The FF wasn’t technically bought ‘new’. It was bought from a local retailer that specialises in new & graded goods. (I can supply the web address if required.) As far as I can tell, and was led to believe at the time, the FF is ‘as new’: It came with a few cosmetic blemishes (a very small scratch) and a sticker on the front that still hasn’t fully come off after 2 years of trying!

I don’t know if buying in such a way precludes me from actually taking out the extended warranty. From their terms & conditions:

1.2 apply only to purchases of new Miele appliances from authorised Miele specialist dealers…

I registered the FF with Miele within a week of buying it and it wasn’t flagged up as outwith their warranty.

My washing machine came with Miele’s ‘free’ 10 year warranty. They’ve been out to it once, to replace a circuit board.

As for my vacuum cleaner, I actually bought the extended warranty for that as it worked out very cheap. At the time it included a years supply of bags, delivered free every year and a service. After deducting the cost of the bags, the warranty worked out at only a couple of quid. Just before the warranty expired I sent it away with a ‘funny noise’ and they serviced it, found no fault, replaced a broken hinge in the lid and returned it all shiny in it’s own little Miele bag. So I think I got my moneys worth out of that policy. :D

You could need it, as presumably a small minority end up doing, but what about your washing machine and vacuum cleaner? What about your cooker, hob, television and all your other appliances? They could all equally break down so are we supposed to insure all of them? If we need to insure one then why not the others?

If you insure all of them and continue to do so I’d bet you’ll spend a fortune during your life. If peace of mind is worth a lot of money to you and you can afford it then fair enough but I would also think if you can afford to insure all your appliances indefinitely you can obviously afford to just deal with any repairs if and when they pop up. If you are considering it as a potential money saving venture I think the strong odds are that you will spend considerably more insuring than saving money in the long run.

Even if the worst happens and within the next 4 years your fridge freezer does break down and you had to fork out a few hundred on a repair you will soon recoup that back in saved insurance payments over the following few years. You’d already have £100 toward the bill in the saved premium so if you had to find £200 you’d only really be £100 worse off.

The cover is only £99.90 now because the next 4 years are the years it’s least likely to break down. After 5 years the cost goes up a lot more. Most people take it out when it’s cheap, during the first 5 years when they don’t really need it and many problems would be covered under the Sale of Goods Act anyway but after 5 years, when the price starts going much higher they drop it because it’s too expensive even though they are more likely to need it (which is why the price goes up).

In my opinion, if you buy a Miele product and it needs expensive repairs within the first 5 years you’d have a strong case against the seller anyway under the Sale of Goods Act claiming that the product didn’t last a reasonable time or was not the expected quality – especially as it’s a premium quality brand. However, you would probably need to fight for that right and threaten the seller with small claims court action to get it.

I usually dismiss such warranties as a waste of money, preferring to cover repair bills if they arise (which hasn’t happened yet). However, I’m worried that the cost to call someone out, never mind cover the parts, will be considerably more than £100. The FF cost me £500.

What I found ironic was the letter starts with ‘Miele products are designed and tested to last for twenty years’, then goes on to say how I should pay this extra money to cover it if it breaks down as it gets older!

Being able to spread the cost over 10 months will make paying for the warranty easier to stomach, but still I’m in two minds.

I have a Miele washing machine and vacuum cleaner and they have both performed admirably (touch wood).

“UK consumer law allows up to 6 years from purchase (5 in Scotland) to take legal action against a seller. Therefore it is possible to claim that your washing machine was inherently faulty if it suffers a major fault even at 5 or 6 years old. All circumstances must be taken into account and it may need a court to decide. The amount of use the washing machine has had is one factor, and the amount the washing machine cost may be another. It’s possible that a court could decide a washing machine costing a mere £200 has lasted a reasonable time if it expires after 5 or 6 years, whereas the same conclusion would be surprising about a washing machine costing £500.”

My washing machine is now out of guarantee, but I don’t think I should have to pay for a repair