How to get faulty washing machine exchanged

Hello Lisa. Read my article consumer rights act and white goods for further understanding of our consumer rights. In this article it states that if the washing machine is less than six months old, then it is up to the retailer to prove to you that there isn’t an inherent fault. It sounds like this would be very difficult for them to do, especially with the comments from the engineer. They could just say that they can’t accept hearsay as if he hasn’t written it down, which is very unlikely, then you have no proof that he actually said that.

I would go back to the retailer and complain that it has had two major faults within six months, and that the engineer has said it is a known problem, and you require a replacement or refund under the consumer rights act 2015. If they don’t accept this, tell them that as the washing machine is less than six months old when these faults happened, they need to prove that these faults were not present when they sold it to you.

Hi Tamera. This article is only about UK consumer rights. I have no idea at all about consumer rights anywhere else. I would assume that if you have anything similar to the UK consumer rights act, then your rights will be against the retailer. But I literally have no clue about the US sorry.

Hello Susan. Within the first 30 days, we can usually ask for a full refund. After 30 days, and up to 6 months we may still be entitled to a refund or exchanged washing machine, but this would depend on what the fault is. It’s not likely, or arguably even reasonable, to expect a retailer to replace a washing machine that may be just had a loose wire, for example.

However, no retailer is going to replace anything until the manufacturer’s engineer has been out to establish exactly what the problem is. So if the engineer confirms that there is a fault on the washing machine, you would need to decide what to do. Supposing they found a small fault, and said they can fix it in 10 minutes. For me, it would not make any sense to refuse the repair and then try and fight for replacement.

But if they said there is a fault, and they have to order the part, which could take a couple of weeks or so, then that may be a lot less acceptable. Or if they found that a major fault had occurred, that may also be less acceptable. The main thing to bear in mind though is that the manufacturer is not going to replace the appliance. They will only offer to repair it. If it does get replaced under the consumer rights act 2015, it would have to be by the retailer. Who tend to be very reluctant to do so.

If you accepted a repair, and then something else went wrong shortly after, you would have a much stronger case to have it replaced. Especially if the same fault occurred. They are normally only entitled to one repair attempt.

Hello Ann. I wouldn’t expect wash times being 10 to 15 minutes longer to be caused by any fault. Wash times are always estimates, and can be affected by various factors such as the temperature of the water coming in, and how long it takes to balance the laundry properly before spins. So, for example, I would expect wash times to be longer in winter when the cold water going into the machine is much colder to start.

But if there are faults on the washing machine within the first 30 days, most retailers will replace it as long as it is confirmed there are faults. At the moment I think it’s very unlikely a retailer would replace the washing machine with an engineer being booked. You may need to wait and see what the engineer says is wrong with it before deciding whether to try and get it replaced. If it is something fairly serious it is likely to be easier to get it replaced and if it’s something relatively simple.

Hello Charlene. Under the consumer rights act 2015 we have a right for repairs to be carried out within a reasonable time. I think most people would agree that 4 weeks, followed by potentially another 3 or 4 weeks waiting for the correct part is not a reasonable time.

The problem is that the manufacturers tend to be understaffed, and their engineers seem to have far too many jobs to do. This is evidenced by the fact that it usually takes 2 or 3 weeks to even get a first visit, and then if they have to order parts it can take as long again for them to complete a repair. There’s no other explanation for such poor service. Unfortunately, to them, it is not an unreasonable time because it’s the normal time, it’s just the normal way that they work and have become accustomed to it.

If by any chance they have promised to fast-track and fit the correct part really quickly, you might want to give them another chance. But potentially you could be waiting a fair bit longer. Maybe they have given you a timeframe?

If it looks like you are going to be weeks without it, and this is totally unacceptable, you should complain to the retailer, telling them that under the consumer rights act 2015 you have a right to repairs carried out in a reasonable timeframe. And that this is definitely not a reasonable timeframe, so you want it replacing. Especially being as it is only 10 months old and has already suffered an extremely serious failure. That alone could be justification for a replacement. The consumer rights act says that products should be of sufficient quality and fit for purpose. A major fault within 10 months, that has not been caused by wear and tear, is hardly good quality.

