Washer/Dryer in a new build flat has been broken for 3 months and the manufacturer wants to repair

Dark_Dragon_64

My wife and I bought a flat (250 years leasehold) last year which came with a Grundig washer/dryer. We used it for about a year but then this September it stops washing the clothes mid-cycle, leaving the fabric softener unused and the clothes wet.

The machine was included in the flat at exchange and part of the property but it isn't expressly listed in the lease documents (it is mentioned in the advertising material) so I'm at a loss about how to pursue this as a consumer.

Grundig has been insisting that the five year warranty is for repair only and that a replacement can only be issued when repairing the machine is economically unviable. We have had 6 engineers attend on 5 occasions to try to fix the machine but the issue persists. I have tried calling to arrange another visit but cannot get through on the phone.

We have been without a working machine for 3 months now and have had to go to relatives to have our clothes cleaned which is difficult enough without having to work around lockdown restrictions. We just want a machine that works and feel that it's not unreasonable to expect the machine to last more than a year and to not have to do without a machine for over 3 months.

Can anyone recommend a course of action to take against the manufacturer?

grumbler

AFAIK, warranties are almost impossible to enforce.

Your consumer's rights are against the supplier that seems to be the builder in this case - as the machine was sold as a part of the flat.

• Your rights when buying goods

Homer_home

grumbler said:

AFAIK, warranties are almost impossible to enforce.

Your consumer's rights are against the supplier that seems to be the builder in this case - as the machine was sold as a part of the flat.

• Your rights when buying goods

As long as it's a new build......

Op - time to get tough with grundig , 6 engineers is 5 engineers too much , write to them giving them one last chance to properly fix it , if that fails you want a replacement machine , grundigs customer service leaves a lot to be desired clearly , how long do they expect to keep trying to fix it before they give up? 

You need to be very firm , I would have lost my patience with them by now and would be tearing them a new a

Money_Grabber13579

I assume that the drain screen has been checked for blockages? One would hope so if you’ve had 5 engineers to look at it already.

Dark_Dragon_64

Thanks for all the replies. I'm trying to get through to the builders to have the suppliers replace it but haven't had much luck. I'll push them again on Monday.
Trying to be firm with Grundig is like getting blood from a stone because, when I get through to someone, they parrot the warranty being repair only.
On Friday, I was on hold for 30 minutes then 20 minutes (in the second instance the phone was cut off and their line seemed dead) and couldn't get through to anyone. I've sent numerous emails that haven't been replied to since Friday morning. I tried escalating the issue when I called a couple of weeks ago and was told that someone would ring me back but no one did.
I'm hoping that I could bring a course of action against Grundig or do something to get a better resolution but it looks like I just have to stay on hold before I can even speak to anyone.

bris

You have no claim from Grundig, your rights lie with the builder, Grundig don't even have to deal with you are you didn't buy it from them.. The fact it was included but not listed might very well mean it's a freebie and you have no rights anywhere.

You can buy a new one pretty cheap these days so why not just do that? 

floppydisk1

Grundig is rebadged Beko  (built to a price point and sold in volumes to builders)  If you want to give it another go, try Beko directly to cut out extra step as it after all lands with Beko - or more precise Arcelik - Beko's owner, as well as owner or quite a few other rebadged appliances -  anyway . As said earlier it's your builder responsibility ( and manufacturer can perfectly legally told you to go after builder and  sod off ), but if you got it as a freebie, and spent last 3 months chasing it, might as well get something else( either cheap or decent, entirely up to you, at least you'll have some rights when it goes south later).