Warning About Miele's Appalling Customer Service

[youbeatmetoit]

This is a genuine warning about the customer service I have received from Miele. Given the cost and supposed quality of their goods the service is terrible.

It’s genuinely the worst experience that I’ve had with a company. The only contact number they will provide is first line support who will only log a message and promise a call back within 48 hours. They have never kept this promise and I have had to continually chase.

When eventually I did get a call I had a very aggressive woman tell me that the behaviour of the tumble dryer is a ‘characteristic’ and they can not and will not fix it. She was trying to condescend me and acted like I was stupid for not accepting their excuse.

This noise only appears after about 6 months of use and is common to Miele T1 machines. Because they refuse to fix it they call it a 'characteristic'. However, in none of their product literature, marketing materials and videos do they every say that this will happen. The machine is now louder than the stated 64db in the product materials so on that basis it does not work as expected.

Given that Miele are fully aware of this issue and choose to hide it from customers, it constitutes a misrepresentation of goods and there should be a class action against Miele for either negligent misrepresentation or fraudulent misrepresentation.

Even the engineers that have looked at the machine admit that it shouldn’t make the noise it does but that there is no fix.

But apart from the issue with the dryer, the customer service provided has been so poor and totally unacceptable.

Thanks for the heads up. I always found high end companies like Miele and John Lewis to have fantastic customer service BUT this last 2 or 3 years things have gone really awful and they are nothing like they used to be.

Tell Miele in writing it's unacceptable and you want a full replacement or you'll take them to the small claims court. Then do that.

Thanks Chowtime. About 2 hours after posting this they called (shocker!) and offered a full refund. It took almost 6 months to get to this point though.

It's a shame because apart from this noise it's a fantastic machine.

This doesn't surprise me at all unfortunately!

My sil insists still on buying everything Miele -must keep up with the Jones's don't you know 🙄 - but has nothing but problems. If anything goes wrong they never seem to have the part but will offer you a discount off a new product instead.🤔. This happened to SIL 3 times with their former 10 year guarantee.

I have only ever bought 2 Miele products and found them very overpriced and nothing special TBH.

I bought a new Hisense dishwasher 2 years ago - which is fantastic too - but had a minor issue when it was 9 months old. Hisense were struggling to get the part from China and had to rearrange the engineer appointment
twice. On the third occasion their CS rang me, extremely apologetic for the delay - a whole 8 weeks and I was still able to use the dishwasher anyway as it really was a very small issue - and asked would I prefer
to receive a replacement brand new machine as waiting so long for a repair was not their usual standards. I actually chose to keep my original machine and it was finally repaired 4 weeks later but I was blown away by the the service received from Hisense. The machine has been fabulous since!

How disappointing, we buy all our white goods and vacuums form Miele but have definitely noticed a drop in quality between my old washing machine which was 20 years old and my new one. I think customer service generally has gone downhill.

I would like to counter this with how fantastic I have found their customer service to be. During 1st lockdown my then 14 year old Miele dishwasher developed a fault (caused by a plumbing issue outside of the machine). Their response was quick and the engineer replaced the faulty parts as soon as they were available (one part had to be ordered as it's not one they keep in stock). The dishwasher is still going strong (as are my now 17 year old washing machine and tumble drier and 12 year old oven).

My experience too. 4-yr old wm has failed (last one lasted over 20 yrs) & within hour of engineer telling us today not to use it we've been offered an equivalent new machine at no cost. (We did buy direct from Miele originally so they have all our records but it was without the guarantee period. ) Morally this feels right but I suspect that these days I'd have had a tussle with most cos. .

I know this thread is old but I have such terrible customer service from Miele today I also want to warn people.

My washing machine had a small fault - nothing dramatic, something to do with the TwinDos. It worked but I had to feed in detergent myself rather than use TwinDos. Anyway, I booked a man, he came today, fixed the problem and left.

I ran a wash and the machine made a clicking noise it has never made before. I called them, he came back, fixed the noise, went away. Half an hour later the machine starts beeping and showing an error message.

Long story short, the machine is now broken and I can't use it til it's fixed. Miele say they can't come and take a look for 11 days.

This is beyond disgraceful. I have paid just short of £600 for a machine with a minor problem to turned into a machine that is unusable for 11 days.

Miele is not on Twitter, nor do they have anywhere to direct their complaints. They have sent me a voucher for detergent (!) as compensation.

I have always bought Miele products but will not be doing so again.

That is a great idea @newnamesix I will do that. Thank you.

I'd also counter that, I've always had amazing service from them and continue to buy all their products and recommend them to others

Miele Service (I use the term service ‘service’ loosely)

Miele appliances were of such high quality and reliability accompanied by good follow up customer service they were worth the extra cost to have the very best. I had been happy with the considerable investment in my Miele appliances for my new kitchen 15 years ago - dishwasher, washing machine, double oven, steam oven, microwave, warming drawer, Nespresso coffee machine. Only my induction hob has disappointed. I have rarely called on their follow up customer service but when I did, years ago, it was excellent.