At the end of the day though, I suspect they will just stubbornly stick to telling you that you have to wait for the part to arrive and let them fix it. This is not really true, but when they stick to that, there is often little that consumers can do. This is because by the time you’ve organised yourself, maybe got advice from citizens advice, sent them a letter et cetera, the part would probably have arrived and it could have been fitted. So in cases like this it is very hard to get a satisfactory solution.

Hello Nefertiti. Wow, £145 to repair a washing machine is now unbelievably ludicrous. It won’t be long now before no one bothers repairing any washing machine. If the manufacturer wants to charge you for the repair, they must presumably be insisting that the fault is not covered under the guarantee because it was caused by either overloading or something being left inside a pocket? Whereabouts is the damage, is it on the front of the doors to where the door glass presses onto it when closed, or is it at the back where it almost touches the revolving drum, or is it in the side somewhere?

Hello Denise. I’m not sure I fully understand exactly what has happened correctly. I’m assuming you mean that the manufacturers engineers cause damage to your washing machine, that caused it to need replacing and they refunded money in order to replace it. But because you have a tumble dryer connected to the washing machine using a tumble dryer stacking kit, and it was not possible to buy a new washing machine that fitted to the tumble dryer stacking kit, then you also need a new tumble dryer and stocking kit?

If that is the case, then I would expect that anyone who needs to compensate you for damaging a washing machine would also need to pay for the new tumble dryer and stacking kit. Obviously, they are likely to be reluctant to do this. But in cases where someone has caused damage to your property, they should be liable to pay for all of the financial consequences. In law, this is called consequential loss. You would need to quote this phrase, “consequential loss”. No one should expect to only partially pay for financial losses caused by something they have done.

It is a bit unusual for someone to damage a washing machine and then have to do pay for a tumble dryer too, but if it is no longer possible to replace the washing machine with one that can fit underneath your tumble dryer, then the consequences of their negligence, or accidental damage mean that to put it right you have to have both appliances replaced. I would contact citizens advice for confirmation of this.

Thanks Nicola. That’s what I keep telling people. It’s only the retailer who is responsible when things go wrong and we need to use our consumer rights. The only problem is the retailers keep fobbing us off to the manufacturers. The only obligation the manufacturer has, is to honour the guarantee. We have to remember that we gave our money to the retailer and that’s who our contract is with

It’s not as clear-cut with it being over 12 months old, but if it is still under the manufacturer’s guarantee, and they have failed to repair a fault twice, then you may be able to argue for a replacement or refund. Normally if we accept a repair, they have one chance to fix it. If they don’t fix it for the 3rd time, then without a doubt I would chase the retailer for a replacement or refund under the consumer rights act 2015.

It’s normal for a retailer to insist on confirmation from the manufacturer before refunding or replacing an appliance. There are many faults that could actually be caused by the user. It’s unlikely but it’s even possible the drum could be catching because of an obstruction that got inside the washing machine.

It’s a difficult situation, and a sad state of affairs when it takes 11 days to get someone to look at an essential appliance. The only hope is if you can persuade them that 11 days is unacceptably long to wait, maybe send them a video of the smoking?

Hello Mary. I’ve never heard of this. How can they charge for picking up a faulty appliance? Unless they are swapping it out of goodwill? Also I presume by plumbing in you mean connecting up. Again, this sounds disingenuous if they want to charge just to connect it up. It might be inconvenient for them, but it’s far more inconvenient for a customer to have problems with a faulty appliance and have to have it replaced. I have course don’t know the exact circumstances. You may need to contact someone like citizens advice.

Sorry I thought I’d already replied Frances. I would say it’s a clear-cut case of you are entitled to a replacement or full refund. Hopefully it’s been done by now. You should have been entitled to this when it first broke down because it was within 6 months but even if you accept a repair, if the repair fails you are also entitled to a refund or replacement.

This right is with John Lewis, and them only.

