Heat is on after fridge goes kaput

Audrey Valente felt like she was getting the cold shoulder from Currys after her fridge-freezer went on the blink and spoiled a full load of food.

She paid £1,299 for the Smeg appliance in 2016 but in September it packed in.

Audrey contacted the manufacturer but was told nothing could be done because it was out of warranty and she would have to get it repaired.

When it was confirmed the fridge-freezer couldn’t be fixed, she paid for a specialist report and contacted Currys whom she had bought it from.

“Because the appliance was more than three years old, they put us in touch with their out-of-warranty team,” said Audrey, from Kirkcaldy, Fife.

She was offered a partrefund of £467 in the form of a voucher, which could be used at any Currys store towards a new appliance.

“I felt this was unacceptable and I was very disappointed a £1,300 fridge was broken after just three years,” she said.

In frustration, Audrey wrote to Raw Deal and we contacted Currys on her behalf.

The company acted quickly and offered her a total of £810 in compensation.

This amount took into account a deduction for depreciation because she had owned the appliance for a number of years before it failed.

Currys said: “The offer we are able to make takes into account three years’ use by the customer.

“We have offered £810 as a partial refund for the product and a refund for the independent report.”

Audrey thanked Raw Deal for stepping in. She gratefully accepted the cash, which she will put towards a new fridge, but said she still felt short-changed.

“I would expect an appliance like that to last a lifetime,” she said.