Cooker hob cracked, nobody using it, no chips or cracks previously

Outkast_IRE

2 month old bosch hob.
Correctly installed. Cleaned by hand daily, no previous chips, cracks or anything dropped on it etc etc.

Basically was using a single ring to boil an egg in a light pot, all went fine. Turned off cooker went to eat dinner watch TV , about 30 mins after the cooker was turned off , there was a really loud crack.

Got up and couldn't locate the noise, only now that I went to clean the hob as I do every night, I spot a huge obvious crack, and a large chip of glass now loose, and a small shard of glass that must of jumped out of it.

Will have to contact where I bought it in the morning, only 2 months old, this is crazy stuff, you would expect to get years out of a hob.

Bavib

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

2 month old bosch hob.
Correctly installed. Cleaned by hand daily, no previous chips, cracks or anything dropped on it etc etc.
.

Maybe there was a hairline crack in it from purchase that you didn't see? That seems most likely. Either way its nuts, you'd expect it to last much much longer than this. Out of curiosity did you buy from a reputable store yeah?

Outkast_IRE

Bavib wrote: »

Maybe there was a hairline crack in it from purchase that you didn't see? That seems most likely. Either way its nuts, you'd expect it to last much much longer than this. Out of curiosity did you buy from a reputable store yeah?

Yes bought from a large electrical retailer locally.
Im positive there was no hairline crack that was visible to the eye anyway.

This was actually bought as a replacement for an an older hob that had a crack. And its being treated well, with a good cleaning after every use, we would of 100% spotted any chip or crack previously. And my mother would of spotted any hairline crack for sure as she uses the scrapper on it for any stuck on stuff, and if you have any experience of those scrappers you would know they will catch on the slightest surface imperfection.

And im am more sure now, because if there was a hairline crack of a chip previously I wouldn't expect the really loud crack I heard, the crack was so loud the dog jumped, I heard it two rooms away through 2 closed doors.

dodzy

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

2 month old bosch hob

Replace under warranty. If it happens a 3rd time, go gas, as it just wasn't meant to be:p

Outkast_IRE

dodzy wrote: »

Replace under warranty. If it happens a 3rd time, go gas, as it just wasn't meant to be:p

That's the plan, I am going to contact the retailer first as they are who the sale contract is with.

I am just not looking forward to contending with "did you drop something on it" "this doesn't happen unless something is dropped on it".

If I dropped something on it I would just man up and admit it, but the truth is with the location of the chip and crack I would 100% of spotted it before I used it this evening.

And as I said, the crack was so loud that I really do think it was a sudden give in the glass and would/could not of been forseen by anyone.

dodzy

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

That's the plan, I am going to contact the retailer first as they are who the sale contract is with.

I am just not looking forward to contending with "did you drop something on it" "this doesn't happen unless something is dropped on it".

If I dropped something on it I would just man up and admit it, but the truth is with the location of the chip and crack I would 100% of spotted it before I used it this evening.

And as I said, the crack was so loud that I really do think it was a sudden give in the glass and would/could not of been forseen by anyone.

Seen this....and thought of you

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057060707

Outkast_IRE

dodzy wrote: »

Seen this....and thought of you

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057060707

The joys of products with glass in them I guess.

Mine went about 30 mins after it was on, so it had obviously just went through a heating and cooling cycle.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

dodzy wrote: »

Replace under warranty. If it happens a 3rd time, go gas, as it just wasn't meant to be:p

The retailer is entitled to carry out a repair first. !


OP there's no consumer issue as such until you see how things go with the retailer. Repair, replace, or refund but it's their call on that not yours.

Outkast_IRE

Zahra Big Bathrobe wrote: »

The retailer is entitled to carry out a repair first. !


OP there's no consumer issue as such until you see how things go with the retailer. Repair, replace, or refund but it's their call on that not yours.

I will be contacting the retailer early today, to see what their response is.