Hello Matt. I can sympathise, it’s not very good having to have such a major repair done in such a short time. However, what has caused the hole in the drum? The only time I’ve ever seen holes in the drums (which are plastic now) is when coins or other such substantial items have been left inside pockets. Are there any dints in the stainless steel drum?

Anyway, it would be unusual for your fault to be caused by a foreign obstruction, and not be challenged by the engineer. They would always normally attempt to charge the customer in those circumstances.

Unfortunately, once an appliance is over 6 months old, a retailer can deny us a replacement unless we can prove that the fault was inherent. It’s a very annoying and almost vague rule. If a fault happens within the first 6 months, it is assumed that the fault was inherent, and present when sold to us – unless the retailer can prove otherwise. But after 6 months, the burden of proof switches to the consumer.

I don’t fully understand the point of that though, because if the retailer and engineer accept that there is a fault, and that it was not caused by misuse, then it must surely also been an inherent fault. Just over 6 months is in no way long enough for wear and tear to have any remote effect. It just seems to be an arbitrary period that the consumer rights act 2015 have set in place (maybe as a concession to retailers).

The big problem with this is that how can the consumer “prove” that a fault was inherent without getting an expensive report from an independent engineer? I would say that if the engineer and retailer accept that it has gone faulty, and it is nothing to do with the consumer, then that surely is proof – but if that was the case there would be no need for this arbitrary 6 month period where the burden of proof switches around.

Hello David. No you definitely don’t expect a microwave to break down three times before the year. The problem is that after six months, we have to prove that any fault was inherent, which is extremely difficult to do. So unless the retailer wants to replace it out of goodwill it’s difficult to do anything. You could try saying that it is obviously not fit for purpose, or not of sufficient quality under the consumer rights act 2015.

Hi Andrea. I’m not 100% sure of the full situation so it’s hard to advise. You don’t say how long you’ve had it and, if it was second hand I don’t understand why they would tell you to contact Indesit. I have an article about rights when buying second hand which mentions buying from a shop or trader https://www.whitegoodshelp.co.uk/consumer-rights-buying-second-hand-washing-machine/

Hello Sarah. If they can’t repair it within a reasonable time then the retailer should replace it. Note it is the retailer and not the manufacturer. Although in theory the manufacturer can replace it if they wanted to, in practice they rarely do because they are not obliged to. If the manufacturer is still insistent on waiting for the part to come and repairing it you will get no further with them at all.

You would need to contact the retailer, and tell them that under the 2015 consumer rights act they are responsible because the retailer cannot repair it in a reasonable amount of time. Sadly I can predict that they will just say that it is nothing to do with them and you need to let the retailer repair it but this is not really true. Remind them that they and they alone are responsible for all of the rights that you have from the 2015 consumer rights act (who is responsible for faulty appliances?). Being without a major white goods appliance for over a month should be totally unacceptable. You might need to get help from a consumer group like Citizen’s advice Which?

Hello Ann. AEG have become very popular with builders as they are generally reasonably priced and decent appliances. In cases where you feel that you have a valid complaint under the consumer rights act 2015 then you have to complain to the people who you bought it from. This is usually a retailer – but it seems that things are much harder when it is a builder. From what I have experienced and learnt from people contacting me, builders are often even worse than retailers when it comes to complying with the consumer rights act, which is going to cost them time and money.

But ultimately the manufacture of a product is only responsible for carrying out repairs under the guarantee. If they aren’t able to do that you can claim against the people you bought it from. Sometimes manufacturers can be forward-thinking and offer to replace a troublesome appliance but not that often and they are not obliged to.

The only people that are obliged by law to compensate us or replace a product (if it has broken the consumer rights act) are the people that you gave the money to. A retailer or builder is the person that bought the washing machine from AEG. You bought the washing machine from the builder (in most cases the retailer) and that is why consumer law puts the onus on them.

