Washer dryer broken further by repairer

RedQueenie

Hiya I'm hoping someone may be able to offer me some advise on the following problem.
My washer dryer developed a fault and was not drying anymore. I signed up to a Domestic and General 'Repair and Care' plan for £16 a month. The engineer came out and said I needed a new fan. The fan was ordered and the same engineer came out to fit it. He then left saying he had tested it and it was working fine and he would close the job.
A few days later I put a wash on. The machine was making a clanking sound which concerned me but when it finished everything was washed and it had dried. The second time I used the machine it again made the same clanking sound but as everything was fine the last time I ignored it. This time though the washing was washed but the dryer was not working again and everything was still wet.
I called D&G and they sent out another engineer. This engineer said the fan had been fitted incorrectly and a part was missing. He was unable to get the inlet valve back on as it had become worn from taking it on and off too many time. He ordered the parts and left. 
I was now unable to use the washing machine at all.
D&G refused to pay for the parts and said I needed to make a Public Liability clam against the fist engineers company. I called them and they asked me for a report off the second engineer which I emailed to them. They then said they would send out a supervisor to take a look. This took another week. 
The supervisor arrived and said the fan had hit the condenser and that was why the machine wasn't working but the fan looked fine. I got him to speak to my sister and she asked why the fan would hit the condenser if it had been fitted correctly and if there should have been a part fitted to stop it from doing so. It was then he said she was right there was a part missing and he would need to speak to the engineer that originally fitted it. When asked what the name of the part was that was fitted he said there was no missing part???
Today we received a quote to repair the machine. It was over £600. I tried calling and was asked to call again Monday.
I have been without a working machine for 3 weeks. I care for my elderly mother who is incontinent so have been having to hand wash everything as there is no laundrette close by and I don't drive. I explained this to them. They seem to be dragging their feet and trying to cover their own backs.
Is there anything else I can do? I have thought about contacting the ombudsman. Will they need to inspect the broken machine as I need a new machine now and I have nowhere to store broken one.
I hope someone can offer me some advise

powerful_Rogue

RedQueenie said:

Hiya I'm hoping someone may be able to offer me some advise on the following problem.
My washer dryer developed a fault and was not drying anymore. I signed up to a Domestic and General 'Repair and Care' plan for £16 a month. The engineer came out and said I needed a new fan. The fan was ordered and the same engineer came out to fit it. He then left saying he had tested it and it was working fine and he would close the job.
A few days later I put a wash on. The machine was making a clanking sound which concerned me but when it finished everything was washed and it had dried. The second time I used the machine it again made the same clanking sound but as everything was fine the last time I ignored it. This time though the washing was washed but the dryer was not working again and everything was still wet.
I called D&G and they sent out another engineer. This engineer said the fan had been fitted incorrectly and a part was missing. He was unable to get the inlet valve back on as it had become worn from taking it on and off too many time. He ordered the parts and left. 
I was now unable to use the washing machine at all.
D&G refused to pay for the parts and said I needed to make a Public Liability clam against the fist engineers company. I called them and they asked me for a report off the second engineer which I emailed to them. They then said they would send out a supervisor to take a look. This took another week. 
The supervisor arrived and said the fan had hit the condenser and that was why the machine wasn't working but the fan looked fine. I got him to speak to my sister and she asked why the fan would hit the condenser if it had been fitted correctly and if there should have been a part fitted to stop it from doing so. It was then he said she was right there was a part missing and he would need to speak to the engineer that originally fitted it. When asked what the name of the part was that was fitted he said there was no missing part???
Today we received a quote to repair the machine. It was over £600. I tried calling and was asked to call again Monday.
I have been without a working machine for 3 weeks. I care for my elderly mother who is incontinent so have been having to hand wash everything as there is no laundrette close by and I don't drive. I explained this to them. They seem to be dragging their feet and trying to cover their own backs.
Is there anything else I can do? I have thought about contacting the ombudsman. Will they need to inspect the broken machine as I need a new machine now and I have nowhere to store broken one.
I hope someone can offer me some advise

The ombudsman won't inspect your machine. They look at the evidence presented from yourself and by D&G. This is also not a quick process.

What do the T&C's of the 'repair and care' plan say regarding this situation?

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

RedQueenie said:

D&G refused to pay for the parts and said I needed to make a Public Liability clam against the fist engineers company. 

Question for other forum regulars, I assume D&G get around being classed as insurance?

OP what do the terms say about the set up, seems odd they expect you to chase the company the engineer belong to when paying £16 a month for plan (rather than D&G being a middleman to organise a one off job for example)? 

powerful_Rogue

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

RedQueenie said:

D&G refused to pay for the parts and said I needed to make a Public Liability clam against the fist engineers company. 

Question for other forum regulars, I assume D&G get around being classed as insurance?

