Faulty Washing Machine - AO/Beko

MKB2

Hi - some advice please.  We purchased a new BEKO washing machine in March 21.  We notified AO within weeks that the machine was constantly moving during the spin and jumping out of the cupboard it sits within.  They returned sorted the feet out and said its fine.  It continued intermittently to jump around, I went back to AO a few months later and they said that as they have already been out I'd need to contact BEKO.  In June 2022 the machine jumped so violently during a cycle it moved out of the cupboard and into the kitchen.  The door release opened and out came a full drum of water and flooded my kitchen.  I called BEKO and they sent an engineer who said that likely due to it jumping around so much its knocked the electrics out.  They replaced all the motherboards within it and it worked fine, for a bit then intermittently started to jump around again.  March 2023 the machine came right out of the cupboard and upon opening it, it again flooded my kitchen but this time there was even more water.  Its now out of warranty but in my eyes it hasn't been right from the start and AO will have my contact with them on file.  I went back to AO and BEKO and said its never been right and is unfit for purpose, I'd expect a washing machine to last longer than 25 months.  AO said that if the BEKO engineer says its been faulty from the start they will offer a partial refund.  Eventually after three attempts to send an engineer out somebody did arrive, clarified theres a catalogue of errors with it and they will send the report to BEKO.  Today AO called to say they won't offer me anything for it being unfit for purpose as BEKO have said the machine is repairable.  This machine has already damaged my flooring twice and now they want to repair it again.  I've been using laundrettes to wash the clothes for my family, I can ill afford to buy another machine, although granted I knew this far down the line I'd have to put something towards a new machine.  I'm at a loss.  If they won't accept that it has never been right from the start, what can I do?  I thought I had some rights by law but it appears not.  Any advice would be appreciated! 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Hello OP

You have just to advise AO you are exercising your final right to reject the goods:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/section/24/enacted

(5)A consumer who has the right to a price reduction and the final right to reject may only exercise one (not both), and may only do so in one of these situations—

(a)after one repair or one replacement, the goods do not conform to the contract;

(b)because of section 23(3) the consumer can require neither repair nor replacement of the goods; or

(c)the consumer has required the trader to repair or replace the goods, but the trader is in breach of the requirement of section 23(2)(a) to do so within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to the consumer.

"From the start" as you put it doesn't mean the machine had to dance around the kitchen from day one, just that it was manufactured with parts which presented a fault at a later date meaning the parts weren't durable to begin with.

AO know your rights (they either hope you don't or train CS to fob you off). 

Have a look on the CEO email website for AO World Plc and use the email address there to put your position across as above and ask them what address you should issue a notice before action to if they don't wish to acknowledge your final right to reject.

Their first offer to you might be low, always worth haggling, a 2 second Google suggests a washing machine should last 10 years (although that's subjective considering the price paid, i.e a budget machine might not last as long as a top of the range machine) and you'd be looking at them deducting for the use typically as lifespan vs ownership from delivery. 

Hopefully they'll see sense but come back if you need more advice  

Aylesbury_Duck

Also, remember that lifespan of a machine should be considered in terms of cycles, not time elapsed.  Two years might be unreasonable if you use the machine two or three times a week, but a family with young children, members with special needs, or lots of school/sports/work uniforms hammering a budget machine daily for two years might not represent an unreasonable lifespan.

Not that that affects your rights to a resolution, but if that resolution is a partial refund, it's certainly a consideration.

macman

Your statutory rights are those under CRA 2015 and are only with the retailer: nothing with Beko other than their own limited warranty.

MKB2

Thank you so much for your comments.  I have gone back to AO with this advice and they are reviewing the case....I await their reply. 

MKB2

Hi Have now heard back from AO.  As Beko have said that the washing machine can be repaired they are not prepared to offer us anything to go towards a replacement machine.  I think we will just have to accept that this is a fight we can't win and never order from AO or BEKO again!  Thank you for your help though. 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

MKB2 said:

Hi Have now heard back from AO.  As Beko have said that the washing machine can be repaired they are not prepared to offer us anything to go towards a replacement machine.  I think we will just have to accept that this is a fight we can't win and never order from AO or BEKO again!  Thank you for your help though. 