As I said I’ve come across a lot of people that have had trouble with builders. They are often not interested when an appliance that they sold you as part of the house is not fit for purpose, or has not lasted a reasonable time etc. This is especially true the further away it gets from the end of the manufacturer’s guarantee. As far as they are concerned, and this goes unfortunately for most retailers too, they sell you the appliances, if they go faulty whilst under the manufacturer’s guarantee you should not bother them and need to contact the manufacturer. If they go faulty outside of the guarantee, you should also not bother them and get in touch with the manufacturer. However, this is completely wrong and they are not entitled to wash their hands of it because we have consumer rights that last up to 6 years (five in Scotland).

In your case it sounds like AEG have been unable to repair your appliance despite more than enough attempts. You would really hope that AEG themselves would replace it for you in order to salvage their reputation with you and your friends and family, but they are not obliged to. So if they won’t you’ll have to try and get the retailer (which in your case is presumably the builder) to do it. You may need to solicit the help of a consumer rights group such as citizens advice.

Hello Donna. Unfortunately yes this is correct. They all do that. I suppose they are frightened of almost perpetual guarantees if they keep having to exchange something. But obviously that is highly unlikely, and even if it was, it would serve them right for producing rubbish.

But it is standard practice that any manufacturers guarantee we get starts on the day we get the product and finishes one year (or whatever the term is) later. If the appliance is exchanged at any time within that period nothing changes. Just like if you had a repair, say a brand-new motor fitted, they would not extend the warranty on that specific part so that it continues after the rest of it has expired – although there is an argument that that would be fair.

Hello Linda. If it’s under six months old, unless they can prove it’s something to do with how it’s being used or fitted then the retailer should give you a refund or an exchange. You would need to tell them that the consumer rights act 2015 says that unless they can prove otherwise it has failed within six months so therefore when they sold it to you it was already faulty. Selling a faulty product is in breach of the consumer rights act.

Hi Allan. I can’t think of a better example of an inherent fault. It’s ludicrous for drum bearings to fail once never mind twice in such a short time. I would speculate water is getting into them through a faulty seal. You should contact a consumer group for help if they refuse to repair it. However, don’t waste your time with the manufacturer. They are not obliged to do anything after the guarantee has expired. It’s only the retailer who is responsible under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (Who is responsible for faulty appliances?)

Hi Barry. Its going to depend on the cause of the fault. If by any chance something serious has gone wrong like the drum bearings or the drum itself that’s pretty much a serious issue that should never happen after such a short time. Within 6 months the fault is now assumed to have been present when sold and therefore the retailer sold a faulty appliance with an inherent fault. However, a strong burning rubber smell can be caused by something getting trapped between the drum and door seal and can be caused by overloading, which they would blame on the user.

Hello Mrs A. This is a tricky one. To be honest my first thought is that I would have expected a Miele washing machine to be built of sufficient quality to not be destroyed by something being spilled onto it. I would expect it to be difficult for liquid to get inside because any liquid spilt on top of the washing machine just runs down and I would expect it to be quite difficult for it to get inside. Even in a cheap washing machine it’s not something that would be easy unless it was a big serious spillage.

Have they offered any proof that it has been caused by spillage? Have they shown you the part that has water or liquid damage on it? Have they explained how a liquid from the normally innocuous spillage could get inside so easily? If you know there was an incident then obviously that’s one thing that if you are adamant that nothing has been spilt on it those are the lines of enquiry I would be taking.

Hello Mark. As described in my article above if a fault occurs within the first six months the Consumer Right Act 2015 says that the appliance was faulty when it was sold to you, unless the retailer can prove otherwise. This is described in the section headed, FAULTS WITHIN THE FIRST 6 MONTHS ARE DEEMED TO HAVE BEEN PRESENT WHEN SOLD. So I would complain that they have sold you an appliance that had an inherent fault and you should not have to have such extensive repairs done on such a new machine.

Yes, it is under 6 months old, so under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 this means unless they can prove otherwise they sold you a faulty washing machine with an inherent fault. You should be entitled to money back or a replacement – especially as they can’t repair it within a reasonable time.

