Hotpoint/whirlpool washing machine - faulty parts received twice

StarNoStar

Hi all,

Long time lurker  but this is my first post And I’m after some help/opinions.

Our washing machine  was replaced in April 2020 after a recall.
It started making a really loud noise during normal cycles at the end of November. 

My partner and I investigated and found that the front counterweight was broken so we have stopped using the machine. 

We went online and found the correct part and ordered it on 2nd December , only for it to arrive broken in half on 10th December. 

I took photos of the broken part and sent them to whirlpool and also called and they promised a new part would be sent out special delivery that day. 

However, 8 days later a new counterweight arrived but it was also cracked in the middle. I have sent another email and tried to call but no luck getting a person on the phone this morning. 

I’m obviously going to ask for a refund but we’ve now been without a washing machine for over 2 weeks. Luckily we went to visit our family last week (they’re in Essex, we’re in Nottingham) so got some washing done. There isn’t a laundromat within walking distance and my partner works full time so can’t get to one either.  

Is there any other compensation we may be able to ask for/be entitled too? 

Thanks in advance 
Lauren 

SaverRate

StarNoStar said:

Hi all,

Long time lurker  but this is my first post And I’m after some help/opinions.

Our washing machine  was replaced in April 2020 after a recall.
It started making a really loud noise during normal cycles at the end of November. 

My partner and I investigated and found that the front counterweight was broken so we have stopped using the machine. 

We went online and found the correct part and ordered it on 2nd December , only for it to arrive broken in half on 10th December. 

I took photos of the broken part and sent them to whirlpool and also called and they promised a new part would be sent out special delivery that day. 

However, 8 days later a new counterweight arrived but it was also cracked in the middle. I have sent another email and tried to call but no luck getting a person on the phone this morning. 

I’m obviously going to ask for a refund but we’ve now been without a washing machine for over 2 weeks. Luckily we went to visit our family last week (they’re in Essex, we’re in Nottingham) so got some washing done. There isn’t a laundromat within walking distance and my partner works full time so can’t get to one either.  

Is there any other compensation we may be able to ask for/be entitled too? 

Thanks in advance 
Lauren 

I assume the machine is out of warranty now? You may be lucky but definitely worth asking if they will provide any compensation but Whirlpool could blame the courier for the damaged counterweight. Can you source the replacement counterweight from a nearby repair shop or similar to avoid the courier? 

Another solution would be to ask Whirlpool to send out an engineer with the replacement part for them to fit if it is the courier damaging them? However I doubt they will do that for free but again worth asking as a way of compensation maybe?

Aylesbury_Duck

No harm in asking, but I suggest referring to it as a goodwill gesture rather than compensation.  If you ask for compensation, they might reasonably ask you to provide evidence of your losses, which aren't going to amount to anything because you've worked around the problem so far.

zoob

I think you've being very unlucky being supplied 2 faulty parts, certainly you can and are entitled to a refund on the price off the part ordered
 But compensation very unlikely at this stage as 4 weeks is the limit of what is considered a reasonable period for non essential household appliances to be repaired even under warranty.

Assuming Hotpoint exchanged your recalled machine April 2020 I suspect there wasn't a new contract formed and any warranty or consumer rights start at the original purchase date off the original machine 

TELLIT01

Having the same replacement part delivered broken on two separate occasions suggest that packaging is not good enough.  I would complain on that element as much as anything else.

StarNoStar

Thank you for the replies.
 The second part had much better packaging but unfortunately it was still broken. 

I agree that a new contract/warranty wouldn’t have started last April when the machine was replaced.
Also yes, I don’t have receipts showing any financial loss as such.
I’m going to call them tomorrow and ask for a refund and just see if they’re willing to do anything else as a goodwill gesture =]

StarNoStar

So I’ve just called again and been told I can either have a refund OR have the part re sent out. 

StarNoStar

Received a third counterweight today  would anyone agree this is faulty as the crack is only going to get worse if put in the machine? 

Aylesbury_Duck

Yep, that's going to crack the minute any bolt going through that hole is tightened.  And if not, it will crack the first time the machine spins.