Indesit Washing Machine - Power City

dkane

Last month we bought an Indesit IWB 5113 washing machine in Power City.
Within two weeks of buying it there was a fault with the water inlet valve.
The machine takes in water even when no program is selected, the machine is turned off and plugged out and the door open.
We came down one morning and our wooden floors were flooded from the water flowing out the door of the machine all night.

We called Power City who got in touch with Indesit and sent out an engineer to fix the machine.
He replaced the inlet valve which looked to have fixed the problem.

This weekend, just 2 weeks after the new valve was fitted the same thing happened again only this time the water is coming into the drum much faster.

We contacted both Power City and Indesit again and the same engineer came out and replaced the same part.

We are really unhappy with the washing machine. We cannot trust the machine. Every time we use it we have to get in behind it and turn off the water because we can't trust the machine not to flood the room.

Have we any rights to a replacement machine or our money back? We are really not happy with the same piece needing to be replaced twice in a month.

wmpdd3

Yes.

You should put it in writing that you want a replacement from Power City. Give them 14 days to reply. State you will not accept a repair as you have had this and it wasn't permanent.

On the end of the letter, state you will preceding to the small claims court if a replacement is not organised for you.

Did they at anytime say it was your fault that the washing machine leaked?

Did you claim for the damage to your floors?

dkane

Thanks wmpdd3.
We did one wash this evening after the second repair. The valve is stuck open again and the drum is filling again.
One wash since the second repair.

I rang Indesit this afternoon after the engineer had been out. They said because he had repaired it now they couldn't consider a replacement.

Should I look for the replacement from Power City or Indesit?
From the girl I was talking to today it sounds like there might b a chance of getting a replacement from Indesit direct.

The engineer was trying to make out that it was a problem with our water. I don't accept that, we are on town water supply, if there was an issue with the water surely it would not just be us having problems.
There is a filter as part of the valve that has been replaced twice that is meant to block any large particles getting into the system.

The floors dried out ok, some staining but nothing too bad thank god. I didn't think that there would be any real point chasing this.

maxer68

wmpdd3 wrote: »

Yes.

You should put it in writing that you want a replacement from Power City. Give them 14 days to reply. State you will not accept a repair as you have had this and it wasn't permanent.

On the end of the letter, state you will preceding to the small claims court if a replacement is not organised for you.

Did they at anytime say it was your fault that the washing machine leaked?

Did you claim for the damage to your floors?

Utter rubbish

Go this route and Power City will rightly tell you to go to hell.

However if a similar fault occurs again in the next few months then and only then can you request a replacement.


DO NOT go all guns blazing threatening small claims court as suggested. - You'll look like a fool and will get absolutley nowhere whatsoever and any chance of a good quick and customer oriented outcome will go out the window.

Manners & respect will get any complaint with any product / company dealt with a lot quicker and to more satisfaction that bully boy threats.

dkane

However if a similar fault occurs again in the next few months then and only then can you request a replacement.

The second repair was carried out today. We did one wash and the fault is back

maxer68

dkane wrote: »

The second repair was carried out today. We did one wash and the fault is back

Your 2nd post was written at same time as mine - so I hadn;t read it at that stage.

In this case you can request a replacement machine - but DON'T do what wmpdd3 is suggesting and threaten small claims court etc etc. Be polite, be firm, expain that a 3rd repair is not feasible at this stage, that it is obviously major fault with your individual machine and that you'd like it replaced.

If they are giving you problems ask them if it will be necessary for you to look at alternative routes for redress? But give them a chance to discuss it with Indesit before you go down this route.

Welease

maxer68 wrote: »

Utter rubbish

Go this route and Power City will rightly tell you to go to hell.

However if a similar fault occurs again in the next few months then and only then can you request a replacement.


DO NOT go all guns blazing threatening small claims court as suggested. - You'll look like a fool and will get absolutley nowhere whatsoever and any chance of a good quick and customer oriented outcome will go out the window.

Manners & respect will get any complaint with any product / company dealt with a lot quicker and to more satisfaction that bully boy threats.

Why do you consider that utter rubbish? It is the correct procedure under consumer law..

All repairs must be permanant.. if the repair has failed, then the consumer is well within their rights to request a refund or replacement. Putting the request in writing is a formal request for resolution, stating exactly what is expected of both sides.. and therefore a good baseline from which to work towards a resolution.. If (as happens sometimes) the vendor decides to be less that willing to comply in a reasonable timeframe, then you can demonstrate to the court that you had given adequate notice, instruction and time for the issue to be resolved.