I still think its worth posting in consumer issues, as hobs aren't meant to suddenly crack like this, and if someone else finds themselves in the same position this could be useful for them to prove they aren't the only ones it happened to.

Explosive_Cornflake

Items can have defects. I'm sure if they make 10,000, some amount are going to fail.
Even with 2 months of use, it didn't fail until now.
There should be no issue here. You'll go back to the vendor, and he'll go back to the manufacturer.

gizmo555

Zahra Big Bathrobe wrote: »

The retailer is entitled to carry out a repair first. !

Not so. The OP is entitled to a full refund and if it were me I wouldn't settle for anything less.

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

I will be contacting the retailer early today, to see what their response is.

Read this first:

http://www.consumerhelp.ie/faulty-goods

Especially this:

Reject & rescind
When you buy goods, you enter into a contract with the seller. If those goods turn out to be faulty and the fault is major, you are entitled to reject the goods and rescind (end) the contract. If you simply reject the goods, for example, a broken bill-pay phone, you may still be tied into a contract unless you demand to cancel it without any penalty fees.

This option is complex and can depend on a number of factors. For example, the severity of the fault, the length of time since you bought the goods, and the inconvenience caused to you as a result of the fault. If a fault occurs within the first 6 months of purchase, it is assumed that is was there at the time of sale. It is important to remember that if you caused the fault, the trader is under no obligation to offer you any type of compensation.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

The hob glass is no nearly significant enought to enact a full rejection. I wouldn't fully trust that quoted piece.

All products have broken at some time or another. All products from houses to cars to lawnmowers, Cookers and shoes will have an item that proves faulty. We'd have some number of threads if every fault or breakage was reported.:)


Look, call in , see how you get on and good luck with it.

username123

There could have been a crack on the underside that wasn't visible or present on the top.

I had one suddenly crack before but it was already damaged and shattered radially from the damaged point.

I would go easy using scrapers on ceramic hobs tbh, people can put a lot of concentrated force behind a tiny area using them.

gizmo555

Zahra Big Bathrobe wrote: »

The hob glass is no nearly significant enought to enact a full rejection.

If a shattered glass cooking surface isn't a major fault, I don't know what is.

Zahra Big Bathrobe wrote: »

I wouldn't fully trust that quoted piece.

Of course the shop's entitled to inspect the hob to satisfy itself that the hob wasn't broken accidentally or through misuse.

Assuming the OP's account is accurate though, if I was in his place I wouldn't accept a repair - I'd be looking for a full refund or a completely new hob. More importantly, I'd be legally entitled to it.

Outkast_IRE

Was in contact with the retailer this morning, they are organising someone to come and have a look Monday or tuesday, but they seemed to accept on the phone that if nothing was dropped on it then it sounds like a manufacturing issue or similar.

Will update again once they have come to have a look at it.

slimjimmc

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

Was in contact with the retailer this morning, they are organising someone to come and have a look Monday or tuesday, but they seemed to accept on the phone that if nothing was dropped on it then it sounds like a manufacturing issue or similar.

Will update again once they have come to have a look at it.

Just bear in mind that you're entitled to goods which are reasonably durable for purpose. A hob should not be so delicate that it can't withstand the normal minor knocks from heavy pots/pans or utensils. Dropping something onto it from height would be unreasonable though.

dodzy

Zahra Big Bathrobe wrote: »

The retailer is entitled to carry out a repair first. !


OP there's no consumer issue as such until you see how things go with the retailer. Repair, replace, or refund but it's their call on that not yours.

-Horsesh1te
-Warranty
-Immediate replacement
-End of

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

dodzy wrote: »

-Horsesh1te
-Warranty
-Immediate replacement
-End of

I'm trying to keep this polite and was just mentioning how things operate under the sale not goods act. I know if it were me I'd prefer a replacement but a warranty does not guarantee immediate replacement.
At that I am not going to get into an argument with you over this.

