retailers/ manufacturers problem ".

neilmcl

Legally, the onus is entirely with you to prove that a, there is a fault and therefore breach of contract and b, the fault is inherent to manufacture. You need to get an engineer's report to do this, it's not the retailer's problem that you live in the back of beyond.

There's no issue involving your CC company as they are jointly and severally liable for any breach of contract however you still need to fulfil your obligations under consumer law.

societys_child

However the problem is now such that the drain overflows twice and thrice daily and doesn't seem normal in the slightest.

Have you tried defrosting it?

Browntoa

Is the fridge indoors or in a garage ?

Some are not garage friendly and need to be indoors

zoob

90% chance a food partial have lodged itself in the drain hose and just needs cleared and a 99% chance the fridge freezers is not faulty

LadyDee

I inadvertently changed my control when I was cleaning my f/f a while ago and it seemed to behave like yours. Adjusted the control and it's been OK ever since.

Have you spoken to the manufacturer tech people to ask for their suggestions?

[Deleted User]

Every freezer I've owned does that when turned up too high. You need to adjust depending on where it's situated and how full it is.

GDB2222

This is likely to be one of a few issues.

Drain hole blocked. Thermostat set wrongly. Fridge door left open. Some other operation error.

Broken thermostat.

Broken door seal.

All of these are simple to diagnose and fix. I'd get a local fridge engineer to come and fix it, then argue about the cost with AO after you know what the problem is.

JJ_Egan

Or back to near a wall and temp is to hot to cool.