Bosch Coffee Machine - Repair?

LostMyMSEAccount

I own a Bosch coffee machine, a VeroCaffe LattePro. This machine wasn't cheap and was a gift from my previous place of work. It developed a fault a few days ago and has progressively gotten worse to the point that now it simply doesn't produce coffee. Perhaps my fault that I should have stopped, but here I was thinking it might fix itself.

Anyway, long story short, I search Bosch coffee machine repair and Bosch have a website:

https://www.bosch-home.co.uk/customer-service/get-support/coffee-maker-repair

Now, first the good news, in the first 2 years your repairs are free, but mine isn't less than 2 years old... but no matter, only £99 fixed fee to repair. I phoned up Bosch who told me, this actually isn't the case. In fact, the whole £99 thing is just nonsense.

The guy on the phone started talking about call out fees for washing machines and fitted coffee machines. I did explain politely that the website clearly has a freestanding coffee  machine as the photo and quotes £99, but computer said no. 

Bosch want me to post the unit back to them, they will then inspect it and give me a bill but in all likelihood, it'll cost several hundreds of pounds to repair and I might as well buy a new one... said the lad on the phone.

Terrific. One of those things I guess, I'll be avoiding Bosch going forward.

TELLIT01

Look for an e-mail address for customer service and write to them explaining you telephone conversation and if possible, a screenshot of the £99 fixed price repair.  You may well have been speaking to somebody who only has a script to follow, and 'computer said No'.

cx6

you could post a photo, model number and description of the fault on the techie board - someone may be able to advise.

jon81uk

Have you tried booking it online? Book a Repair Online | Bosch UK (bosch-home.co.uk)
Although this page only refers to the £99 as a call out fee for large applicances.
See Bosch Repair Service | Bosch UK (bosch-home.co.uk) where it advises small appliances need to be sent to them after you call the call centre. Also terms state parts are chargeable, the £99 only covers call-out and labour Repair Terms and Conditions | Bosch UK (bosch-home.co.uk).

It does appear the advice given on the phone reflects the current website. I can't find the page you linked to by clicking on the page so it may be out of date How did you find it?
This appears to be the current version Repair automatic coffee machines (bosch-home.co.uk)

born_again

Are you sure that the £99 fixed price repair was actually from Bosch & not one of the many companies that offer to repair their goods.?

https://www.bosch-home.co.uk/customer-service/repair-service
>>If your Bosch appliance is out of warranty, then the repair will be chargeable. Our call-out charge outside of the M25 is £99.00 including VAT, and within the M25 our call-out charge is £109.00 including VAT. The call-out charge covers the engineers call-out and labour, no matter how long the repair takes to complete. All replacement spare parts are charged additionally.<<

Many like the one below are not Bosch...

Bosch Appliance Repairs - Fixed Price Repairs: From £59

Ad·https://www.halifaxrepairs.co.uk/book-now/halifax

jon81uk

born_again said:

Are you sure that the £99 fixed price repair was actually from Bosch & not one of the many companies that offer to repair their goods.?

The link the OP gave is to the Bosch website, so it is genuine. But appears to be old and out of date as I can't find it linked to from the site.

Now https://www.bosch-home.co.uk/customer-service/get-support/repair-automatic-coffee-machines is linked to from https://www.bosch-home.co.uk/customer-service/get-support/coffee-machines

But the OP found the page https://www.bosch-home.co.uk/customer-service/get-support/coffee-maker-repair which doesn't appear to be linked to within the site.

LostMyMSEAccount

I simply Googled Bosch Coffee Machine repair:

https://www.google.com/search?q=bosch+coffee+machine+repair&oq=BOSCH+&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j0i67j69i60l5.1504j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

It's the top, Coffee Machine Repair. In fairness, I didn't spot the automatic coffee machine repair link. My unit is actually the Pro unit of the one in the photo, so that's the page I needed to be on My bad, I guess.

However, it's not all doom and gloom. As a last throw of the dice, I stripped the brewing unit out which seemed to be making some rather funky noises, and sunk it in a bowl of boiling hot water. I had cleaned it a few times but not quite as intensively. The back of these units are basically sealed, so there's only one part you can clean and that's the brewing unit. I also gave the insides where the brew unit sits with some compressed air (i suspect not the fix). I reinserted the brewing unit, put it on a rinse cycle and it sprung into life and cleaned itself out and now 'touchwood' is working again. Had two or three coffees since to test. Hopefully it hasn't banjo'd any of the gear linkages or transmission inside. If that fails, the units a write off.

I guess there must have been some kind of blockage that wasn't clearly visible, but it's not as if these machines tell you much when they start playing up. I guess the solution is to stop when you first spot an issue.

I still will be avoiding Bosch though. If the link is out of date, it needs taking down surely?

Thanks all

Flight3287462

I have a De Longhi that stopped working and after a lot of digging discovered that if you soaked the pod (see photo) in vinegar for a day or so it cleaned the whole thing out. I need to do it every 10-12 months.  I haven't a clue how yours works but that may help.

theonlywayisup

Flight3287462 said:

I have a De Longhi that stopped working and after a lot of digging discovered that if you soaked the pod (see photo) in vinegar for a day or so it cleaned the whole thing out. I need to do it every 10-12 months.  I haven't a clue how yours works but that may help.

I don't know but you are referring to a 'pod'.  That isn't the same as the machine the OP has is a 'bean to cup'.  A different beast.  Unless I've misunderstood your post. 

LostMyMSEAccount

You are correct. Mine is bean to cup. You can run vinegar through them, so I've heard but I am always fearful of nuking the seals etc. I've run orange cleaner through it in the past though.