Retailer - Out of warranty actions

RetailerKling

Hi - I will start by saying that this retailer is my employer and I utilised my staff discount promotion for the purchase of a cooker in July 2020. I paid for the installation services etc which came in at a balance paid of £450.00.

No additional warranty was purchased, leaving me with just a 12 month manufacturer warranty/labour and a 10 year parts. The 12 months warranty has since expired within the past 5-6 months. A (Possibly minor) fault has developed with the bottom oven on the cooker now - It's producing a low flame and the heat output is almost nil - Taking additional hours to cook the most basic foodstuff.

I am familiar with the retailing world and expectations that are set - I knew I likely had to obtain an independent report detailing the fault and the company would recompense the cost of this report. I raised the issue with our employer customer services team and they confirmed this was correct - An independent report is needed as a first step on the ladder. I asked for verification on what to do - ie. Obtain the report, get a quote for a repair or just get the report - I was told as an absolute that no repair must be carried out and the independent report is what is only needed.

I acquired contact numbers for several cooker engineers in my area and every one of them refused to come out to complete the report. Understandably they all wanted the repair attached to it rather than spending 30 minutes (<Less) compiling a report on a potential manufacturer defect. I took their responses to my employer customer services and after discussion agreed to call our in-house out of warranty repair line.

They also confirmed that they will not come out just to do a report and they would expect a repair at the end of it. This left me rooted back to square one.

I was told then by our customer service team that the expectation at the end of this will be for them as the retailer to come and COLLECT the appliance for a pro rata refund. Regardless of the outcome of obtaining this indepent report they will NOT exchange the appliance. A direct replacement cannot be carried out because the model has since discontinued, but they have refused to exchange the appliance to a like-for-like alternative which is available.

As such - What they have tabled is "Obtain an indepent report - We'll refund £300.00 (A deduction of <£150.00) or "We'll refund £300.00 to a store card without obtaining an independent report". None of these are financially acceptable for me given I will be at a monetary loss of over £100.00 for the retail purchase BUT if I want to buy a new one I would have to effectively pay an extra £100.00 to bring me up to the cost of the model I originally had.

I have liaised with them over this past week and they are not budging. It is my view that while they cannot replace to the same model they should at a very minimum offer an exchange to a like-for-like alternative. The conversations that I am having with them are starting to get semi-heated now as I feel that they're not doing enough as a means of resolving the matter - However unlike every day customers I have to keep any frustrations in check (Which I do anyway).

• Cooker out of warranty by 5-6 months
• No additional warranty
• Retailer refusing to allow an independent repair (Or in-house repair)
• Retailer is only offering a collection for refund (Either monetarily or as store card) with a £100+ deduction due to out of warranty
• Model is discontinued. Company had a recent policy change meaning we're (They're) no longer offering exchanges to alternative manufacturers
• ^ They have also refused to offer an alternative to a same-manufacturer appliance

As above, I do have to tread very carefully when it comes to threats of Sales of Goods/legal standpoints, however I don't feel they are doing enough to assist on this matter.

SaverRate

Okay so you need to prove the item has been faulty since purchase. This is where the report happens. I understand nobody will do it but you still need to prove its faulty since purchase. 

Without the above they have been very generous with the £300 offer. 

zoob

Could be dirt, or something blocking the jets or flame spreader, neither would be covered by CRA2015 and totally not covered under any warranty 
Also you could make use off the 10 year parts warranty and call out the manufacturer's engineer 
Most manufacturer's will do a report for you and if it finds in your favor, ie inherent fault causing the issue, your entitled to get the report refunded by the retailer 

RetailerKling

Of course yes the £300 would be generous without obtaining the report they require. I will still question it further afield to see if a report can be obtained so with enough enquiries I likely will find someone.

I would be looking at an exchange to a like-for-like exchange, that would be be all-end all and it is/was something well within their remit a few months ago, but seemingly they're refusing

born_again

Why did no one want to simply give a report.
Easy money for them.
Look at oven, write report. Charge you £100. A lot easier than having to repair it.

So you still have the 10 year parts warranty, as a option to have it fixed or take £300 and go and buy a new cooker elsewhere.

Sometimes it's better to play away & pay full price or as you find, you are stuck between a rock & hard place.

zoob

After 6 months a retailer is aloud to deduct for age and usage as you've had 
The reduced value should reflect the second hand value off the said cooker on the open market, even if they replaced the cooker they can replace with second hand model off the same age 

comeandgo

RetailerKling said:

Of course yes the £300 would be generous without obtaining the report they require. I will still question it further afield to see if a report can be obtained so with enough enquiries I likely will find someone.

I would be looking at an exchange to a like-for-like exchange, that would be be all-end all and it is/was something well within their remit a few months ago, but seemingly they're refusing

You would be happy with an 18 month old replacement?  I’d take the money and buy a new one.

JJ_Egan

Sale Of Goods Act no longer applies its replaced by the Consumer Rights in 2015 .

Certainly reads as they are doing more than they need to  .Especially as they have no obligation to provide a like for like ( unless you mean used ).

bris

It's not just a report needed though, it's a report to state an inherent fault, thats not an easy thing to do.

It's faulty yes anyone attending will know that, but why? Not many engineers like me can say why it's developed the fault, thats a very specialist thing and out of scope for a normal gas engineer.

As already said though it may just need a clean out, getting a service may fix the problem as the jets may just be blocked with burnt food.