Domestic and general "Smart care" insurance

brooklyn07

13 months ago I bought an Indesit freezer, it had 12 months labour and 10 years parts warranty. Last month i noticed the temperature alarm was going off after every time i opened the door and noticed that the food was not freezing properly - also noticed that the defost element was covered in ice.  I figured the thermostat must be faulty and rang the indesit repair line and told them I had 10 years warranty but because i hadn't registered the freezer online with them the warranty did not cover me.

So they said I had 2 options - 1 to pay a one off £145 fee which would include labour and any parts that need replacing - they said if they couldn't repair the freezer i would get refunded - or i could take out insurance  at £20.49 a month for 12 months which works out at £245, and it would cover all repairs and parts and also cover another appliance in my home so i went with that option.

Engineer came out 2 days later and said the freezer elements were blocked up with ice and said that there was a recent software update which meant the defrost function runs a little longer than factory set and that should sort the problem - so he updated the software, told me to leave it to fully defrost for a few days and that should solve the problem - it did (touch wood) sort the problem.

We don't have much income coming in at the moment so i decided to cancel the plan, the wording states that I can cancel anytime I like but i would be liable for the cost of the repair - i figured it wouldn't be too expensive seeing as no parts were actually replaced and he was only here for 15 minutes or so - i assumed it would be the first quote they gave me of £145.

I rang to cancel and the customer service advisor asked if i'd had a repair and i said well it had a software update - oh she said, no actual repair then, just a software update? Yes i said - she said ok thats fine then you aren't liable for the cost of the repair and I can cancel your insurance plan with no charge. 

Perfect!

However, I have now had a letter saying I owe D&G £245 "as per terms and conditions of your plan" - i have no idea what these terms and conditions are as it states on the front of my plan I can cancel before the plan is finished in 2021 but i will be liable for the cost of the repair (which they told me was no charge as i hadn't had a "repair")

I can't get through to them at the moment but i needed to be prepared for when i do so they don't talk me into re-taking out the plan or saying i have no option but to pay the charge.

Any ideas anyone please?

DoaM

You had a service call-out ... whilst what was done may not have been directly a repair it's still a call-out so you "used" the plan. That means the 14 days cancellation period will have been waived so you are now trying to cancel the contract where no cancellation rights exist (other than those provided for in the T&Cs).

PS - it sounds a bit of BS to me. If you'd defrosted the unit and left it for the same amount of time as without the "software update" you'd likely be in exactly the same position as you are now - but without the D&G hassle.

brooklyn07

yes exactly - and it says that i would be liable for the cost of "repair" which they initally told me would be £145 but when i rang to cancel they did not mention that I would have to pay for the repair so i dont know why im all of a sudden liable for £245