Hello Carol. If the washing machine is less than 3 years old and it cannot be repaired then you need to try and argue with the retailer that it has not lasted a reasonable time. Under the consumer rights act 2015 products should last a reasonable time. However, Bush are pretty much a budget washing machine and it is debatable how long they should be expected to last. Sadly the average life span of a washing machine these days is only about 7 years, possibly less. However, that would still mean it has lasted half as long as you would expect, and therefore in theory you should be entitled to 50% refund. In practice retailers are generally very poor at giving customers their consumer rights. They quickly realised that all they have to do is play dumb and say sorry there’s nothing they can do and probably 95% of people will just go away. It’s a very successful tactic.

How long a washing machine should last is not an exact science, but obviously the cheaper ones don’t last as long, and if they are washing for a large family then 3 or 4 years is actually quite normal these days. If you look at my article how long should a washing machine last you can see a more detailed look at the topic. If you look at the poll on the page too you can see how many people’s washing machines are not even lasting 3 years these days. It’s a very sad state of affairs but it’s a consequence of them being so cheap.

Hello Mrs Melligan. It seems very strange to fit so many disparate parts. Sometimes an engineer might order a load of parts just to be on the safe side because they aren’t entirely sure which exact part is needed but if they fit all of the parts they are pretty confident it will clear all faults. At 9 months old it’s extremely difficult to get a replacement. If you have had nothing but trouble with it, or if the engineer had said that it was not repairable you would have a strong case. But if it is repairable albeit with a lot of parts they will both argue an exchange is not necessary. If you have had many problems with it you could try arguing that it is not fit for purpose, or made of sufficient quality. To be honest I think it’s very unlikely that all of those parts are necessarily. Another way of looking at it is that once all of those parts are fitted it would give the washing machine a new lease of life. If all of those parts genuinely have broken down though then you definitely could argue that the washing machine is definitely not built to a satisfactory quality.

Hello Mrs Hickman. If there is definitely a fault on it then you should have a right to have it exchanged if it has happened quite quickly after purchase. The issue is likely to be around where there are not there is a fault. And they would need to send an engineer out to look at it in order to see if it is faulty or not. Unfortunately no retailer will accept the word of a customer claiming it is faulty. The manufacturer would have to come out and investigate it first. The reasons are explained in my article above.

Hello Paul. It all depends on what is causing it. That’s a fault that can be caused by overloading or stopping the dryer halfway through a cycle as well as failing parts. If the engineer isn’t claiming it’s user error then you could argue (with the retailer) that it should be replaced.

Hello Ashleigh. My article explains why no one will exchange an appliance without an engineer confirming it is faulty. Many faults, especially on washing machines, can be related to installation faults or user faults (see the list here is the washing machine actually faulty?”) If an engineer confirms the washing machine is faulty though you should be able to reject it then. The engineer will want to repair it, he might be able to authorise a replacement if it’s a big fault, but if they won’t you will need to demand a replacement from the retailer. If it’s a very minor fault it may well be better to just get it fixed. Getting it replaced will involve dealing with the retailer and waiting. So if for example the engineer can fix it in 5 mins you have to decide if it’s worth the hassle. But if something quite serious has failed, or he has to order parts for it – I would insist on getting it replaced asap.

Hello Emma. From your description of the problems you’ve had it looks like you have a strong case to reject the washing and insist on a replacement. Under the consumer rights act they have to repair your appliance in a reasonable time. As it has been an extremely unreasonable amount of time you could argue that they have breached the consumer rights act. You may very well need to take advice from an acknowledged consumer group.

What you are trying to claim for is called consequential loss. If you had to use the launderette it is reasonable to suspect that you had little choice. If there was an easier way of getting all your washing done you would have clearly used it. You cannot have expected that anyone would pay for the launderette. I get the impression you have only considered trying to claim it back after it has developed into a bit of a farce, and your patience has been stretched to breaking point.

