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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think that Hotpoint are a disgrace of a company

66 replies

Dorissey · 02/08/2017 14:25

Quick version.
I had a Hotpoint dryer of the "might randomly set on fire" variety. After some complaining they sent me a new dryer. I'd not had it long when it broke down. It tumbled, but it did not dry. It didn't produce any heat. They sent an engineer round, who fixed it. It broke again. Same thing. They sent an engineer round, who fixed it. it broke again. Same thing. They sent an engineer round, who fixed it.

Guess what. It's broke. Same thing.

Hotpoint are generously offering me a free repair.

I think that there is something fundamentally wrong with the dryer for it to keep breaking. It has been 10 months since the last time, but that's just a fluke I think. Other times it was 3-4 months between breakdowns.

Customer service won't even speak to me on the phone. I can't get through and they won't ring me.

I've even emailed the chief exec but haven't had a reply.

Honestly, I have absolutely no faith or trust in Hotpoint (or their associated companies). I'd really like some money back on what I initially paid for the dryer, but at a push would probably accept a replacement.

Is that unreasonable?

OP posts:
Original poster
Dorissey · 02/08/2017 14:29

Oh, and I should probably add, I need a dryer as I don't have an outside space for drying. I do have one of those heated Lakeland things, but we are a rather large family, and that alone isn't enough.

OP posts:
Allthebestnamesareused · 02/08/2017 14:58

Twitter is your friend - I find a quick tweet to a poorly performing company and they are straight on to sort things out!

JeReviens · 02/08/2017 15:00

I also had one of those 'might spontaneously combust' models. They came and modified it and it's never worked properly since. Makes the most unearthly noise and takes twice as long to dry.
I hate Hotpoint.

justilou1 · 02/08/2017 15:02

YADNBU - they're shit. My dryer had plastic paddles that clipped in. The clip wasn't heat resistant. You can see how that worked out... 😡😤😡

Original poster
Dorissey · 02/08/2017 15:02

Have tweeted and am only offered the repair. "talking" via Dm and getting absolutely nowhere.

Asked for a call back and they are refusing.

OP posts:
MrTrebus · 02/08/2017 15:07

Why won't they speak to you on the phone? I spoke to them a good few times when the tumble dryer thing happened and i also got a new machine which i haggled for and i found them helpful on the phone, even though i had to haggle for it. I also found facebook messages were responded to quickly because i dont use shitter Twitter.

aaaaargghhhhelpme · 02/08/2017 15:07

They are officially shit. Sorry

Our old hotpoint dishwasher caught fire. Luckily we were in (I always warn people never to turn theirs on and leave the house) and we pulled it out before the fire spread.

First of all they charged us £100 for an engineer to come out. Then said it'll be an extortionate amount to fix.

The engineer said it was a design fault. The heating element was too near something else (something flammable no doubt!)

Took a lot of wrangling and threatening to get a new dishwasher and a refund. But then I have a mate who works on watchdog...I may or may not have mentioned that

Good luck with getting it sorted. I say keep tweeting. Yes they can DM you. But remind them (and everyone else) that you're still waiting

Original poster
Dorissey · 02/08/2017 15:43

I've telephoned them myself. I've been on the phone now for 55 minutes and they keep putting me through to different people. 8 so far. They say they'll put me through to someone who can help, but then put me on to the switchboard who don't know who I'm supposed to be talking to, and I'm on hold again. All anyone wants to offer me now is a chargable repair.
I feel like crying I'm so frustrated.

OP posts:
GinaFordCortina · 02/08/2017 15:46

Oh I had this OP. They are very bad. In the end it was AO who sorted me out because I hassled them in to submission asked nicely

GinaFordCortina · 02/08/2017 15:46

Go to the company that sold it to you and start on them

Original poster
Dorissey · 02/08/2017 15:49

The dryer came directly from hotpoint.
The company I bought the original (fire hazard) from are no longer in business.

OP posts:
GinaFordCortina · 02/08/2017 15:52

Oh shit.😒

You're buggered then OP they are awful.

Pm'd you

GinaFordCortina · 02/08/2017 15:54

I think in your circumstance I might consider small claims court.

WhollyFather · 02/08/2017 16:03

The repair clearly doesn't work and is never going to. The expressions that occur to me are 'satisfactory quality, as described, fit for purpose and last a reasonable length of time' and 'as per s.14 Sales of Goods Act 1979'.

You could try writing to them and demand they collect the thing and refund you in full unless they would like to see you in the Small Claims Court. Hoover UK's head office is in Merthyr Tydfil.

Original poster
Dorissey · 02/08/2017 16:09

Someone else has had me on hold for 8 minutes. They're now transferring me again.

OP posts:
liz70 · 02/08/2017 16:11

I had a Hoover tumble dryer over ten years ago, that started smoking. I ditched it and put a food cupboard in its place, and have never had a tumble dryer since.

I live in Glasgow, where it rains 320 days of the year, there are five of us plus a dog. We dry washing on two pulleys, plus radiator airers and over door hangers, and use two dehumidifiers in damp weather when it isn't cold enough to need the heating on.

CatsGoPurrrr · 02/08/2017 16:18

This happened to me!

What model dryer did you get as a replacement?

Fe2O3Girl · 02/08/2017 16:18

I already had a low opinion of the whole Indesit / Hotpoint group thanks to the shocking attitude of their customer service people before the randomly combusting tumble dryers debacle.

Cut your losses. Give up with Hotpoint and get a decent replacement. Bosch/Siemens are good.

Original poster
Dorissey · 02/08/2017 16:18

Ah, I don't have enough room for pulleys. We have quite low ceilings as it is, plus it's open plan so we only have doors on the bedrooms and bathroom.
Transferred again.

OP posts:
Original poster
Dorissey · 02/08/2017 16:22

CatsGoPurrrr a white one....
ao.com/product/tvfs73bgp-hotpoint-aquarius-vented-tumble-dryer-white-29896-19.aspx this one.

Hour and 25 minutes on the phone. I've been escalated somewhere and will get a call back from someone tomorrow.

OP posts:
liz70 · 02/08/2017 16:24

Ah, well, my parents have had a Zanussi td for 15 years now. It still works, only the door catch is beginning to get a bit iffy.

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 02/08/2017 16:27

Nothing made by them or their parent/sister companies is coming to my house.

They are horrible to deal with.

MissionItsPossible · 02/08/2017 16:41

Dorissey Funny how they are keen to talk to you via DM and not publicly to save face. Unless it's personal details I would be tweeting them directly so everyone can see the messages. It might cause other disgruntled customers to wade in also and then they'll be really keen to sort it out. Good luck.

Redcrayons · 02/08/2017 16:47

I've got a 'fixed' one too. It makes an awful noise now. And I also don't think that heat sensor works anymore as everything seems to take the same length of time and comes out scorching hot.

TheHodgeoftheHedge · 02/08/2017 16:53

I'm still arguing with them that having had a death trap sitting in my house that has now been unusable for months, I still don't see why I should settle for a "fix/repair", especially as this is not the first time I've heard of people not being happy with the fix/repair.
Why on earth should I have to pay for a replacement of a machine that was not fit for purpose, and we paid good money for in good faith. How are they getting away with this?