Last July 17th we bought a Hotpoint upright tall freezer from Appliances Online.
Last night at 6.30pm it started to bleep at us and when the door was opened every light on the control panel was flashing. The food at the top of the drawers was thawing and we ended up throwing two dustbin bags full into the dustbin.
After looking at the instructions we tried to reset the lights as the motor was still running ok but nothing will switch them off, however the remaining food is still as frozen as it was last night.
I rang Hotpoint this morning and the earliest I can have an engineer call is next Tuesday 14th January, somewhere between 8am and 6pm.
I asked what I was supposed to do with the food still in the freezer and was told I had to photograph every item, including those in the bin, if I wanted to make a claim as the freezer is less than six months old.
I have just spent an hour with my bum facing the sky and face in the bin, displaying it all on the patio table and taking pics....there was a good 3/4 of a green bin full.
Pat
|
|
An engineer will never call. And quite right too. Sorry.
|
|
Isn't your complaint with the retailer?
|
|
I thought but online ? Might be difficult, especially as the Manufacture may have better customer help, although perhaps not in this case!
|
|
Assuming Hotpoint treat Freezers in the same way as their Washing Machines there's a big sticker on it inviting you to call the manufacturer rather than retailer if it breaks, presumably they'd rather damage the brand without help from their suppliers. (from personal experience)
|
You may be better off dealing wtih Appliances Online, Pat - under consumer law your contrat is with the seller, not the manufacturer.
The freezer is still under warranty and clearly not doing the job it was made to do, so there should be no argument that you're entitled to a replacement or repair - and the onus is on the seller to arrange this for you. Granted, the seller may pass the issue on to the maker, and the and maker may accept to resolve it, but your comeback is always through the seller.
If it was mine, my starting position woudl be that the freezer doesn't work, so I'm left with 3/4 bin full of waste food, therefore I want it replaced. Its 7 months old, so I'd be prepared to accept a remanufactured replacement with the balance of Hotpoint's warranty on it, or else to be lent a properly working replacment while they repaired my one.
Once you've photographed the contents of the bin, btw, I'm sure the cats won't object to eating the meaty/fishy bits for you. Its an ill wind blows no good, after all :-)
|
"I have just spent an hour with my bum facing the sky and face in the bin, displaying it all on the patio table and taking pics."
That provoked a mental image...
Anyway what Gromit says is quite right, but if Hotpoint do handle all the better - I'd want my money back and buy a Bosch.
|
>> "I have just spent an hour with my bum facing the sky and face in
>> the bin, displaying it all on the patio table and taking pics."
>>
>>
>> That provoked a mental image...
I thought it was an eclipse that I hadn't known about !
HO
|
I've rang Appliances Online Grommit and their phone line menu connected me directly to Hotpont, so I called again and lied to get to talk to a person!
I made the point that the freezer was less than six months old and as such, is their responsibility so he offered to ring Hotpoint and try and bring forward the appointment, but I haven't heard anything yet.
He also told me he was refunding £25 to my debit card as a goodwill gesture for the lost food.
The problem is, I'm not entirely confident the food left in the freezer hadn't thawed and froze again before the alarm went off and I know I will end up throwing it out sooner than risk eating it.
Pat
|
>> The problem is, I'm not entirely confident the food left in the freezer hadn't thawed
>> and froze again before the alarm went off and I know I will end up
>> throwing it out sooner than risk eating it.
>>
>> Pat
>>
Could you get Zero to come round and try it out to make sure it's safe for humans?
;-)
I was forgetting, he has already moved in hasn't he?
|
My lips are sealed Duncan!
Pat
|
>>The food at the top of the drawers was thawing and we ended up throwing two dustbin bags full into the dustbin.
Do you not have neighbours who would have appreciated it? What a waste. Doubtless some things you could have cooked, too, and then lent to other people to freeze for you.
|
There's not much you can do if its cook-from-frozen stuff and has already defrosted...
Otherwise, two bin bags full is a lot of food to try and cook off urgently when you find the freezer has gone on the blink!
Last edited by: Gromit on Wed 8 Jan 14 at 12:41
|
>> There's not much you can do if its cook-from-frozen stuff and has already defrosted...
