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AIBU?

My dishwasher caught fire. AIBU to expect Hoover warrenty to pay up?

37 replies

poppetsaplenty · 09/12/2013 16:59

My 2 year old dishwasher caught fire Saturday night. It had been playing up during the day and suddenly stopped working with all lights flashing and beeping. As I paid a lot for a five year extended warranty called them up and arranged for an engineer to come out Tuesday.

Switched off machine (but not at mains as behind dishwasher). Just before went to bed, became aware of a smell of burning and that the dishwasher was making crackling sounds and there was smoke coming from under the machine. Called 999 and advised to get myself and young ds out. When fire brigade arrived it was smoking and starting to catch alight. Fire brigade put out smoldering fire and took it outside into the front garden.

Told Hoover what had happened and engineer inspected it today. He said that the machine would have been repairable as the fire was due to a component failure that could have been replaced; however as it had been outside in the damp the machine would have to be scrapped and they would get back to me later re replacement.

Just had call back from Hoover telling me that because the fault was repairable I had voided the warranty by taking the machine outside; but they could offer me a new machine at the bargain price of £200.

I have pointed out that a.) the component 'failure' was a fault on their part that could have easily destroyed my kitchen, my house and put mine and my son's lives at risk b.) that the decision to take the machine out was not mine but the fire brigade; and they would not have had to do this had the machine not been on fire.

And sure, the part may have been repairable but if I had just left it to get on with being alight as they are seeming to suggest I should have done, there would be no component to replace, no dishwasher, no kitchen and possibly no house or me either.

Is it just me or AIBU over this?

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SueDoku · 09/12/2013 17:09

YADDNBU - this is another example of a company trying to get out of a contract. Publicise the name of the company as much as possible - put it on FB/Twitter and any other social media sites, contact your local newspaper - also contact the consumer champions at the Guardian, who help with cases like this. Angry

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Onesleeptillwembley · 09/12/2013 17:11

Hoover are notorious for this. This is why I would never you h one of their products.

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CallMeNancy · 09/12/2013 17:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Onesleeptillwembley · 09/12/2013 17:13

Sorry - meant to say - AVOID Hoover and Candy.

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SantyClaws · 09/12/2013 17:13

Shock what utter bastards. YANBU.

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Almostfifty · 09/12/2013 17:14

They're talking out of their arses.

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ProfPlumSpeaking · 09/12/2013 17:14
  1. I am so glad you and your son are ok....that is the main thing here.
  2. Hoover are being outrageous. Move this one higher up the company. You have a duty to mitigate damage which is exactly what you did.


Let us know how you get on! x
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Sirzy · 09/12/2013 17:14

I think this is a good case for twitter and facebook compalint - use the power of social media.

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struggling100 · 09/12/2013 17:17

What? WHAT? The damn thing caught FIRE! In your HOUSE! With you practically in BED! You were lucky not to be hurt! And the fire brigade took it outdoors as the appropriate thing to do in the circumstances (and let's face it, they should know). The LEAST Hoover can do is to pay for the cost of a new machine. I am appalled.

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FortyDoorsToNowhere · 09/12/2013 17:23

It's lucky your not suing them.

Appalling service.

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ShatnersBassoon · 09/12/2013 17:33

This is absolutely outrageous! I can't believe they think they can treat you like this, it's one of the worst examples of customer service I've ever heard. Your house could have burnt down, but they're wriggling out of replacing a bloody dishwasher because it had to be removed from the building for your safety.

Tell them to cough up or you'll unleash hell.

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poppetsaplenty · 09/12/2013 17:36

Oh God, thank goodness IANBU! Was beginning to feel in some kind of weird parallel universe where I should be apologising to Hoover for taking their faulty, smoking appliance outside, or should not have called the fire brigade Confused

Right, thanks for the tip Sue, have emailed Guardian customer champions. I would facebook the complaint but the only Hoover page I can see seems to be about carpet cleaners.

Twitter - I don't use Twitter Blush could anyone please link / trend this for me - please, please

I have a generic email address for Hoover Candy. Would it be bad form to link this mumsnet thread to my complaint email, or is that considered ok?

Thank you so much

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IneedAsockamnesty · 09/12/2013 17:41

Hoover just lost out on me buying every white appliance a house needs from them (my dd is getting a house and I'm gifting her a kitchen)

Yanbu

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greenfolder · 09/12/2013 17:42

The paid for warranty is a red herring. Basic consumer law gives you protection. They are being twats.

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BohemianGirl · 09/12/2013 17:57

EU legislation covers white good for 6 years - buying a warranty is just milking you out of your money.

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HavantGuard · 09/12/2013 17:58

I knew they weren't the best make but Shock

They're voiding your warranty because the fire brigade took yor smouldering dishwasher outside???

Agree twitter/Facebook is the way to go.

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VivaLeBeaver · 09/12/2013 18:01

Yanbu. Zanussi repaired my dishwasher when it caught fire.

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nomorecrumbs · 09/12/2013 18:01

That's awful, OP!!

I would be suing their sorry arses.

Pester the CEO with calls, letters and blast it all over. MN will spread the cause!

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HaPPy8 · 09/12/2013 18:03

!!!! Thats terrible! Thank goodness you are ok, but you must pursue this, if there is a component failure, other people could be at risk!

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LittleprincessinGOLDrocks · 09/12/2013 18:07

Facebook, twitter and Watchdog are the way forward.
They should be offering you a new machine as a gesture of good will - to say "sorry our appliance set a light!" IMO.

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riskit4abiskit · 09/12/2013 18:09

Its not directly related to the op but... have just popped on this thread to say that when I was at uni we had a fire safety talk in freshers week and the fireman said that we should never put dishwashers on while the house was unoccupied as they are a leading cause of house fires, though thankfully all house fires are quite rare.

so I don't. Hope you are ok op this would really shake me up!

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Anniegetyourgun · 09/12/2013 18:09

Wasn't it Hoover who Watchdog had a bit of a campaign about, ooh, must be 20 years ago now? Anyone old enough to remember but not too old to have forgotten the details? In any case, I'm fairly sure they are, or have been in the past, notorious for a cavalier attitude to customer complaints.

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goshhhhhh · 09/12/2013 18:10

Dear god are they not worried about their reputation & the impact on sales!

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poppetsaplenty · 09/12/2013 18:18

Thanks; yes it really is as described - they are blaming me (or fire brigade) for taking machine outside because the fault was repairable. I'm not sure I follow their crazy logic; because erm it wouldn't have been necessary to take the machine outside, had it not been on fire Angry.

When I disputed this and asked to speak with someone higher; they just told me they were unable to transfer me and that I should just email the generic company address.

And despite everything else; when I realised that it was actually alight, I was absolutely terrified that it would just explode before I had time to make the 999 call and go upstairs to wake my son; and if I'd had an early night or a migraine and gone to bed around ten; the outcome would have been far worse.

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mrsminiverscharlady · 09/12/2013 18:36

Almost laughably outrageous. Reminds me why i would never touch one of their pieces of crap disguised as a kitchen appliance with a bargepole.

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