Washing Machine fault

magictorch1976

Hey everyone.

I was just after sounding off for some advice as to whether I can or should take this further?

Purchased a Bosch washing machine in May 2017. Not particularly cheap - £749 from Currys - a Serie 8 i-DOS WAWH8660GB.

In March 2018, it had a service call for a part that had become detached inside. In October 2018,the i-DOS function failed, resulting in a replacement dispenser drawer. The same thing happened in Jan 2019, April 2019, August 2020, March 2021 and the same part has just failed again. 

The machine has had 7 service calls, 6 for the same issue. It's more inconvenient and costly, rather than it prevents the machine from functioning at all - it just can't have fabric softner added to the wash whilst the part is out of service and I just switch to powder rather than liquid.

It's getting a bit tedious now. I complained to Currys last year via Resolver. They logged the case then shut it with not even as much as an email and to be honest I didn't follow it up.

The machine is approaching 5 years old now and I appreciate things go wrong, but the fault first manifested itself 1yr5 months after purchase and has been "regular" ever since.

Do I have to just suck it up and deal with it, or is there something else I should be doing to get some form of redress. The thing is, when the function fails, the machine doesn't give an error, it just washes without any detergent so the only way I know it's not working it to either watch it from start to finish to see if the liquid goes in, (boring as hell,) stick my ear to the dispenser drawer to see if I can hear the dispense pumps running, or realise that the clothes come out smelling a wetter version of when they went in, (and with my socks that 'aint a good thing). I then have to re-wash it all again and with the electricity going up - that's something we can all ill-afford to be doing. Then Bosch can never send an engineer for weeks on end.  

I've opened a case with Currys again via Resolver but I'd be grateful for some advice on "rights" if any, and what the next best steps are. I'm sure after this length of time I can't reject the machine but technically, the fault first happened the year after the machine was purchased. 

That said, perhaps I should have moaned at them sooner however when you have a fault repaired, I suppose you expect it to be repaired and not keep coming back. Looking on Google, there ain't much but there are some posts regarding the Bosch i-DOS system related to Bosch Australia where people are constantly complaining about it and said it's a design flaw, because it keeps failing. If that were the case, I'd expect more noise about it here in the UK as Bosch is a popular brand. 

It's my own fault - the latest tech isn't always the best tech!

Each time, they've replaced the faulty part in full, and I did get Bosch to extend the guarantee a further year at no cost, but that's now expired in May 2021. 

Thanks so much for any advice. 

Cheers. 

TELLIT01

In this instance I think I would probably write / e-mail Bosch with the catalogue of problems and see how they respond.  It's almost impossible to get sense out of anybody from Currys so I wouldn't waste time with them. 

My 'best' with Currys was some years ago when I bought a video recorder for about £80 with 3 year manufacturers warranty.  Currys then tried to sell me an extended warranty which cost more than the recorder.  They seemed totally non-plussed when I said I would be better to buy another recorder and keep that as a spare.

magictorch1976

OK good advice. I had thought about that but had also been reading that the Consumer Rights Act, (which applies because the machine was bought a couple of years I think after it came in,) that the beef was with the retailer not the manufacturer?

We were the last family on planet Earth to get a video recorder  but we did get a front-loader rather than a top-loader..... 

bris

I stopped buying the expesive white goods brands a long time ago when I realised you are just paying for the name.

There is as many coplaints about them as the cheaper brands so if a cheaper brand goes at least its half the price.

Manxman_in_exile

magictorch1976 said:

... but had also been reading that the Consumer Rights Act, (which applies because the machine was bought a couple of years I think after it came in,) that the beef was with the retailer not the manufacturer? ...

That's correct - but after nearly five years it might be a bit difficult to go down that route - you should have acted years ago and told Currys it really wasn't acceptable.  Plus if you were entitled to any refund under the 2015 Consumer Rights Act, Currys would be entitled to reduce the refund by up to 100% of the purchase price to reflect the (admittedly troubled) use that you've had from it.

I think you've left it too late to complain to Currys.

magictorch1976 said:

... We were the last family on planet Earth to get a video recorder  but we did get a front-loader rather than a top-loader..... 

Are you sure of that?  What year... ?

Morglin

In the short term, can you not just use one of those laundry pods, with built in fabric conditioner, that you put directly on top of the washing, in the drum?

As long as the water goes in, the clothes would be washed properly.

Manxman_in_exile

Morglin said:

In the short term, can you not just use one of those laundry pods, with built in fabric conditioner, that you put directly on top of the washing, in the drum?

As long as the water goes in, the clothes would be washed properly.

I suppose that if you buy a "smart" washing machine (which by definition just has more things than an ordinary w/m to break or to go wrong) then you really don't want to be bothered doing anything manually with it except put the clothes in... 

magictorch1976

Manxman_in_exile said:

Are you sure of that?  What year... ?

1984........ can you beat?

magictorch1976

Morglin said:

In the short term, can you not just use one of those laundry pods, with built in fabric conditioner, that you put directly on top of the washing, in the drum?

As long as the water goes in, the clothes would be washed properly.

Yes that's what I'm doing so it's OK once I know the problem exists. The machine doesn't error code or anything when the pumps fail. 

I run a small IT company - it's my own fault for playing with tech 

I contacted Bosch, to be fair they are straight back to me and have said they've noted on the callout that the engineer is to phone through to their management team when he is on-site to "discuss next steps."

Can't say fairer than that at this stage 

Manxman_in_exile

magictorch1976 said:

Manxman_in_exile said:

Are you sure of that?  What year... ?

1984........ can you beat?

I think so - September 1988, Seoul Olympics.  (As you might guess from my previous comment about "smart machines", I'm not exactly an early adopter of new-fangled technologies, but I am an avid sports fan).

mikb

bris said:

I stopped buying the expesive white goods brands a long time ago when I realised you are just paying for the name.

There is as many coplaints about them as the cheaper brands so if a cheaper brand goes at least its half the price.

There's a saying "buy cheap, buy twice!" -- but in cases like this, buying three cheap ones and no extended warranty, you'd still come out ahead

On the "last person to finally adapt to VHS" ...

magictorch1976 said:

Manxman_in_exile said:

Are you sure of that?  What year... ?

1984........ can you beat?

Easily. First VHS recorder, 1992. Ferguson Videostar front loader, to timeshift programmes while at Uni.