As I said, use the phrase “consequential loss” to show that you are aware of this legal term. The repairs manager sounds very unhelpful if that’s what he said. However, you have to bear in mind that your rights in this matter are really against the retailer who sold it. The repair company are just the agents for the manufacturer. You do not have a direct relationship with them. You did not contract 0800 repair to carry out any work. You bought the washing machine from the retailer, it came with a guarantee, and it is the pursuance of the guarantee that has resulted in them becoming part of the problem.

If your washing machine was out of guarantee, and you had called out a repair company then you have a direct contract with that company. If things go wrong you have consumer protection to pursue with them. But in a case where your contract is with someone else, and they employ a third party, if something goes wrong then your claim is with the original company. As I said, you will probably be better off getting some official consumer advice and help. My guess is that your claim is against the retailer under the consumer rights act. You may well have to threaten to take them to the Small Claims Court.

Hello Lynne. The sale of goods and services act says repairs must be carried out within a reasonable time but they don’t define what a reasonable time is. Sadly it’s common for repairs to take weeks when they order parts. I’ve known many cases when a customer has waited weeks for parts and the engineer turns up with them but they are the wrong parts so they need ordering again. If something like that happened I would think that’s clearly now an unreasonable time. Retailers don’t replace appliances unless the manufacturer says they will foot the bill. If a manufacturer is in the process of repairing one there’s no way a retailer will exchange an appliance unless the user is extremely angry or persistent or has a consumer group behind them.

Hello Lindsay. It sounds like quite a farce you’ve endured. I’m puzzled as to what is wrong with the appliance if they said it can’t be repaired and then sent a second engineer out to take photos. That sounds very unusual to me. They can’t afford to send engineers out to take photos without good reason. What have the engineers said is wrong with the machine?

If for some reason Beko have changed their mind and decided they’d rather repair it you can’t force them to replace it. They only have an obligation to repair it whilst under their guarantee. They would only be obliged to replace it if it genuinely could not be repaired. However, no washing machine that young cannot be repaired. It’s more a question of whether it’s more economical to replace it if it’s going to be a very labour intensive repair and needing a lot of parts. It’s possible the engineers were trying to get out of doing a big time-consuming repair but their manager has overruled them.

If you have decided you do not want a repair and want to insist on a replacement then you could try arguing with Beko but they will only comply if they decide they want to. Only the retailer has any legal obligation to replace it if you can show that it has breached the sale of goods act by not being fit for purpose or not lasting a reasonable time. If it genuinely is unrepairable and hasn’t even lasted a year then it’s a very strong case you have.

If Beko come back and say they want to repair it then you have to decide whether to accept that and put it all behind you, or fight with the retailer who will not happily replace it if Beko have already refused. However, that doesn’t mean the retailer is right to do that, but you would have to show that you are entitled to a replacement because it hasn’t been fit for purpose or lasted a reasonable time or it had an inherent fault. To be honest, if it’s the first time the appliance has broken down you might struggle to win.

Hello David. Yes I would agree that 2.5 years is a very short life for a washing machine. Bosch still have a decent reputation, but they have a strange pricing structure selling washing machines from as little as £230 and right the way through up to nearly £1000. It’s hard to pigeonhole such a brand but clearly their cheaper washing machines are budget washing machines, and as such I wouldn’t expect them to last much longer than 3 or 4 years these days if washing for a family of 5. Some of these wash machines are just ridiculously cheap and so we shouldn’t expect too much from them.

Having said that your case would depend a lot on how much the washing machine cost. I would say if it was one of the “cheap ones” then there is less of a strong case if it’s been washing for five people, but there is still theoretically a potential case with it only lasting 2 1/2 years.

If it was £400 to £500 I would think there is a reasonable case that it should have lasted longer. Unfortunately the average life of a washing machine these days is probably only 6 or 7 years but by that standard your washing machine are still being quite short lived. Also, I don’t think it’s fair going on the average life of a washing machine which is decreasing every few years because at the end of the day thing should be judged not on how long they last on average but how long they ought to last for what they cost.

If you have any case it is definitely under the sale of goods act against the retailer, which says that products should be of sufficient quality to last a reasonable time. Whether 2 and a 1/2 years washing for 5 people is a reasonable time or not is subjective to a great extent. The main but not sole qualifier is how much it cost.

