New Argos bought stove not working. What to do next? Am stuck.

[oakleaffy]

I bought a Hotpoint Ultima HUG 61X at the very end of April 2021 online via Argos and paid by Paypal.

I have never used the grill as couldn't get it to work, even with matches.
I had someone visit who also couldn't;t get it to light, and he said it must be faulty.

It goes ''tic tic tic tic and fills with gas, but no flame ignites.
If I light the gas with a match, and release the button, the gas goes out.

I really need a grill now, as having more people over now lockdown is eased.

I haven't a clue who to contact, Argos or Hotpoint?

It is obvious by the look of the grill it has never been used .

Very grateful in advance for 'Consumer advice'

I googled and it seems as if it may have a dodgy 'thermo-couple?'

Go to argos and live chat. I had return something last week as broke. Was heavy items on home delivery. Just have order number to hand and explain. They be able tell you who’s job it is to sort and do it. I was very impressed.

@Akire
Thank you very much...
The problem is I left it longer than 30 days and this seems to absolve Argos of responsibility!

I have never used the grill , and all the stickers inside are bright and white... Been trying to get through to hotpoint but a bloomin nightmare.

hours of expensive non geo calls and preambles.

the only 'freephone' number was trying to flog parts and callout cover at £48 a year.

My big mistake was not checking all burners ignited when engineer was installing it

Modern gas burners/ovens will cut the gas supply if they detect that it's not being burnt. If you light it with a match and hold the button down for a few seconds after it's been lit, does it still go out?

Your contract is with Argos, not Hotpoint so go back to them in the first instance. As you've said, the problem you might have is that you've left it 5 months after installation to report the issue but this doesn't change the fact that you have an applicance that would have been sold with a warranty that doesn't work.

Are you holding the button in after you have lit the gas? On mine you need to hold the button in for 10 seconds or it turns itself off.

Has it been installed correctly?

So the gas comes out few seconds. The ignite doesn’t work (not usually a problem can use match) you light gas then gas cuts out?

Argos sold you a faulty cooker. Take it back.

30 days is the time limit if you've changed your mind, not if its faulty

Who fitted it for you?
Did they not test that it worked before they left?

Consumer rights act is clear

A very common consumer question – which goes along the lines of:

I have bought an item from a shop/retailer which is faulty – I have taken it back to the shop but they tell me to go to the manufacturer. Who is responsible for fixing the faulty item?

The answer to this is quite simple – you bought the item from the shop and your contract is with the shop. You do not have a contract with the manufacturer. The shop has the legal liability to fix the item.

If the item is faulty then you will have your legal rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 against the retailer. You may also have a separate warranty direct with the manufacturer – and if you pay extra to the retailer for an ‘extended warranty’ you may also have another set of rights against the retailer or third party insurer.

Bottom line is that when a product breaks (especially if very soon after purchase) you should use your legal rights. Only if they do not cover the problem should you move onto a free manufacturer warranty or a paid for warranty (bear in mind a warranty will often cover things not covered by the Consumer Rights Act 2015 – such as accidental damage).

You should bear in mind of course- if you give the item to the shop they will often just pass it back to the manufacturer – so it is often quicker if you just go direct to the manufacturer if the manufacturer is happy to deal with you direct. You should always check with the shop first though and get permission as if you go to the manufacturer without giving them first chance to offer a refund/repair they may argue that you should have given them a chance to fix the item first.

Bear in mind your rights under the Consumer Right Act 2015 are:

-the item is faulty when it is sold to you (but that fault may be not become apparent until after it has been used) – this essentially means there is some sort of manufacturing defect with the product as it was not designed or made properly

– it is not as described

– it is not fit for the purpose for which it was sold

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 does not cover damage you cause yourself.

There are lots of guides online about the rights you have under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

30 days makes no difference if it's faulty. You just need to contact Argos and let them know that you need to return a faulty item (confirmed by the person you got out to look at it). I find contacting them on twitter can sometimes speed it along.

Argos. Their customer service for this kind of situation is unreal. In a good way.

Argos will not take responsibility they will point you in the direction of Hotpoint I had this problem with a freezer, and they didnt want to know. Thats even if you can get through the myriad robots on the site asking questions that bear no relation to your problem. I wont buy anything electrical from Argos.

Who fitted the stove? I hope it was a registered Gas Safe engineer. They should not have left before testing that it was working correctly.

If it has failed since that is the responsibility of Argos to get it fixed.