Setting out clear and correct procedure is not bully boy tactics or lack of manner/respect. It's allowing the laws of the land to be followed for everyones benefit...

maxer68

Welease wrote: »

Why do you consider that utter rubbish? It is the correct procedure under consumer law..

All repairs must be permanant.. if the repair has failed, then the consumer is well within their rights to request a refund or replacement. Putting the request in writing is a formal request for resolution, stating exactly what is expected of both sides.. and therefore a good baseline from which to work towards a resolution.. If (as happens sometimes) the vendor decides to be less that willing to comply in a reasonable timeframe, then you can demonstrate to the court that you had given adequate notice, instruction and time for the issue to be resolved.

Setting out clear and correct procedure is not bully boy tactics or lack of manner/respect. It's allowing the laws of the land to be followed for everyones benefit...

To threaten legal action in your first letter is not correct procedure and if a court sees a frivilous claim where the consumer has not made reasonable efforts to have the issue rectified outside the court process, then the court would possibly throw the case out.

The corect way to proceed is to give Power city an opportunity to replace the unit, see what their response is and if you feel that you are not likely to have the situation resolved satisfactorily then and only then should anyone suggest going any legal route.

And to be fair to Power City, their customer service and after sales service is quite good and I doubt if the OP will have any issue whatsoever in this situation.

Welease

maxer68 wrote: »

To threaten legal action in your first letter is not correct procedure and if a court sees a frivilous claim where the consumer has not made reasonable efforts to have the issue rectified outside the court process, then the court would possibly throw the case out.

The corect way to proceed is to give Power city an opportunity to replace the unit, see what their response is and if you feel that you are not likely to have the situation resolved satisfactorily then and only then should anyone suggest going any legal route.

And to be fair to Power City, their customer service and after sales service is quite good and I doubt if the OP will have any issue whatsoever in this situation.

I think you need to reread the chain of events..

The OP stated the machine was fixed, then failed again.. and was requesting if a refund or replacement was possible.. It is.. and if the Vendor will not comply then going down the legal route is the next correct procedure open to the OP to achieve that resolution.(the vendor has refused to comply).

Subsequent to that (albeit posted at the same time as you noted) the OP clarified they had asked for a replacement/refund, and been told incorrectly by Indesit that because a repair had been attempted they could not/would not refund/replace the item.. That is quiet clearly contrary to the law (albeit the contract and work should have been done through PowerCity). Excuses about the type of water are now being given...
Hardly an example of great customer service..

The OP needs to deal with PowerCity directly, as that is who their contract is. My advice, (and advice I have followed quiet recently with very happy results) is to politely explain in writing that as the repairs were not permenant, and they are not being given a satisfactory resolution within the law, the company has 14 days to provide a replacement/resoultion. It's simple, it's polite, and it's direct.. and more importantly it will stop BS excuses of problems with water...

Regarding the "frivilous claim".. that is precisely why you put it in writing.. the court will see that you let them attempt a repair, you then moved onto the other 2 R's within a reasonable timeframe with reasonable (and legal) expectations being defined.. It's exactly what the court would want to see!

maxer68

Welease wrote: »

I think you need to reread the chain of events..

!

It nothing whatsoever to do with Indesit. Contract is with Power City and until the OP is in contact with Power City and gets their answer can they think about any other course of action.

But the point still stands - DO NOT GO GUNS BLAZING AND THREATENING LEGAL ACTION INTO ANY ARGUMENT.

Leag action of any sort is a last resort and if a court sees this being abused, you will weaken your case. That's fact.

Joey the lips

You have had the repair and it does not work. You have now long confidence in Hotpoint/Creda/Indesit. They are all the same company production

So now you want a replacement model and if you cant find one that suites you want the money back.

Write this in a short nice letter and give them 1 week to reply. You might also want to claim for floors however i am not too sure if you will be successful here unless it can be shown that they sold you a product that was know to be faulty. ie the manufacturer had recalled.


ps always keep the washing machine door closed when not in use.

Welease

maxer68 wrote: »

It nothing whatsoever to do with Indesit. Contract is with Power City and until the OP is in contact with Power City and gets their answer can they think about any other course of action.

But the point still stands - DO NOT GO GUNS BLAZING AND THREATENING LEGAL ACTION INTO ANY ARGUMENT.

Leag action of any sort is a last resort and if a court sees this being abused, you will weaken your case. That's fact.

That is absolutely not a fact.. Care to backup that claim with actual facts?

A written schedule of expected events and request for resolution is not abuse of the legal system..

dkane

We have been in touch with Power City this morning and they are talking to Indesit.

I guess I was somewhat confused as to whether we should be talking to Power City or to Indesit.
Whenever we called Power City previously they were just putting us in touch with Indesit.