Hello Jackie. The only thing I can imagine that could be a user fault is if something has got inside the machine and caused the lip of the drum that runs behind the door seal to get bent or buckled out of shape. Either that or possibly the suspension has failed causing the drum to twist which could have caused the door seal to rub against something inside the machine. If the latter though, I fail to see how anyone could categorically say that the fault is caused by overloading.

Where is the groove in the door seal?

Hello David. Many thanks for the feedback, it is very useful for people to see. It also shows that as I advise in my articles, retailers put up barriers to discourage people but will commonly will concede if people are stubborn enough to stick to their rights. As long as they are in the right of course.

Hello David. The sale of goods act says if it breaks down within the first 6 months that it was sold with an inherent fault unless the retailer can prove otherwise. Unfortunately I believe the act still says that if they can show it is significantly more expensive to replace the appliance they can insist on a repair which totally contradicts the idea we can get a refund or replacement.

I suspect that as the manufacturer is refusing to refund AO, AO are insisting on a repair because the manufacturer IS willing to repair it under their guarantee. Your argument is that whether the manufacturer will sanction an exchange or not is irrelevant under the sale of goods act. AO sold it to you, it was inherently faulty and with a major fault, so you want it exchanged or money refunded. To be honest I would think it makes more sense to pursue a refund if you have lost confidence in the Brand or model and want to buy a different one than just arguing for a replacement instead of a repair.

Hello Sonia. It’s sad that it should take so long. Unfortunately though they do have to send an engineer out to ensure that the fault is definitely caused by a fault on the appliance, and not its environment or the way it’s being used. For example if kept in a cold environment like a garage they can stop working (How are fridges and freezers affected by the room temperature?)

If the fridge proves to be faulty, then it depends on what’s gone wrong as to what is the best thing to do. If it was me, and the fault seemed minor I would get it fixed asap. If it seems serious, and or it is going to take weeks to get repaired I would ring their customer services dept quoting the sale of goods act and say you want it replaced asap. It must be repaired in a reasonable time and I wouldn’t think any reasonable person (including a small claims court judge) would say that being without a fridge bought only 6 months ago for a month is reasonable or acceptable.

From what I can see, AOL are pretty strong on customer service. It’s one of the reasons they’ve become so successful, but chances are their success means they are extremely busy and could be why it takes so long for an engineer to come out.

The thing to bear in mind is that the repair engineer (probably Indesit) is different to the seller (AOL). The engineer and the company that send him is only interested in repairing it and their only obligation is to repair it. If they decide to offer to replace it that’s entirely up to them, and they don’t do it lightly because it costs them more money. On the other hand, the people you bought it from are bound by the sale of goods act, and even if the manufacturer refuses to replace it the seller has separate obligations and cannot say they can’t replace it simply because the manufacturer won’t. This is explained fully in my other article here – Is manufacturer or retailer responsible for faulty appliances?

Whether you have a solid case for getting it exchanged under the sale of goods act (by the seller – not the manufacturer) varies from case to case and only the faults that are very expensive and faults that occur within the first month tend to get exchanged with little or no fuss.

Hello Eileen. If the manufacturer did give them the go ahead to replace it then yes, it would be very convenient for the retailer, but the manufacturer has nothing to do with replacing appliances under the sale of goods act. Therefore if the manufacturer won’t give them the go ahead to replace it that’s quite irrelevant under the sale of goods act.

If you are wanting a replacement because the dryer was sold to you with an inherent fault (which if there’s an admitted design fault causing them to potentially catch fire I would think is proof enough) then the only people responsible are the ones that sold it to you. It’s up the retailer to them pursue the manufacturer for compensation. If they did, and did it more often then manufacturers might be forced to build better appliances.

It may depend on exactly how old it is but you could have a strong case for a full refund or replacement under the sale of goods act because if you can show it had this fault when you bought it (which it must have) then they breached the sale of goods act when they sold it and sold you a faulty appliance.