I bought a fairly cheap ceramic hob that hasn't been particularly well looked after. It's now 13 years old and still providing sterling service. You got a dud - you'll get a replacement.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Deleted User wrote: »

I bought a fairly cheap ceramic hob that hasn't been particularly well looked after. It's now 13 years old and still providing sterling service. You got a dud - you'll get a replacement.

Quite probable and any good customer service would assume so but the point is it is not an automatic right.

slimjimmc

Zahra Big Bathrobe wrote: »

The retailer is entitled to carry out a repair first. !


OP there's no consumer issue as such until you see how things go with the retailer. Repair, replace, or refund but it's their call on that not yours.

Zahra Big Bathrobe wrote: »

Quite probable and any good customer service would assume so but the point is it is not an automatic right.

Take a look at S.I. No. 11/2003 and in particular paragraph 7.3:

(3) In the first place, the consumer may require the seller to repair the goods or to replace them (in either case free of charge) unless this is impossible or disproportionate.

The wording is significant "the consumer may require the seller". That shows that for goods less than 6 months old it is indeed the consumer's call, not the seller's, so long as it not an unreasonable demand (see 7.4).

P. Breathnach

slimjimmc wrote: »

...
The wording is significant "the consumer may require the seller". That shows that for goods less than 6 months old it is indeed the consumer's call, not the seller's, so long as it not an unreasonable demand (see 7.4).

I don't read into the SI the meaning that you do do. If anything, it gives the seller some support in choosing one remedy rather than another: the seller is protected from having to provide any particular remedy if the cost is disproportionate in comparison with another remedy.

It looks simple enough to me: if the seller can effect a proper repair at a cost of, say, €100 and the cost of replacing the item were €500, then the seller is going to want to offer a repair - and the consumer cannot reject that remedy provided the repair is complete.

I don't see the basis for the reference to 6 months in your post or gizmo555's earlier one.

slimjimmc

P. Breathnach wrote: »

I don't read into the SI the meaning that you do do. If anything, it gives the seller some support in choosing one remedy rather than another: the seller is protected from having to provide any particular remedy if the cost is disproportionate in comparison with another remedy.

It looks simple enough to me: if the seller can effect a proper repair at a cost of, say, €100 and the cost of replacing the item were €500, then the seller is going to want to offer a repair - and the consumer cannot reject that remedy provided the repair is complete.

I don't see the basis for the reference to 6 months in your post or gizmo555's earlier one.

It's good that the seller some support imo, as it gives some protection against unreasonable claims however it doesn't give the seller carte blanche to choose what the buyer gets, which is what I interpreted Srameen as saying.

I read it as the consumer has the automatic right to what they want unless the seller can justify declining the based on the considerations in 7.4.

The 6 months bit comes from Para 7.1 and Para 8.1

7. (1) The seller shall be liable to the consumer for any lack of conformity referred to in Regulation 5 which exists at the time the goods were delivered.

8. (1) Subject to paragraph (2), any lack of conformity which becomes apparent within 6 months from the date of delivery of the goods shall, unless the contrary is proved, be presumed to have existed at the time of delivery of the goods.

ShaunC

Just to make the point not saying any of this did/could happen.
The only issue that I can see arising is the retailer assuming that something was dropped on it and the customer is trying to pull a fast one, I used to work in retail and it was a common issue.
If the shop offers to repair the hob you are practally getting a new hob anyway.

P. Breathnach

Let's cut through the verbiage to the reality. A seller has an obligation to the consumer in respect of faulty goods. A seller who accepts the obligation and wants to behave properly is going to choose the remedy that is the cheapest one to apply, and the law effectively supports that. If it's cheaper to do a proper repair, that's the option the seller will take.

I read paragraph 8 as doing no more than creating a presumption that a fault that emerges within 6 months is probably due to the goods being defective. I don't see that it is a basis for rescinding a contract of sale, or conferring a right to a replacement rather than a repair.