OP what do the terms say about the set up, seems odd they expect you to chase the company the engineer belong to when paying £16 a month for plan (rather than D&G being a middleman to organise a one off job for example)? 

Their website says:

Service plans and maintenance and support plans are provided by Domestic & General Services Limited. Insurance policies are provided by Domestic & General Insurance PLC. Domestic & General Insurance PLC is not an insurance intermediary. We’re the underwriter of the insurance policies and don’t provide personal recommendations or advice.

Domestic & General Insurance PLC is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Financial register number 202111

RedQueenie

I did try speaking to D&G first and hit a brick wall. After the second engineer they did offer a replacement washer dryer but when I tried to use the link they provided if failed. They then refunded my 2 months of £16 and said I needed to make a public liability claim.
My concern is I haven't a clue about washer dryers and the person sent round was a supervisor for the company who I guess will have the companies best interest at heart. I have the word of the second engineer that the first repair is what broke the machine further, but I think they will use my lack of knowledge to deny any wrong doing.
I think they know I urgently need a washing machine and are hoping I just drop it (which I feel like doing). I just feel so stressed with it all.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

powerful_Rogue said:

Their website says:

Service plans and maintenance and support plans are provided by Domestic & General Services Limited. Insurance policies are provided by Domestic & General Insurance PLC. Domestic & General Insurance PLC is not an insurance intermediary. We’re the underwriter of the insurance policies and don’t provide personal recommendations or advice.

Thanks Looks like the service plans are not insurance.

OP have you considered getting a local appliance repair person out?

They should hopefully put something in writing to confirm the repair was not carried out with due care and skill and they might not charge £600 for a repair.

Sorry if you've said and I've missed but how old is it and how much did it cost new?

You need to work out it's "value" in terms of lifespan vs time owned and determine what level of repair costs would be feasible. 

If they are then have it repaired and make a claim for the repair costs + the report.

If they aren't then make a claim for the depreciated value of the machine + the report. 

It's just a question of who the claim is with, I would have thought D&G but might depend on their terms. 

RedQueenie said:

 They then refunded my 2 months of £16 and said I needed to make a public liability claim.

Out of interest did they do this as goodwill and you still have the plan or did they just cancel the agreement?

RedQueenie

I'm fairly certain D&G cancelled the policy as the parts needed would cost too much to repair. They refunded me due to the machine not being cost effective to repair.
My issue is that if they had fitted the fan correctly I would have a working machine. The inspection from the first company is now saying I need a new condenser and water inlet pipe at a cost of £600.
I could pay for someone else to come out but I'm fairly sure the parts are going to cost the same and I will have to pay for an engineers visit. It's all money I could put towards a new machine. Plus it will be another week of handwashing dirty sheets, clothing and underwear. I'm the sole carer of my 84 year mother and I have a part time job.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

RedQueenie said:

I'm fairly certain D&G cancelled the policy as the parts needed would cost too much to repair. They refunded me due to the machine not being cost effective to repair.
My issue is that if they had fitted the fan correctly I would have a working machine. The inspection from the first company is now saying I need a new condenser and water inlet pipe at a cost of £600.
I could pay for someone else to come out but I'm fairly sure the parts are going to cost the same and I will have to pay for an engineers visit. It's all money I could put towards a new machine. Plus it will be another week of handwashing dirty sheets, clothing and underwear. I'm the sole carer of my 84 year mother and I have a part time job.

I do agree but the person making the claim has burden of proof so unless you can get something on paper/email/whatsapp/etc from the company that bodged the repair to admit fault, it is best to have an independent inspection, the cost of which you'd clam back. 

If the cost of repair is uneconomical buy a new machine and as above claim for the depreciated value of the machine + the report.  

RedQueenie

I do have an email from the second engineer saying that a seal had not been installed causing the fan to fuse to the air duct.
However the supervisor from the first company said the fan was fine and it was the condenser that was broken. When I asked about the seal not being fitted he said it had.
When my sister spoke to him and asked why the fan would hit the condenser he said because there was a part missing but he would have to speak to the engineer that fitted it to find out why. I asked what the part was and he said there wasn't a part missing. I'm wishing I had recorded the call when he spoke to my sister.
I could ask the second engineer to come back and take a look, but I get the feeling it's going to turn into a back and forth.
Would it be worth getting a second report and reporting to the ombudsman to make a claim for the depreciated value of the machine and report and if so which category would it come under?

RedQueenie

I also have the report from the first engineer confirm the machine had been fixed and was working. Which it clearly wasn't as it was making a clanking sound the first time I used it after his visit.

ThumbRemote

I think that your best option is to buy a replacement washer/dryer (assuming you can afford it) and then chase D&G for the value of the old one. 

It could take months to get anywhere with them, and realistically your first priority needs to be a working machine.