Shop refusing to refund or replace microwave

TK Lemon · 27-01-2021 05:13PM #1

My OH and I bought a microwave for €259 in August 2019 (among €2,800 of other electronics for our new house).

The microwave door stuck today and wouldn’t open, and opened after 4 or 5 minutes pushing the button.

When we looked inside, the plate was lopsided and the plastic component that spins the turntable was scorched and melted.

Mr. Lemon rang the company (a well known one originating in the Southern Hemisphere) and they said that although the microwave is covered by warranty, they won’t honour it because it is a component failure rather than a manufacturer failure.

They said our options are to buy a new one or order a new plastic component. Mr. Lemon said he can’t order a new plastic thing because the current one is melted into the bottom of the microwave thus making it impossible to remove.

What are our rights here?

Tiger Roll · 27-01-2021 05:16PM

TK Lemon wrote:

What are our rights here?

Repair ,replace or refund under consumer rights . If they won't refund or replace then insist on a repair

TK Lemon · 27-01-2021 05:45PM

Tiger Roll wrote: »

Repair ,replace or refund under consumer rights . If they won't refund or replace then insist on a repair

They are refusing all three of those and saying that we should order our own turntable component online and install it ourselves.

But the warning at the back of the microwave says that all repairs or alterations must be done by a qualified technician.

Besides, even if we did get a spare component, it’d be next to impossible to replace it without some sort of dismantling because it’s scorched and melted in.

jimmycrackcorm · 27-01-2021 05:55PM

Tell them if they don't sort it then you will take it to small claims court.

colm_mcm · 27-01-2021 06:01PM

So basically the microwave broke because it was used incorrectly?

endacl · 27-01-2021 06:03PM

colm_mcm wrote: »

So basically the microwave broke because it was used incorrectly?

How?

listermint · 27-01-2021 06:03PM

Was it empty ? What was inside that caused the melting.

Seems weird

TK Lemon · 27-01-2021 06:05PM

colm_mcm wrote: »

So basically the microwave broke because it was used incorrectly?

How was it used incorrectly?

I was heating leftover Chinese on a plate for lunch.

colm_mcm · 27-01-2021 06:07PM

TK Lemon wrote: »

How was it used incorrectly?

I was heating leftover Chinese for lunch.

Are HN suggesting it’s a user error, or why else would they say they will not cover it?

Was the plate catching in the microwave causing the turntable to not turn for example?

They must have given you some indication?

TK Lemon · 27-01-2021 06:13PM

colm_mcm wrote: »

Are HN suggesting it’s a user error, or why else would they say they will not cover it?

Was the plate catching in the microwave causing the turntable to not turn for example?

They must have given you some indication?

They didn’t explicitly explain. They said that they only cover equipment malfunction and not component malfunction/damage.

L1011 · 27-01-2021 06:14PM

Retailer from the southern hemisphere or manufacturer from the southern hemisphere?

Actually although €259 is a higher price microwave I don't think Fisher Paykel make ones that cheap so that's probably a bad question!

259 is at the level where I'd go Small Claims. Registered letter to the retailers HO first threatening same sometimes works, though.

However, as its a dearer microwave I'd also suggest looking at what the manufacturers support options are

punisher5112 · 27-01-2021 06:15PM

TK Lemon wrote: »

They didn’t explicitly explain. They said that they only cover equipment malfunction and not component malfunction/damage.

Utter bull.

Contact on Twitter or Facebook etc.

You bought such and such under the sales of goods act they must look after the item and the contract is with them not the manufacturer.

Mrs OBumble · 27-01-2021 06:19PM

Call back and speak to the organ-grinder instead of the monkey.

NeuralNetwork · 27-01-2021 06:19PM

Unless you've done something bizarre to cause the damage, you're entitled to a working microwave. There's no difference between "component" and "equipment." They're all part of the microwave and are covered by statutory warranty.

It would be different if it were a consumable item e.g. a coffee pod, a light bulb or a printer cartridge - i.e. something that's meant to be regularly replaced. However, a turntable sprocket is part of the microwave and is expected to work as part of the machine for a long period of time. Just because something's available as a spare part does not make it a consumable item.

kopfan77 · 27-01-2021 06:50PM

colm_mcm wrote: »

So basically the microwave broke because it was used incorrectly?

