Faulty washer could have killed my kids
A mum claims her faulty washing machine could have killed her two children.
Worried mother Mandy Clinton reckons her smoking Indesit washer is a deathtrap – and it’s already been condemned by a service engineer.
Mandy’s house almost caught fire when the machine malfunctioned. Now she’s been left without a washing machine for the best part of three months.
She said: “If I had walked out the door with my husband and left that machine on, my kids could have died upstairs. People’s lives are at risk here.
“We were lucky we were in the house when it happened. This could have happened to another family. Those parents could have walked out, left the kids and they could have died.
“That’s why I have taken this to the Ayrshire Post.”
Mandy, aged 49, from Moorpark Crescent, Prestwick, works in the car servicing sector. She has been in dispute with the manufacturers for months after smoke started billowing out of the three year- old machine.
She originally brought the washing machine from AO. com but discovered it was subject to a factory recall. However, an after- sales assistant told Mandy she could use it safely in the meantime, provided she washed items at 20 degrees – a woefully inadequate setting for garments.
She fumed: “It’s been a bloody nightmare! They sent out a product recall for it three and a half months ago. They told us not to use it but we could use it if we needed to – at 20 degrees and below.
“We have tried to get a replacement but all our kitchen appliances are black. They wouldn’t give us a black one because they said they didn’t have any in stock. That’s no use to me.
“This has went on and on. After 10 weeks I called them to say I can’t go on without a washing machine, it’s costing me a fortune at the laundrette. I was told again that using it at 20 degrees would be absolutely fine. But that Friday night I came in from work, turned it on and smoke started coming out of it. My husband Hugh unplugged it and the door flew open, then water flooded the kitchen. Our vinyl floor is ruined.”
Mum to Melissa, 23 and Sam, 18, Mandy added: “I work with product recalls every day so I know what’s involved.
“Indesit have certainly done this all wrong. They have to look at this, it’s a bigger issue than they think it is. Something serious is going to happen if they don’t do something about it.”
A spokesperson for Whirlpool, who own the Indesit brand, said: “We are sorry to hear of this customer’s experience, and have visited the property to begin a thorough investigation. Customer safety is our number one priority and we have spoken to the customer to arrange a replacement machine.”
The model serial number is XWD71452XKUK. Have you had problems with this model? E- mail news@ ayrshirepost. co. uk if you have.