Compensation call after washing machine woes
FOR the past four years there’s been lots of media coverage around the Whirlpool saga and its tumble dryers – specifically those built between 2004 and 2014, under the brands Indesit, Hotpoint and Creda.
If that wasn’t bad enough, the manufacturer has also announced a new problem festering in the homes of more than 500 UK consumers, this time involving washing machines. Here’s what you need to know:
WHAT’S HAPPENED?
JUST before Christmas Whirlpool announced it was recalling certain models of washing machines manufactured under the Indesit and Hotpoint brands, between 2014 and 2018.
It transpired that these machines could potentially catch fire, so the advice was to switch them off immediately or to only use them on a setting of 20 ˚ C or lower.
Whirlpool announced that consumers with affected machines would be able to choose between two options:
A like-for-like replacement washing machine provided free-of-charge; or
A free-of-charge in-home repair of your appliance.
THE PROBLEM
WHILE the remedies being offered are in accordance with the law, the company is taking too long to implement this.
Most customers have been left with no washing machine since early December.
Some readers have been left with no alternative but to use a launderette and others have said they have simply purchased a new machine.
MY VIEW
INCONVENIENCE: While Whirlpool has adopted the correct approach in relation to the remedies offered, the law provides that consumers shouldn’t be ‘inconvenienced’.
Having no washing machine over the Christmas period, for example, falls foul of this.
Any consumers who still have no use of their machine can now go back to the retailer they purchased from and demand an immediate refund (which will only be a percentage of the purchase price to take account of use) or a replacement machine.
If the retailer’s response is ‘sorry we cannot help as Whirlpool is dealing with this’ they are wrong. The retailer has direct responsibility and therefore it is the retailer that must deal with the refund.
Notwithstanding the above, I’m calling on Whirlpool to provide affected consumers with a refund and compensation. However, I wrote to them last week and the company is currently refusing to pay compensation.
I’m asking readers to join me on Twitter @deandunham and keep up the pressure.
EXPENSES: Consumers with an affected machine can claim for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred as a result of not being able to use the machine from the retailer.
These expenses must be reasonable and foreseeable, such as launderette charges.
OTHER LOSSES: If you purchased a new machine as you simply could not wait for Whirlpool to get its act together, my view is that Whirlpool should cover the cost of this, as it has taken too long to deal with the issue.
Similarly, anyone who has experienced a fire will also be entitled to compensation.