We quite often defrost stuff before cooking, even the "cook-from-frozen" stuff. You just adjust the cooking time.
|
Hotpoint is a brand I avoid religiously after poor experiences.
Ditto Hoover.
|
>>Hotpoint is a brand I avoid religiously after poor experiences.
Nother dodgy Hotpoint jobbie on safter noons moneybox dead as it appens.
|
>> Do you not have neighbours who would have appreciated it? What a waste. Doubtless some
>> things you could have cooked, too, and then lent to other people to freeze for
>> you.
>>
Yes, it's an appalling waste, I agree but I wasn't sure how long it had been in that semi-thawed state and I certainly wouldn't offer anything to my neighbours I wouldn't eat myself.
Sausages, joints of beef and chops have been cooked today and will be offered around as I'm quite sure they are ok.
The cats are all fat and happy after eating smoked haddock and mince!
The birds are devouring some of the remainder.
Pat
|
>>
>> I have just spent an hour with my bum facing the sky and face in
>> the bin, displaying it all on the patio table and taking pics..
>>
I think he meant you to photograph the contents. Use the office photocopier for jolly japes.
|
Well, the engineer did call mapmaker and diagnosed a software fault.
>>>> I have just spent an hour with my bum facing the sky and face in
>> the bin, displaying it all on the patio table and taking pics..
>>
It was worth it.
Despite Hotpoint's 'policy' I simply kept insisting my rights as a consumer should not leave me out of pocket on an appliance less than 6 months old.
I've finally received a Sainsbury cash card for the amount claimed.
Pat
|
|
You got 'an engineer' to call. That must be supreme customer service :)
|
That's what he calls himself and that is how he is identified on the paperwork he left me, Engineer Number: ****
I knew I had recounted their terminology correctly at the time but I knew I would be disbelieved anyway!
Pat
|
Sign of the times on here, but I feel I have to prove it to prevent being mocked yet again so here it is....
i100.photobucket.com/albums/m34/Veeeight/IMG_0002.jpg
Pat
Last edited by: Pat on Mon 27 Jan 14 at 18:04
|
PAt,
I don't think Sherlock disbelieved you. Just an (ironic) note that getting an engineer after enduring the current tendency to divert you to website Q&A etc was an achievement.
|
"Customer Service" - pah.
That 0844 number cost you a set up fee and 5.105p per minute, all + VAT.
|
If you look further up the thread Mapmaker mocked me, and DE, I'm not quite that stupid, I use 'say no to 0800 numbers' and used an 01733 code.
Keep trying...no doubt someone will find I have done something wrong/stupid.
How about a 'Well done Pat for sticking to your guns and getting compensation paid when they insisted they don't cover consequential loss?'
Would that hurt very much?
Sometimes you are a miserable lot here.
Pat
|
:-)
Call him Mappie - he hates that.
|
I'm not allowed to RP:)
He made that clear some years ago when he pointed out I should address him by his full title!
I know what I'd like.....No, don't go there Pat.
Pat
|
Well done, Pat, on both the result and your restrained courtesy in this thread.
|
>> :-)
>>
>>
>> Call him Mappie - he hates that.
Thats Mappy. Slapped him with that monika years ago.
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 27 Jan 14 at 19:37
|
Pat - Not mocking you, mocking the use of the use of the 'e' word to describe a probably unqualified technician.
I was unaware of the any previous sensitvity as I had not read the whole of the thread.
|
I was misunderstood. My moan was about poor customer service (er.....the title of the thread) and how they often make contact difficult/expensive.
I am not one of the miserable lot and I am not having a go at you at all. As it happens, when I've thought I've been "got at" I get the hump and sometimes disappear for a while.
You are made of much sterner stuff and I repeat - no dig at you was intended.
|
I posted an update...aimed at Mappy, I doubt he'll read it though!
I don't do flouncing, I just come out of my corner fighting!
I don't take offence either very often and if I do, I'll certainly tell you about it:)
Pat
|
>>I posted an update...aimed at Mappy, I doubt he'll read it though!<<
I got away with it, he didn't notice it!
Pat
|
Poor customer service 2014 - Mapmaker
