Washer dryer developed 3 faults - who do I direct my complaint to?

ira_ira

My Leisure integrated washer dryer developed 3 faults in a short period of time. It's still under the 2 year warranty and was repaired under those terms. Beko is apparently in charge of the customer service.
First 2 faults were the same, and the engineer described it as a "design fault", meaning it will get broken again and again. Third fault was different.
As my warranty is about to expire, I'm being left with a patched up machine that would certainly break again once I need to pay for it by myself! Beko only tried to sell me an extended warranty, but this is not my fault since the machine breaks so often!
Who can I claim to? I certainly need to get this washing machine replaced as it's full of faults.
Paying for an extended warranty won't cover for the amount of time I have had to take off work for these repairs and the hassle of not being able to use the machine for several days.

I would appreciate any help as I'm not sure what to try next. I thought Section 75 could be an option, but I read on your website the following:
"If you paid for a product using your card and discover a problem with it while it is still under warranty, and the warranty is with the manufacturer, you may not be able to bring a Section 75 claim for breach of contract. This is because the contract at the point of sale is with the retailer or supplier and therefore the creditor-debtor-supplier link would be broken. However, you would be able to make a claim if the warranty is with the retailer or supplier directly as the chain would still be intact."

Any other suggestions?

Thanks.

Heedtheadvice

Have you read Martin's excellent guide https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/consumer-rights-refunds-exchange/


It is normal that the first port of call with legal responsibility is who you purchased from.
If you have not read it have a look and post for help on the Consumer Rights forum https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=173
is the best place for this question.


If the purchase is more than six months ago then legal rights afe more difficult as the onus of proof moves to you. The warrany conditions need to be consulted as to what is covered and how (such as repeated problems and potential warranty extensions) but the warranty does not overide your legal rights

ira_ira

Thank you for your reply. I have been reading through the links you mentioned, but cannot find a similar case to guide myself. I actually read many posts before opening a new thread.
As I mentioned, I'm nearly at the end of the 2 year warranty. As you said, it does get more difficult to claim after the initial 6 months. However, I don't expect a washing machine to start falling apart so quickly. It's one of those purchases you expect to last for much longer than a year. That's the main point of my complaint.
I'm hoping anybody would be able to point me in the right direction. Without Section 75 being an option, I'm not sure who to complain to.

Ectophile

If I read your initial post correctly, the washer dryer is currently working. If that's the case, then you don't really have a claim against anybody. You paid for a working washing machine, and you have a working washing machine.

ira_ira

Ectophile,
Thank you for your kind reply. You probably missed the part that it has broken once every 2 months since month 15 of purchasing it. I'm expecting to break again quite soon, since I was told by the engineer that it has a "design fault". That means it's not possible to fix and would break regularly. That is my claim as I'll be paying for fixing it after the warranty expires. I don't think I need to wait for the inconvenience of not having it working to claim for a design fault.

shaun_from_Africa

ira_ira wrote: »

I don't think I need to wait for the inconvenience of not having it working to claim for a design fault.

That's exactly what you need to do.
You currently have a working appliance and even though it has broken 3 times, these faults have been repaired so at present there is nothing that you can claim for.

If/when it fails again then you may have a claim against the retailer.
Has the retailer who sold it to you been involved in any way when the faults occurred?

ira_ira

shaun from Africa,
thanks for the reply. It broke 2 weeks ago, that's when I claimed to the manufacturer's warranty. Next time it breaks I'll be out of warranty, not sure why it could be better to wait for another breakage. Isn't 3 times enough? I clearly thought so after I took so much time off work...

As we are nearly 2 years down the line after purchasing it, I didn't think the retailer could do much for me. Or is there any reason for you to think they could hep? If so, please let me know.
Thanks.

shaun_from_Africa

The reason that the retailer is important is because it is them that the contract of sale was with so any consumer rights you have are against them.
The Consumer rights act states that if there is a fault that is due to a manufacturing defect then a retailer is only entitled to make one repair on an item and if it fails again, the consumer can reject the goods. (after 6 months from purchase, they can give a reduced refund to cover the time you have had good use of the goods).

This is why it's important to know if you have had any contact with the retailer regarding the faults.
If you haven't and you went straight to the manufacturer to claim on the warranty then the retailer still has one opportunity to provide a remedy before you have the right of rejection.

not sure why it could be better to wait for another breakage. Isn't 3 times enough?

It's not just that it's better, it's simply that at present, you have no other choice.
Even though the item has failed 3 times, it has now been repaired and you can't claim for something that may or may not happen in the future, only for something that has already happened.

ira_ira

Thank you shaun from Africa. This is very helpful.

poppellerant

Out of interest, exactly which part/s is it that is developing a regular fault? Which specific part and what causes the fault to first appear then develop?