Tumble dryer fault - Can engineer charge under warranty?

ripplyuk

This Zenith dryer is almost a year old. I noticed a slight burning smell soon after I got it but I thought it was just the chemicals from being new. It has got much worse over time. I checked Zenith’s customer service page and they say it’s still under warranty so they will arrange an engineer but the terms & conditions are worrying. Previously I had a washing machine that would flood the kitchen and the engineer didn’t find the fault. He didn’t even bother looking for the fault. He spent 5 mins chatting to me and then left, writing ‘no fault found’ on the paperwork. If that happens with this engineer visit, Zenith are going to charge me, and I have to agree to it before they will send an engineer at all. Is there anything I can do to avoid paying this? It seems very unfair. 

[Deleted User]

It seems very fair that a charge is made for calling an engineer out when there is no fault.

You won't be able to overturn that condition.

molerat

That is the same with any warranty, if they find no fault or the fault is down to misuse they can charge.

grumbler

Deleted_User said:

It seems very fair that a charge is made for calling an engineer out when there is no fault.

Well,  "there is no fault"  and "engineer finds no ... fault" aren't exactly the same things.

MarvinDay

In all honesty, I would be more inclined to think that you could be charged due to this term in the warranty:

Noticing a burning smell shortly after purchase and then continuing to use the appliance for close to a year could well have caused what was a small problem to become far bigger and more expensive to repair and may well class as neglect or misuse.

Also, with the extensive coverage in all the media about house fires caused by faulty tumble driers, I'm simply astounded that you continued using yours despite getting a smell of burning from it.

ripplyuk

Perhaps I didn’t explain this clearly. I’m not talking about non-faulty appliances and time wasters calling engineers out for nothing. I’m talking about engineers not bothering to look for the fault. If the customer has to pay if they don’t find any fault, it seems like a strong incentive not to find one.

I can’t see any way round this. I have to tick that box or they won’t come out. If as happened previously, the engineer does nothing, I will have to pay a charge which is likely to be over half the original cost of the appliance. I would be happy if the clause said something like ‘If no fault is found after all reasonable efforts’ but it doesn’t say that.  Why would they make any effort at all? The clause they have means they can make a lot of money for doing nothing at all. 

ripplyuk

@MarvinDay It did improve initially and wasn’t used much for a while after that. It’s only recently it’s become a serious problem. The initial burning smell was reported to Zenith at the time. 

EssexExile

There is no reason why the engineer this time will be as useless as the the other one you mention. When I was working we never charged for in guarantee calls, no matter what the reason was, companies have got tighter recently though, British Gas for  example take your card details before they'll even send someone.