Hello OP

Sorry to hear, did you email the CEO office?

Just to be clear when you mention "anything to go towards a replacement machine" is that your wording or theirs?

What would happen when you reject is they give a refund and you are free to do with it as you wish   I'm wondering if the wording being used is clouding your stance. 

If you haven't emailed the CEO office, I can post a drafted email for you to send to them? 

Nearlyold

Just a thought- what were you washing when it jumped around? Is it the same type of item(s) being washed each time you get this problem.?

MKB2

So we emailed the CEO on Thursday with a final right to reject and advised them that a notice before action will follow should they refuse the right to reject.  A member of their customer service team replied that day and said that they were looking into the problem and asked us to send over all of the pictures and videos we have of the machine when it moves around.  We sent this and they called back to say that they were waiting for BEKO to come back to them.  Today they called and said that they are unable to offer us any form of partial refund as BEKO have said that the machine is repairable and they asked when BEKO can come and repair it.  My husband said no you are not repairing it yet again as the same thing will likely happen again further on down the line.  So they said ok sorry we can't help you!

The wording I used 'anything to go towards a replacement machine' was just my wording typing it out on here.

The washing machine can have anything in it when it starts moving around, bedsheets, general clothes, a jacket - virtually anything.  You never know if it will behave or start jumping around violently!

My husband is looking into the Consumer Credit Act now and putting a claim through that way.  AO just aren't interested. 

I intend to write another email back to their CEO to express my utter disgust that they are not interested in assisting us.

Aylesbury_Duck

MKB2 said:

So we emailed the CEO on Thursday with a final right to reject and advised them that a notice before action will follow should they refuse the right to reject.  A member of their customer service team replied that day and said that they were looking into the problem and asked us to send over all of the pictures and videos we have of the machine when it moves around.  We sent this and they called back to say that they were waiting for BEKO to come back to them.  Today they called and said that they are unable to offer us any form of partial refund as BEKO have said that the machine is repairable and they asked when BEKO can come and repair it.  My husband said no you are not repairing it yet again as the same thing will likely happen again further on down the line.  So they said ok sorry we can't help you!

The wording I used 'anything to go towards a replacement machine' was just my wording typing it out on here.

The washing machine can have anything in it when it starts moving around, bedsheets, general clothes, a jacket - virtually anything.  You never know if it will behave or start jumping around violently!

My husband is looking into the Consumer Credit Act now and putting a claim through that way.  AO just aren't interested. 

I intend to write another email back to their CEO to express my utter disgust that they are not interested in assisting us.

Surely you need to follow through on that, unless it was an empty threat you hoped would work but didn't?

I'm not sure the CCA route will work here, because AO are fulfilling their obligation by offering a repair.  Worth a try, though.

powerful_Rogue

MKB2 said:

So we emailed the CEO on Thursday with a final right to reject and advised them that a notice before action will follow should they refuse the right to reject.  A member of their customer service team replied that day and said that they were looking into the problem and asked us to send over all of the pictures and videos we have of the machine when it moves around.  We sent this and they called back to say that they were waiting for BEKO to come back to them.  Today they called and said that they are unable to offer us any form of partial refund as BEKO have said that the machine is repairable and they asked when BEKO can come and repair it.  My husband said no you are not repairing it yet again as the same thing will likely happen again further on down the line.  So they said ok sorry we can't help you!

The wording I used 'anything to go towards a replacement machine' was just my wording typing it out on here.

The washing machine can have anything in it when it starts moving around, bedsheets, general clothes, a jacket - virtually anything.  You never know if it will behave or start jumping around violently!

My husband is looking into the Consumer Credit Act now and putting a claim through that way.  AO just aren't interested. 

I intend to write another email back to their CEO to express my utter disgust that they are not interested in assisting us.

Can you post a redacted copy of the email you sent, because what you have typed is confusing.

Did you ask to reject the washing machine for a partial refund?

Did you ask for it to be collected and just a contribution towards a different machine?

Before you start small claims court action as you threatened, you need to be sure on what you've asked. Legally you have no right to a contribution towards another machine, so SCC would fail.