Zanussi claiming they are not the manufacturer of my Zanussi kettle, and won't tell me who is...

Tunstallstoven

Hi all

I bought a Zanussi kettle just over a year ago, bought through a retailer on eBay.  

After a few months the lid broke.  I contacted the eBay seller, who - apparently** - then contacted Zanussi and was told that this due to not enough care being taken.  That made no sense at all, but will spare the details as to why for now. 

A while later I contacted Zanussi directly to discuss.  They said that they are not the manufacturer.  The kettle, the box, the instructions etc all have Zanussi written on them, but they said they just sell the name to another manufacturer and it is nothing to do with them.  When I then ask who the manufacturer is and who I can contact, they say they do not know and I should use google to find out for myself.  No info on the internet that I can find. 

In the meantime, the kettle stopped working altogether (no power).  It had JUST passed the year date when it stopped working (the broken lid was well within the year though).  

It all seems a bit first-world Kafka-esque to me!  Is this quite normal?  Are Zanussi in the wrong?  Is there anything I can do?  Really not happy about it tbh.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Many thanks


** "Apparently".  Aside form anything else, all of this makes a mockery of the claim from the retailer than they had spoken to Zanussi and been told by Zanussi the problem was due to user error!  
  

powerful_Rogue

Tunstallstoven said:

Hi all

I bought a Zanussi kettle just over a year ago, bought through a retailer on eBay.  

After a few months the lid broke.  I contacted the eBay seller, who - apparently** - then contacted Zanussi and was told that this due to not enough care being taken.  That made no sense at all, but will spare the details as to why for now. 

A while later I contacted Zanussi directly to discuss.  They said that they are not the manufacturer.  The kettle, the box, the instructions etc all have Zanussi written on them, but they said they just sell the name to another manufacturer and it is nothing to do with them.  When I then ask who the manufacturer is and who I can contact, they say they do not know and I should use google to find out for myself.  No info on the internet that I can find. 

In the meantime, the kettle stopped working altogether (no power).  It had JUST passed the year date when it stopped working (the broken lid was well within the year though).  

It all seems a bit first-world Kafka-esque to me!  Is this quite normal?  Are Zanussi in the wrong?  Is there anything I can do?  Really not happy about it tbh.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Many thanks


** "Apparently".  Aside form anything else, all of this makes a mockery of the claim from the retailer than they had spoken to Zanussi and been told by Zanussi the problem was due to user error!  
  

You have no consumer rights with Zanussi as you did not purchase from them. You consumer rights are against the ebay seller if they are a business.

molerat

All your rights are with the retailer, Zanussi do not have to offer you anything.  Is there a contact in the user manual ?

There does not seem to be any mention of kettles on the Zanussi or Electrolux web sites.

DE_612183

There  is a user manual you can find via google for electrolux in Sweden....

Ergates

Tunstallstoven said:

It all seems a bit first-world Kafka-esque to me!  Is this quite normal?  Are Zanussi in the wrong?  Is there anything I can do?  Really not happy about it tbh.
  

Yes/No

Zanussi could, clearly, figure out who they'd licensed the name to if they wanted to, but can't be bothered.  However, as you have no contract with them they're not obliged to be helpful and  you cannot compel them to do so.

You still have rights against the retailer though - they've tried to fob you off onto the manufacturer, don't let them.  

la531983

As an aside, how much was the item we are talking about here? Some battles simply arent worth fighting.

DullGreyGuy

Tunstallstoven said:

It all seems a bit first-world Kafka-esque to me!  Is this quite normal?  Are Zanussi in the wrong?  Is there anything I can do?  Really not happy about it tbh.

Its not uncommon for brands to licence their name to others, some will take a lot of care on who it is and what they do with it whereas others are happy as long as the royalty cheques keep getting bigger and continue to roll in.

Similarly it's not unusual for a company to use a third party manufacturer, or multiple of them, to make parts and/or assemble the thing. iPhones use screens from LG and Samsung, TCSM make the chips, they are constructed by Foxconn. In prior generations there have been claims that phones with parts from one manufacturer were better than the ones with parts from a different maker... ultimately Apple will require a minimum standard and won't punish a manufacturer that provides something better. 

Arrangements can also vary in different regions, a company may make all their own stuff for the EU market but licence their brand to another company with expertise in the MEA region. Obviously as a retailer you will be pushed to buy from your own region but it is exceptionally difficult for companies to stop you buying from other regions (remember the big supermarket -v- Levis case where they were sourcing from US and Eastern Europe to sell in the UK). 

These things tend to be corporate secrets that they dont want the world to know. Look at a Miele fridge or freezer thats not in their MasterCool range and they look exceptionally similar to the Liebherr models that are £200 cheaper. Miele used to say Liebherr did make them for them but to their specifications but now they deny any involvement.


All of it is a bit moot though because your rights are with the retailer not the manufacturer. Only in the case of significant personal injury can you pursue the manufacturer themselves. In that case it will almost certainly be the name on the tin, or kettle in this case, that has to defend and possibly pay up but their contracts with other parties may allow them to recover their losses afterwards if they dont call them as co-defendants.

Okell

Tunstallstoven said:

...
** "Apparently".  Aside form anything else, all of this makes a mockery of the claim from the retailer than they had spoken to Zanussi and been told by Zanussi the problem was due to user error!  
  

I think this ^ tells you all you need to know about the retailer...

As others have said, your rights are against the seller and not the manufacturer - whoever that might be.

Tunstallstoven

OK, thanks everyone for putting me right.  That all makes sense and glad I've learnt something today.  

I guess manufacturer's vary massively.  I remember buying a secondhand pair of Scarpa boots years ago.  They had an issue and I contacted Scarpa for advice about how to fix them.  They said not to worry, they'll send me a new pair!  I re-iterated that I'd bought them secondhand, but they still insisted on replacing with new.  

I had a similar story with a pair of speakers worth over £2k.  

la531983 said:

As an aside, how much was the item we are talking about here? Some battles simply arent worth fighting.

We're only talking £50.  It was more the principle, which in part is the money, but is also about goods that de-crapitate on you and end up at the dump in less than a year.  Really annoying.  Lessen learnt to be vigilant not just about what brand I buy, but where I buy from...  

Thanks again

Arunmor

Just go and buy the Asda 3KW kettle for £13.  Might not be the prettiest (but isn't bad) but it is a trojan of a workhorse.

Tunstallstoven

Arunmor said:

Just go and buy the Asda 3KW kettle for £13.  Might not be the prettiest (but isn't bad) but it is a trojan of a workhorse.

Thanks for the tip.  But since buying a temperature controlled kettle a few years back I wouldn't want to be without one now.  Less energy wasted.  Less steam in the kitchen.  Don't have to wait for the water to cool for certain drinks.