Where in the name of god did you deduce that from??

zerosugarbuzz · 27-01-2021 06:56PM

I had a similar experience with a UK retailer about an oven No interest until I contacted them on twitter with photos of the exploded front glass of the oven. Then they replaced and fitted a new one within a few days once it started to get a bit of traction on their social media site.

colm_mcm · 27-01-2021 07:00PM

kopfan77 wrote: »

Where in the name of god did you deduce that from??

See the question mark at the end?
It was a question rather than a statement.

27-01-2021 07:01PM

tphase wrote: »

Remember you are also entitled to chase up the manufacturer to remedy a fault

That's incorrect. The only circumstances where the customer has a contract with the manufacturer is if there is an explicit manufacturer's warranty, and you only covered under the exact terms of that warranty. The retailer always has legal obligations.

OP, it's not clear from your posts, are you talking to the company that sold you the microwave or the manufacturer? The manufacturer route is only good if it's quicker or more convenient.

wonski · 27-01-2021 07:06PM

colm_mcm wrote: »

See the question mark at the end?
It was a question rather than a statement.

"So basically the microwave broke because it was used incorrectly?" Why would you say it?

Just because you add a question mark makes it different?

Interesting?

Are you asking if it was used incorrectly?

Or are you suggesting the seller claims the customer used it incorrectly?

TK Lemon · 27-01-2021 08:18PM

28064212 wrote: »

That's incorrect. The only circumstances where the customer has a contract with the manufacturer is if there is an explicit manufacturer's warranty, and you only covered under the exact terms of that warranty. The retailer always has legal obligations.

OP, it's not clear from your posts, are you talking to the company that sold you the microwave or the manufacturer? The manufacturer route is only good if it's quicker or more convenient.

I am talking to the company that sold me the microwave.

27-01-2021 09:23PM

TK Lemon wrote: »

I am talking to the company that sold me the microwave.

Do they have a presence in the EU or did you purchase it from a Southern Hemisphere site? Their obligations are more or less the same regardless, but enforcement on a non-EU retailer is much more difficult if they just say no

L1011 · 27-01-2021 09:27PM

28064212 wrote: »

Do they have a presence in the EU or did you purchase it from a Southern Hemisphere site? Their obligations are more or less the same regardless, but enforcement on a non-EU retailer is much more difficult if they just say no

I'm fairly sure they were just referring to, without naming, a notable retailer with a significant physical presence here.

kingstevii · 27-01-2021 09:34PM

L1011 wrote: »

I'm fairly sure they were just referring to, without naming, a notable retailer with a significant physical presence here.

Someone like Harvey Norman? Or someone else?

27-01-2021 09:37PM

L1011 wrote: »

I'm fairly sure they were just referring to, without naming, a notable retailer with a significant physical presence here.

If that's the case OP, you should contact the retailer again and explain that you are exercising your consumer rights under the Sale of Goods Act, as the device was not "of merchantable quality" and/or "not fit for purpose".

It's quite possible the fault is not covered under the warranty offered, but a warranty is only an addition to your legal rights. You can completely ignore it for something like this. You can read more about your rights here: https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/consumer/consumer_laws/your_rights_as_consumer_in_ireland.html. If they continue to push back, you can escalate to the Small Claims Court, which only costs €25 (although often the threat of the SCC will be enough to get a retailer to live up to their obligations)

mickuhaha · 27-01-2021 09:47PM

Is that what melted? The below just pushes on and pulls off. That also come on different shapes.

https://www.espares.ie/product/es188921?utm_source=google+shopping&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=google+shopping&gclid=CjwKCAiAu8SABhAxEiwAsodSZC9nDoZJq3Ot3qI8a3B3mqYjzz7BKpUPVEyvF_PscQDLlfHyrs9ghBoCxscQAvD_BwE

Jim_Hodge · 27-01-2021 09:53PM

TK Lemon wrote: »

My OH and I bought a microwave for €259 in August 2019 (among €2,800 of other electronics for our new house).

The microwave door stuck today and wouldn’t open, and opened after 4 or 5 minutes pushing the button.

When we looked inside, the plate was lopsided and the plastic component that spins the turntable was scorched and melted.

Mr. Lemon rang the company (a well known one originating in the Southern Hemisphere) and they said that although the microwave is covered by warranty, they won’t honour it because it is a component failure rather than a manufacturer failure.

They said our options are to buy a new one or order a new plastic component. Mr. Lemon said he can’t order a new plastic thing because the current one is melted into the bottom of the microwave thus making it impossible to remove.