Sadly their service is now appalling! I would never buy Miele again as without that back up repair service it has become an unreliable brand. I need to know that I can rely on them when I need them. I need to know the brand is worth paying the extra high cost over other brands. I need them to respect me and treat me fairly as their customer.

I may as well buy a reputable but far cheaper brand like Bosch for far less money and without expectation of excellent follow up service (it can’t be worse than Miele) or longevity and simply replace with a newer model more frequently.

The reasoning behind my change of heart is as follows: I booked a service engineer for my dishwasher (bought 2020) 8 days hence to have my inlet pipe and outlet pipe replaced (due to mice gnawing holes) for a one off all inclusive price of £279.

The engineer appeared friendly and competent. Once he completed the job he ran a short programme to check all was ok.

Within 24 hrs and first time we used it, the dw stopped operating with a fault code indicating the problem was the inlet pipe. I called Miele immediately and was told the earliest they could get an engineer to me was 14 days hence. I was bitterly disappointed hvg already waited 8 days and paid the £279 up front.

I sent an email via their web page to complain that it seemed unfair to put me to the back of the queue given I had already waited my turn. I didn’t even get an acknowledgement let alone a response. I also tried filing a complaint through their telephone customer services but still had no response.

Left with no choice but to wait the 14 days which is tomorrow, instead of getting a message today with my time slot I got a message saying they were now unable to attend but they had rescheduled for yet ANOTHER TEN DAYS HENCE. That’s 32 days I will have been without my appliance and 32 days since I will have paid a one off fee of £279 for the repair.

I could not recommend anyone invest in a Miele product as they appear to be trading on a long past reputation

Another disappointed Miele customer. We have had some Miele products for a while and when our washer finally broke we bought another Miele. It was faulty and after a short while and a couple of attempts to fix it the service engineer discovered the problem and the machine was replaced very quickly. I was looking through the manual, like you do, and found that automatic updates was turned off and the recommended setting is on. The machine was working perfectly. New update and problems with setting it going. It will wash but it's a fiddle and given the cost of the machine, not so good. I contacted Miele and was told to send a video of the problem. It immediately started working correctly. Then it happened again. After half an hour on the phone the rep said that a visit will cost £170 and that if it's working and he can't do anything re the update as it can't be undone. That would be it! Thanks for the money. Management will take the same line I'm afraid. So I'm now waiting for the next update to see if it fixes it. Now what would they do if it was in warranty? Replace the machine or fix it? I'm NOT going to gamble £170 on a losing situation. It's a great machine as are the other Mieles we have in the house but this isn't so good.

I've had to come back and eat my words. Our washer developed another fault and we had to call out an engineer. They do a £170 service but they also do a fixed price service and £290. Knowing their parts would be costly I plumped for the fixed price deal. The engineer came out and very quickly sorted out what was wrong with the machine. He went a bit further and discovered a detergent/hydrogen peroxide leak had corroded a large area of the washer base. He examined it more carefully and took quite a lot of photos which he sent to the office. In no time at all it was decided we would get a new machine. I'm to get a phonecall to discuss this. I don't think I'll be going twin dos for the replacement. I can't fault this service.

Wanted to add to this as experiencing the worst service from miele and would not recommend their appliances ever to anyone based on this! Washing machine has been showing fault code after fault code and the engineer came out supposedly repaired but it developed another problem straight after he left and now ive been told i have to wait 3 weeks for a repair! I have a child with disabilities and explained this but to no avail. I have had better service and less issues with less expensive brands.

I’m also suffering with Miele’s appalling customer service. Our CX Boost just didn’t not have the power to pick up cat hair, and despite having to manually take out hair from the vacuums head, it would subsequently power off during use.
pick up for a service repair was botched as ‘Parcel Force’ had got the wrong pick up address, that was mid August.
Since then I have called and emailed countless times to get updates on what is going on…. Miele has not contacted me regarding the issue ONCE.
It is almost mid October, we will not be buying Miele again, despite our last one lasting 20 years!
Im so fed up of going round in circles but I think customers need to be aware of what to expect.
we purchased it from Curry’s with a Care and Repair Plan. Useless, as it was only 3 months into its warranty.

Looking for some advice please.

We have a Miele washing machine that is 4 years old. It’s not been working and a technician came out today to sort it, for the quoted price of £170. Half an hour after being him being at our house, he says hes fixed it and that we owe £540 for the repair he carried out. Apparently the control board was broken and we were ‘unlucky’. My partner was at home on her own dealing with the technician and paid him the money, on our CC as we didn’t have the money to pay that much. She was in shock and didn’t know what to do. He has then taken the faulty board away (probably to fix and sell on) and not even left it with me.