We did not go in all guns blazing, we are dealing with both companies over the phone for now.

I will not accept another repair and if a replacement or refund is not offered it may then be time to put my request in writing.

For now we are waiting for a response from Power City.
I will post an update once we have some progress.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions.

maxer68

Welease wrote: »

That is absolutely not a fact.. Care to backup that claim with actual facts?

A written schedule of expected events and request for resolution is not abuse of the legal system..

ask any barrister if a judge will look less favourably on your case if you do not make reasonable attempts to resolve it outside the court. At the very least costs will be awarded against you. A court is there to resolve disputes where the dispute cannot be resolved in a normal way.

In this case the OP is going about it in the correct way and should have a positive response. Power City are also dealing with it correctly and hopefully will revert to the OP reasonably quickly.

deandean

OP I saw this once before, it was in a new development and the problem was that the incoming water was filthy, there was muck getting in the valve so it couldn't close properly.

The problem was obvious though: you could see dirt in the water in the
machine.

Check the little filter gauze is fitted in the inlet hose.

I find it incredibly unusual that the fault returned after part replacement. Are you sure the valve was replaced?

wmpdd3

You are requires to deal with Power City as you have a contract with them. You paid the money to them and they supplied the machine.

Indesit supplied the machine to Power City so its up to them to deal with Indesit.

It is acceptable for the retailer to ask you to contact the manufacturer for support in using the machine as they can talk you through using it but once it has be decided there is a fault with your machine, THAT'S it you deal with the retailer, its up to them under consumer law to supply you with a machine that works.

Up to now all contact has been by phone, you have no real record of the chain of event except for yo word. That is why I day write the letter above, then if you do have to go further you have proof of how things have panned out.

Hopefully, Power City will call back and offer you a replacement washing machine and you will get years good service from it.

If they just offer another repair, then write the letter, leave out the Small Claims part if you want.

To bring a claim to the Small Claims Court you have to demonstrate you have exhausted all avenues available to you and had to resort to the SCC.


More info here:
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/consumer_affairs/consumer_protection/consumer_complaints/how_to_make_a_consumer_complaint.html

http://www.consumerassociation.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3&Itemid=10

Hope it all works out for you.

dkane

I find it incredibly unusual that the fault returned after part replacement. Are you sure the valve was replaced?

The Engineer left the two "faulty" valves with me so they were definitely replaced.

This is not a new development. The water is fine, we drink it, it runs clear.

Welease

maxer68 wrote: »

ask any barrister if a judge will look less favourably on your case if you do not make reasonable attempts to resolve it outside the court. At the very least costs will be awarded against you. A court is there to resolve disputes where the dispute cannot be resolved in a normal way.

In this case the OP is going about it in the correct way and should have a positive response. Power City are also dealing with it correctly and hopefully will revert to the OP reasonably quickly.

Correct.. And the OP had been in contact with Power City passed the issue to Indesit who had replaced parts.. Those parts failed. The OP allowed the part to be replaced again.. Which again failed.. The OP was then given incorrect advice by Indesit that the machine could not be replaced/refunded because it was repaired..

That would constitute reasonable attempt by any court..

Wmpdd3 suggestion would be one logical next step to take. Others may be to continue to work with Power City and wait for another resolution..

However, to suggest Wmpdd3 suggestion's is utter rubbish, apart from being rude is incorrect on your part.. and to further suggest that a court would award costs against you is simply incorrect.. Process has been followed, a reasonable attempt has been made beyond what the law expects (multiple repairs) and if an impass is being reached incorrectly (machine cannot be replaced), then a letter to the effect of expected outcome and schedule is the perfect response.

OP.. in respect of Powercity have you raised a complaint on the PowerCity website? It's a badly designed site and only allows 100 chars of text (or something similar).. I followed this procedure last time, and got a response later that day, and resolution (a new machine delivered) within 24 hours. The instore team were abysmal, but the head office were the model of efficiency and good customer service.

ejmaztec

Perhaps the fault isn't with the valve, and there's some other electrical fault that is causing it to open when it's not supposed to?

No doubt all will be revealed.

Tow

dkane wrote: »

This is not a new development. The water is fine, we drink it, it runs clear.

What is the water pressure like? The manual for your machine says is rated up to 10 bar.

dkane

After a few calls to Power City on Thursday they agreed to replace the faulty machine.
We were told to bring the machine back to the shop and there would be a note on the system saying that we were to be given a replacement.

We brought the machine back Saturday. After a bit of confusion and a couple of calls to head office we were given a credit note for the value of the machine.

We bought a Zanussi machine with the credit note.
So far so good with the new machine.