Expensive dryer still failing despite repairs
Q. In October 2018 we spent thousands on a top of the line dryer that would see us through winter and be economical at the same
time. In May this year, it stopped working properly and it was taking four times as long to dry as it should. We have been trying to resolve the problem since May and It is now almost August. We contacted both the store we got it from and LG and since then we have had their repairers come and look at the problem, acknowledge the fault and try and repair it
several times over. They have also taken it away and it has come back apparently repaired, but it still isn’t drying on a number of the cycles. We are now coming into three months down the track, trying to dry clothes and bedding and towels on a clothes rack. They have said if
we go to the laundromat we need to keep a tab and they will reimburse us. From how we have been treated so far I have no faith in that. They refuse to give us a loan dryer in the meantime as both the shop and repair place say they don’t have loan dryers. They want to take the dryer away again and goodness knows how long it will take this time. After this period of time and
numerous attempts to repair, we have asked for a new identical replacement dryer and they won’t commit to it. We are now at management level and still no help is forthcoming. I feel they are now in breach of the Consumer Guarantees Act and will wind this out until we either give up or the warranty expires, and as the little man, they can do what they like. What do we do? Are we being unreasonable?
A. My first thought when I read this was that you are absolutely not being unreasonable. I checked with Jessica Wilson, head of research at Consumer NZ, who agrees with me.
You’re within your rights to ask for a new dryer.
‘‘You wouldn’t pay top dollar for a dryer only to have it fail so soon after purchase,’’ Wilson said.
‘‘From what the customer says, the retailer has been given several opportunities and a reasonable amount of time to repair the appliance. However, those repairs haven’t been successful. Under the Consumer Guarantees Act, she now has good grounds to reject the appliance and request a replacement or a refund.’’
Do you have a consumer or personal finance question you’d like help with? Email susan.edmunds@stuff.co.nz