Faulty Washing Machine That is 19 Months Old...Who Should Pay To Repair or Replace?

milgo

I purchased a new Hotpoint washing machine 7/9/2020 from an online retailer.  8 months & 21 days later (31/3/2021) the main control board failed and this was replaced by Hotpoint. The machine is now (16/2/2022) throwing up the same error code as in the previous fault, so 10 months 16 days after the last repair.  So the machine age from new is 19 months.  

I have just been on the phone to Hotpoint who are expecting me to either (a) pay £125 for a one off fixed price repair or (b) take out a 12 month £15 service plan that will cover this repair and any other faults in the next 12 months.

Personally I don't think that I should be paying anything to have a machine that is capable of doing the job that it was purchased to do after only 19 months.  I'm happy to be convinced otherwise if you think that my expectations are to too great.

Which brings me to the main question...who should I be pursuing to get the machine repaired or replaced and what is the likelihood of this course of action being successful?

Thanks

Aylesbury_Duck

milgo said:

I purchased a new Hotpoint washing machine 7/9/2020 from an online retailer.  8 months & 21 days later (31/3/2021) the main control board failed and this was replaced by Hotpoint. The machine is now (16/2/2022) throwing up the same error code as in the previous fault, so 10 months 16 days after the last repair.  So the machine age from new is 19 months.  

I have just been on the phone to Hotpoint who are expecting me to either (a) pay £125 for a one off fixed price repair or (b) take out a 12 month £15 service plan that will cover this repair and any other faults in the next 12 months.

Personally I don't think that I should be paying anything to have a machine that is capable of doing the job that it was purchased to do after only 19 months.  I'm happy to be convinced otherwise if you think that my expectations are to too great.

Which brings me to the main question...who should I be pursuing to get the machine repaired or replaced and what is the likelihood of this course of action being successful?

Thanks

Consumer rights are exercised against the retailer, not Hotpoint, so speak to them and see what they say.  They are entitled to insist you have it inspected to show the problem is an inherent one, before they take any action.

Did you go through the retailer when the problem first arose, and did they then refer you to Hotpoint?  What you've probably done is go through the warranty route, which is separate to consumer rights.

shiraz99

Your statutory consumer rights are with the retailer, so you will need to approach them for a remedy. Bear in mind that under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 after 6 months the seller can insist the buyer to prove that any fault was inherent to manufacture rather than simply down to wear & tear, user damage or misuse etc.

Sandtree

If you went through the retailer to Hotpoint for the original fault then you'd be in your rights to reject the goods for a refund however its still up to you to prove the fault and they could reduce your refund to reflect the use.... not all retailers do either of these things but its their right to if they want.

milgo

Yes I went to the retailer with the 1st fault and they directed me to the manufacturer for a warranty repair.

milgo

shiraz99 said:

Your statutory consumer rights are with the retailer, so you will need to approach them for a remedy. Bear in mind that under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 after 6 months the seller can insist the buyer to prove that any fault was inherent to manufacture rather than simply down to wear & tear, user damage or misuse etc.

Okay I will engage with the retailer.  I would think that they would struggle to surmise that the main circuit board has either worn out or been damaged by myself but who knows.

shiraz99

milgo said:

Yes I went to the retailer with the 1st fault and they directed me to the manufacturer for a warranty repair.

In that case, the legislation states that the seller is only allowed one attempt at a repair, after which you can reject for a refund, albeit partial to take into account the usage you've already had from the machine. However if you're happy for another repair then you can still push for that. You just need to mention the CRA and state that the washing machine isn't of satisfactory quality given that it's failing for a second time for what you believe is the same fault and that you now require either another repair or alternate remedy, ie, replacement machine or some sort of refund.

Who was the seller?

milgo

shiraz99 said:

milgo said:

Yes I went to the retailer with the 1st fault and they directed me to the manufacturer for a warranty repair.

In that case, the legislation states that the seller is only allowed one attempt at a repair, after which you can reject for a refund, albeit partial to take into account the usage you've already had from the machine. However if you're happy for another repair then you can still push for that. You just need to mention the CRA and state that the washing machine isn't of satisfactory quality given that it's failing for a second time for what you believe is the same fault and that you now require either another repair or alternate remedy, ie, replacement machine or some sort of refund.

Who was the seller?

Online retailer was AO

Aylesbury_Duck

milgo said:

shiraz99 said:

milgo said:

Yes I went to the retailer with the 1st fault and they directed me to the manufacturer for a warranty repair.

In that case, the legislation states that the seller is only allowed one attempt at a repair, after which you can reject for a refund, albeit partial to take into account the usage you've already had from the machine. However if you're happy for another repair then you can still push for that. You just need to mention the CRA and state that the washing machine isn't of satisfactory quality given that it's failing for a second time for what you believe is the same fault and that you now require either another repair or alternate remedy, ie, replacement machine or some sort of refund.

Who was the seller?

Online retailer was AO

Known by some as "Eh? Oh..."

shiraz99

milgo said:

shiraz99 said:

milgo said:

Yes I went to the retailer with the 1st fault and they directed me to the manufacturer for a warranty repair.

In that case, the legislation states that the seller is only allowed one attempt at a repair, after which you can reject for a refund, albeit partial to take into account the usage you've already had from the machine. However if you're happy for another repair then you can still push for that. You just need to mention the CRA and state that the washing machine isn't of satisfactory quality given that it's failing for a second time for what you believe is the same fault and that you now require either another repair or alternate remedy, ie, replacement machine or some sort of refund.

Who was the seller?

Online retailer was AO

Better than Currys I suppose for getting a resolution, but not by much 😉