What would happen if OP went to court asking for a new cooker? The vendor might say: "We had a look at the cracked hob, and concluded that it was a manufacturing defect of a type that happens to one in about every 4000 hobs of that model; it does not create a particular danger. We offered to replace it, a simple process that should take no more than 30 minutes, and the customer refused." I can't imagine that a claim for a replacement would succeed.

MarkR

This hob cracked. Old one cracked. Are you 100% sure there are no pressure points acting on the hob?

Outkast_IRE

MarkR wrote: »

This hob cracked. Old one cracked. Are you 100% sure there are no pressure points acting on the hob?

The old one cracked due to negligence, a heavy glass was dropped on it and chipped the edge and the crack travelled from there.

There no pressure points acting on it, where this new sudden crack is , is a completely different location to the old one.

Plus I installed the new one myself(got electrician to wire it), the cut out was to manufacturers specs, and the manufacturers mounting brackets were used and installed to their instructions.


If I dropped something on it or damaged it in any way I would just bite the bullet and buy a new one myself, as these accidents happen unfortunately.

However what happened with this one was not caused by me or anyone else, even where the location of the crack is , is at the furthest point in from the counter top edge, near to the wall, to drop something on it at that point you would need to extend your arm out fully holding something heavy, and drop it straight down. And nothing could fall on it from a cupboard as only the cooker hood is over it.

The Red Ace

Outkast just read your post re the hob and all the advice you have got re your entitlements but I was thinking along the exact same lines as Mark R. If that hob has no stainless surround the engineer needs to figure out what caused the issue as it is likely to happen again unless Bosch have a problem now with the glass which I have never come across . You must remember glass doesn't bend and if your worktop isn't flat to a straight edge when applied the hob will crack when tightened down, then your entitlements go out the window. I have come across this before when out servicing hobs Good luck getting it fixed free of charge and take the Engineer handy, it wasn't his fault it cracked.

Outkast_IRE

The Red Ace wrote: »

Outkast just read your post re the hob and all the advice you have got re your entitlements but I was thinking along the exact same lines as Mark R. If that hob has no stainless surround the engineer needs to figure out what caused the issue as it is likely to happen again unless Bosch have a problem now with the glass which I have never come across . You must remember glass doesn't bend and if your worktop isn't flat to a straight edge when applied the hob will crack when tightened down, then your entitlements go out the window. I have come across this before when out servicing hobs Good luck getting it fixed free of charge and take the Engineer handy, it wasn't his fault it cracked.

Actually the bosch mountings don't tighten down in the traditional way your thinking of, you literally fit two rails, which have 2 slots on each rail which correspond to two bars on each side of the underside of the hob and the hob clicks into position.

The design of the system means it exerts a small constant downward force.

What im saying really is that the fitting cant be overtightened, its a slot in system.

But I know what your saying about the counter top and flatness.
Its one solid continuous piece of worktop, cant get much straighter.

Im not worried to be honest, I know myself the installation/counter etc are all to manufacturers specs, so its just a case of going through the formalities in my opinion.

Outkast_IRE

Bosch rang today, they had the usual questions are you sure you didn't drop anything on it etc etc. I explained the situation.

Then they asked for the serial number, as soon as I gave them it, they sort of said oh right and said they would send a brand new replacement hob.

Murphat

I know been a while since the last post but we are having a similar problem. We instilled a new ceramic hob mid sept and three weeks later we were boiling a large pot of water on a ring then moved it to the back ring so we could dry fry some pine nuts on the previous ring, as soon as the pan made contact with the ring the hob cracked. We phoned the manufacture who were very clear that it would cost us £135 if they were to come out and fix it and it was our fault. When the engineer came out he told us that basically the glass was indestructible but they would repair it this time, indicating they still thought we had damaged it. Seven days later we were boiling spaghetti and cooking the sauce, the hob was on for about an hour. We finished turned the ring off and sat down to enjoy. About five minutes later we heard a crack, and sure enough hob cracked again. At risk of facing a £135 fee does anybody have any thoughts about what is going on?