What are our rights here?

That component is cheap as chips and will come away from the base even if melted, with a little bit of effort.

TK Lemon · 27-01-2021 09:57PM

kingstevii wrote: »

Someone like Harvey Norman? Or someone else?

Someone like them, yes.

cruizer101 · 27-01-2021 10:27PM

Jim_Hodge wrote: »

That component is cheap as chips and will come away from the base even if melted, with a little bit of effort.

I'm not sure how happy I'd be with just replacing the part that melted.
It shouldn't melt, the fact that it did to me implies there is some other fault with the unit as a whole that caused it to melt.

Jim_Hodge · 27-01-2021 10:43PM

cruizer101 wrote: »

I'm not sure how happy I'd be with just replacing the part that melted.
It shouldn't melt, the fact that it did to me implies there is some other fault with the unit as a whole that caused it to melt.

I have a suspicion the rotation was blocked and this caused the melting. I won't go as far as to say misuse but...

mickuhaha · 27-01-2021 10:46PM

The part that melted is normally made out of PPS or SPS which have melting points of between 150c to 300c. They don't absorb the energy given out by the microwave. For these parts to get hot enough to melt something else in the microwave would have been absorbing the energy in the form of heat and transfering it to the part that melted. So the question is, was it submerged in a liquid or in contact with something solid that got very hot. If you upload a picture we could guess.

cml387 · 28-01-2021 08:33AM

Diagnosis of how it happened (with an implication that the op is to blame) are beside the point. The Antipodean retailer is refusing to do anything on the specious grounds of "component failure". Which is "round objects".

TK Lemon · 28-01-2021 05:09PM

Popped up to the store today and they had a look at the microwave and they saw where the sprocket had scorched and melted into where it’s being held. They were confused why we were told the warranty wouldn’t cover it.
They replaced the microwave with a similar one and gave us a new two year warranty.

cml387 · 28-01-2021 07:17PM

Go "Antipodean electrical retailer" Go!

Sleeper12 · 28-01-2021 07:31PM

colm_mcm wrote:

See the question mark at the end? It was a question rather than a statement.

It's a very relevant question too. I'm not suggesting op did anything wrong but if it was used incorrectly then obviously all of the other advice is pointless.

Good question imo. It's been answered by op so that's the end of it but still a relevant question

Sleeper12 · 28-01-2021 07:33PM

L1011 wrote:

I'm fairly sure they were just referring to, without naming, a notable retailer with a significant physical presence here.

I wonder if they have a sale on at the moment

Legit_ie · 28-01-2021 09:43PM

TK Lemon wrote: »

Popped up to the store today and they had a look at the microwave and they saw where the sprocket had scorched and melted into where it’s being held. They were confused why we were told the warranty wouldn’t cover it.
They replaced the microwave with a similar one and gave us a new two year warranty.

Yep - always go direct to store in first instance - it's too easy for someone to pawn you off on the phone.

Cerco · 29-01-2021 11:05PM

colm_mcm wrote: »

So basically the microwave broke because it was used incorrectly?

Possibly the plate was not centred on the turntable. This could cause the turntable to become lopsided causing a jam.

Darc19 · 31-01-2021 08:53AM

So the initial answer was on the phone?

Possibly it was explained incorrectly. The person on the phone should have directed the op to the store.

Bad phone service, good store service

listermint · 31-01-2021 09:02AM

Cerco wrote: »

Possibly the plate was not centred on the turntable. This could cause the turntable to become lopsided causing a jam.

Note.

Jammed or not components don't melt. They don't require to move round and round to cool them down.

Either faulty manufacturing or there was another non component source on the component that caused the damage.

People seem to think the wheels have to go around to stop the thing melting......

Cerco · 31-01-2021 01:24PM

listermint wrote: »

Note.

Jammed or not components don't melt. They don't require to move round and round to cool them down.

Either faulty manufacturing or there was another non component source on the component that caused the damage.

People seem to think the wheels have to go around to stop the thing melting......

Think about how this problem evolved with the ultimate result. Can you describe any series of mechanical events which could support your contention?
I suggest the plate was not centred on the turntable which cause jamming
I would suggest the drive gear was damaged by friction caused by the turntable jamming and the drive attempting to turn the gear against the socket in the jammed turntable. Seems to me a plausible explanation. Can you picture an alternative course of events?

Shop refusing to refund or replace microwave

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