Compensation from Bosch for inaccurate manual?

[Deleted User]

All but one of the 5 washing machines I've owned in my lifetime (so far!) have been Bosch.  I like them, they do a good job and I think are reasonably priced.  However, my latest purchase (from John Lewis) last month might change all that.  Machine arrived, fitted by the lovely JL Partner and I immediately set to try and turn off the annoying end of programme beep.  The instructions in the manual seemed simple enough, but both my husband and I tried at least 100 times and nothing worked.  Call to Bosch customer service (they don't have an email or web chat facility)  took hours, they asked me to send a video of what we were doing (bizarre!) but nothing sorted that day.  Left it over the weekend, tried again on Monday.  Different CSA asked why I wanted to turn it off anyway (cheek) but then reluctantly agreed to send out an engineer.  Nice engineer arrived a week later, and surprise surprise he couldn't turn it off either so recorded it as a faulty machine.  Obviously had to go back through JL to get a replacement.  This one delivered by not very good delivery men (not JL partners) who refused to fit it properly into the electrics, so we just plugged it into the socket to test.  Same problem, couldn't turn off beep.  Back to JL to report, then 3 way conversation with Bosch and I reluctantly agreed to another engineer visit.  This engineer had a bit more experience so worked out the manual was wrong and you had to do another button combination to turn off the beep.  So, there probably wasn't anything wrong with the original machine and I'd gone through hours of phone calls and inconvenience of having it replaced and staying in for 2 engineer visits and then having to install the replacement ourselves.  Needless to say I approached Bosch (who never apologised at any time) for compensation for the inconvenience and suggested that the minimum could be giving me an extra 3 yrs warranty FOC.  They've responded saying their machines are wonderful blah blah and offering just one year's extra.  Bearing in mind its £89 for 3 years, they're offering me around £30, which I don't think is acceptable.  I've gone back again and now they are saying that under Sale of Goods Act, I should pursue John Lewis.  But I feel that it's not their problem that someone can't translate an operations manual from German to English correctly.  Any advice please?

[Deleted User]

Take the offer. I think both the retailer and the manufacturer have responded very well to your complaint. 

powerful_Rogue

LisaAR said:

All but one of the 5 washing machines I've owned in my lifetime (so far!) have been Bosch.  I like them, they do a good job and I think are reasonably priced.  However, my latest purchase (from John Lewis) last month might change all that.  Machine arrived, fitted by the lovely JL Partner and I immediately set to try and turn off the annoying end of programme beep.  The instructions in the manual seemed simple enough, but both my husband and I tried at least 100 times and nothing worked.  Call to Bosch customer service (they don't have an email or web chat facility)  took hours, they asked me to send a video of what we were doing (bizarre!) but nothing sorted that day.  Left it over the weekend, tried again on Monday.  Different CSA asked why I wanted to turn it off anyway (cheek) but then reluctantly agreed to send out an engineer.  Nice engineer arrived a week later, and surprise surprise he couldn't turn it off either so recorded it as a faulty machine.  Obviously had to go back through JL to get a replacement.  This one delivered by not very good delivery men (not JL partners) who refused to fit it properly into the electrics, so we just plugged it into the socket to test.  Same problem, couldn't turn off beep.  Back to JL to report, then 3 way conversation with Bosch and I reluctantly agreed to another engineer visit.  This engineer had a bit more experience so worked out the manual was wrong and you had to do another button combination to turn off the beep.  So, there probably wasn't anything wrong with the original machine and I'd gone through hours of phone calls and inconvenience of having it replaced and staying in for 2 engineer visits and then having to install the replacement ourselves.  Needless to say I approached Bosch (who never apologised at any time) for compensation for the inconvenience and suggested that the minimum could be giving me an extra 3 yrs warranty FOC.  They've responded saying their machines are wonderful blah blah and offering just one year's extra.  Bearing in mind its £89 for 3 years, they're offering me around £30, which I don't think is acceptable.  I've gone back again and now they are saying that under Sale of Goods Act, I should pursue John Lewis.  But I feel that it's not their problem that someone can't translate an operations manual from German to English correctly.  Any advice please?

I agree with the above post. Take the £30.

How much do you think is suitable and what are your actual losses incurred?

jon81uk

What is your quantifiable loss? How much did the phone calls add up to?

Sandtree

You can only pursue the manufacturer for injuries and property damage over £275 (excluding the product itself).Anything else you have to pursue the seller.

Didnt the item come with JL's 5 year warranty?

What are your actual financial losses, which is what your claim would be based on?  If nil then you are looking at good will only or a token £20-£50 shut up money for the inconvenience 

JJ_Egan

Who is saying Soga ?? an act that is long gone for consumers .

Diamandis

I think it's nice they're offering you anything. 

user1977

This is the sort of thing more easily solved from online resources than by getting a succession of blokes round.

Mistral001

They sorted out the problem for you.  Accept the offer and move on.  

[Deleted User]

user1977 said:

This is the sort of thing more easily solved from online resources than by getting a succession of blokes round.

Don't you think we tried that?  There is no need for rudeness thanks.

user1977

LisaAR said:

user1977 said:

This is the sort of thing more easily solved from online resources than by getting a succession of blokes round.

Don't you think we tried that?

I have no idea, you didn't mention that you did.