I will be making a complaint about everything, including the rude and poor initial response on the phone from the advisor, who didn’t properly explain their ridiculous costing system. As well as the technician who carried out the work without consulting us first, then stealing the part after. Any advice would be appreciated

was the technician an official Miele employee?

Had to return a faulty Miele washing machine a few weeks after buying it, and I concur - my customer service experience was appalling. Used to be a Miele fan, but I will never buy another Miele product again.

Similar TwinDos problem with a washing machine, but ours failed three weeks before the end of the two year guarantee period. Someone from a local company came out on Miele's behalf, took photos etc and the next day, Miele emailed with an offer to supply a new machine.

I agree and Miele needs a health warning before you from them.

I bought a whole kitchen of top end Miele appliances. I'd always heard about it's good service and build quality. However, I've learnt that's not the case.

They don't respond to emails and, when they do, they only do so after you print the emails and send them to them by registered post!!

The latest problem is with an oven. After 3 years of normal use the door lock failed and jammed the door. Technician said he thought it was caused by heat exposure (it's an oven) and replaced it with an upgraded part as they don't fit the old one anymore. Charged over £500 for this (over 25 % of the cost of the oven). When customer service finally bothered to respond, they explained, in summary, Miele can't guarantee it's products don't come with faults, it's usual for parts like this to fail so soon and, if it doesn't break in the first few months, the parts in the product must have been fine. The general attitude is just accept we're right and everything we sell is perfect.

Prior to this, the induction hob failed just after a year of use. Whilst Miele replaced it, this was through gritted teeth as it was over a year old.

I want to flag this to everyone so you don't fall for the sales pitch. The products may be nice, but the build quality has gone downhill (but the price keeps going up) and the customer service is horrendous. I won't buy anything from them again and will actively warn people about this. If you do buy from Miele, just get ready to key paying for expensive repairs until you get fed up and replace it. Also, if you get customer service to respond (but don't get your hopes up as they prefer to ignore emails) just be prepared for blunt responses that are designed to get rid of you.

Just to add, I get that an oven won't last forever but at this price point and with it's marketing blurb it has to last for more than 3 years of use without breaking.

HERE IS SOMETHING FOR ALL YOU MIELE OWNERS.
ADVISORS DO THEIR BEST TO HELP YOU.
ALSO THEY WORK FOR FREE FEW MINUTES A DAY.
WHEN THEIR SHIFT ENDS, THEY GET AN INBOUND CALL, THEY MUST ANSWER IT, HELP YOU OUT, CALL LASTS 10 - 25 MINUTES, THE ADVISOR IS NOT GETTING PAID BECAUSE ITS THE END OF THEIR SHIFT. THEIR RULES.
SOME CUSTOMERS RECORD THE CALLS WITH OUT THE ADVISORS CONCENT, COUPLE OF ADVISORS TOOK THE CALLER AND MIELE TO COURT FOR THEIR DATA AND PRIVACY BREECHED.

Also reporting that Miele customer service continues to be appalling! We purchased 9 appliances from Miele a few years ago and the service was amazing back then. 4.5 years ago we ordered a spare part and paid over the phone as they wouldnt despatch it without pre payment. Last week we received a final demand and a threat of formal action if we didnt pay this 4.5 years old invoice which we have already paid. We had never seen this newly raised invoice before. Countless phone calls and emails since and there has been no response or acknowledgement. Miele has only on phone number that connects to an overseas call centre. The only uk function that answers the phone is the sales team. If you are thinking of purchasing from them you should think twice as the support just isnt there any more.

I can only echo what has been said here about Miele customer service. Anyone who wants a bit of a laugh should take a look at the “Six reasons to buy a Miele” section on their website.
Along with eight other appliances I bought a Miele induction hob just under 5 years ago. It now won’t let me switch it on. We have twice had an engineer scheduled to visit which has been cancelled because they don’t have the part. No doubt I will be charged an extortionate amount for the repair when it’s done but given Miele is a ‘premium’ brand at a premium price I don’t think I should have to pay anything for a fault that shouldn’t occur after a relatively short time of usage. My emails to Miele customer service have gone unanswered and when I called they couldn’t find the first email so they seem to be falling into a black hole.

Miele customer service have let me down too. Emails feel like they are written by bots or unanswered. Another product has failed me after a short use. Its not the same as it used to be. Products used to last forever. The emails repeat the problem back to you and waste months of emails. BE warned.

Miele are terrible
we have a double oven which we have used 8 times and had to repaired twice
the induction hobs which were meant to fit into the worktop aren’t straight ( the electronics are not ‘glued’ in straight . The single oven has poor temperature distribution and the steam function just doesn’t work well enough ( bad design)
the customer service does not exist, emails are not replied to and the phone number just goes to an answering machine.

I advise everyone never to buy Miele, poor design, poor manufacture, unreliable and non existent customer complaints

We too are still waiting for a call back!