Dont know if any of you are aware of the Beko fridge/freezer fires issue, but Beko got in touch today to say ours was one of the ones that can go up in smoke, apparently 15 people injured, one dead, so a proper issue.
Now, Beko are coming to replace the offending part, but not for another month ( half a million to work through apparently ) and I dont know that now I know the risk is there, I can continue to use it.
The guy from Beko was especially keen to get mine seen to when I described a few issues with it and he said they are some of the symptoms, which didnt help my nerve - my wife wont sleep knowing what could happen, thats a lock.
So is it too much that Im going out to buy a new one tomorrow? Its only £200 or so and we had planned to replace it soon due to its poor performance.
Im also moving it to our detached garage so its away from the house tonight as we have too much frozen food to just switch it off.
Am I Rattling or not? The pictures from the fire stories linked to the issue are pretty awful, maybe I shouldnt have looked!
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If I had a fringe which was a model of which was known to burst into flames, I would be worried too. £200 may seem like a lot, but you will get a brand new fridge and the lack of worry may end up adding a few years onto your life :).
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Some of your typos really make me laugh Rattle - thanks!! :-)
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Rattle of the flaming fringe, what an image :-p
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New one.
Get Beko to cough.
"sorry mate, don't trust your stuff. Take your POS away, and pay me for a new one."
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No you are right to be concerned, fire is a dreadful thing, it doesn't take prisoners.
As for the make concerned, when i was stony broke i once bought one of their washing machines, what an experience that was, never again...expensive tat seeing it didn't last 12 months.
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Funny you say that GB, ive had a Beko washing machine for 8 years, it was only £170 brand new, cheapest I could get and its been faultless in all that time.
The issue with the fridge is the thermostat can let water in and spark or something along those lines.
I guess I can now understand the blissful ignorance Renault Laguna drivers enjoy until it goes wrong :-)
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If your fridge/freezer is a model (and presumably from a batch) that has caused fires then no you are not overreacting. And the fact you say it has had issues which sound like they want to sort yours out ASAP.
What I don't understand is if they are keen to swap yours... why a month! You can't now wait a month can you and leave it running. Suppose you could leave it in the garage.
Can you not get back on to them and get money towards the new fridge/freezer? Otherwise if you buy one you will then have a Beko one too.
EDIT: Just re-read and all they are doing is fixing it... I'd see if they can contribute to a new one then.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Fri 18 Nov 11 at 17:06
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Tbh, my nan gave me the fridge when she moved in with my parents, so im not sure how that works legally in terms of money back, if there was any it would go to her, but im assured once the part is swapped, it will be ok, so I think my parents are going to keep it as a spare ( they have 4 fridges running at any one time, dont ask ).
We had already budgeted to buy a new one in the Jan sales but actually theres a few cheap deals on A rated ones now so its not a bad time to buy, my concern isnt so much the money but the fire risk.
I changed the smoke alarm batteries today funny enough, it did rather prompt me, wife has been on at me for months to check them.
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I would consult CAB (Unless Rob can assist on here) and ask them your rights.
I don't think it is unfair to not want to wait until it is repaired. Similarly, I can understand why Beko can't do all repairs in one day.
Did you say to Beko that you were going to buy another one instead and if so what did they say? They must experience this all the time.
Meanwhile make sure you have a working smoke alarm
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"Up to 500,000 fridge freezers could be posing serious fire risks in homes and businesses across the country, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) has warned."
This gives a clue as to why they can't fix them in a day!
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My mum has had one of the dodgy half million for a few years, no problems, they came out and changed the thermostat a few weeks back. I think those who've lived through a World War have a different attitude to risk.
Personally I'd move it to the garage and leave it at that.
I believe the thermostat is indeed letting in water, which corrodes the contacts, this increases their electrical resistance until it gets to the point where there's sufficient power dissipated in the thermostat for it to ignite.
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>> I guess I can now understand the blissful ignorance Renault Laguna drivers enjoy until it
>> goes wrong :-)
Very similar, 15 fridges go wrong, 500,000 dont, so they are all labelled death traps.
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Once it is repaired leave it in the garage, it will make a nice additional f/f for bbq stuff, beer etc ...
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If it will work in a garage, even if it doesn't catch fire! www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?f=5&t=8549
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Would fitting an RCD to the plug help (assuming your CU doesn't have one)? Or would the fire already have started before the RCD can cut in?
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I wouldn't have it in the house. And would your insurers pay out for fire damage if they realised that you were aware of problem? I think not.
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Just leave it in the kitchen attached to an RCD and have a smoke alarm next to it - with a very loud warning.
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If you do buy a new one, make sure the freezer compartment is a decent size. I bought a fridge freezer for the cellar when we move in here. We didn't think we needed a huge freezer and this one is efficient, frost free etc. Trouble is the freezer isn't so deep. Now thinking of getting an additional larder freezer for the cellar.
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Your right about size. Ours isnt big enough for the two of us, the freezer is stuffed and there really aint that much in it.
Im leaving it in the kitchen for this evening till the wife gets home, if anything goes amiss im only 8ft away from it and the plug is at counter height so I can whip it out quickly.
Just made me think of that Michael McIntyre piece about always trusting the fridge when you go on holiday but turning everything else off - not so much now Mikey, my fridge has pyromaniac tendancies :-)
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Statistically speaking though, you're probably more at risk driving to the local retail park to look at alternatives then leaving the current unit running.
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True perhaps, but the Beko guy seemed genuinely concerned and he knows more about it than me, so if he cant contain his concern, ill take it seriously since mine genuinely is having thermostat issues and has been for some time - when I told him I was having trouble keeping it cool and it would only stay cool on Max, that seemed to put the wind up him.
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If it was that dangerous he'd be round tomorrow. My mum's was behaving fine but they came out about a fortnight after the call. I'd still stick it in the garage though, 15 in half a million is pretty long odds but higher than it should be.
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It's not just your parents Stu, we have a tall larder fridge and same size fridge freezer in the kitchen, and a tall freezer in the garage, there's only us two and the dog.
We save money and eat well by using them, by taking advantage of offers...hmm might just slip to the kitchen for a cold Bud.
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Yeah, Have a huge party, empty the sucker.
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Do you have a smoke alarm you can put in the garage?
If not, you may have the worst of both worlds.
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>> Do you have a smoke alarm you can put in the garage?
If not, they're £4 in Tesco.
My Beko fridge/freezer isn't one of the nicer frost-free models, but a basic thing which needs defrosting twice a year (mainly due to daughter frequently holding the door open for minutes at a time). The fridge/freezer is 14 years old and has survived half a dozen house moves without losing any performance. Bangernomics fridge/freezers FTW.
Last edited by: Dave_TDCi on Fri 18 Nov 11 at 18:49
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iffy, not if the garage is detached. And less likely to ignite anything.
I'd still be getting into the garage. But let it settle before plugging it back in.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Fri 18 Nov 11 at 18:50
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I wouldnt hear it if it went off, the garage is 8ft from the back of the house.
So long as the world doesnt include the one Im sleeping in, its never the worst and its only for one night, by lunchtime tomorrow it will be turned off.
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A new Beko is looking at around £270 as having looked at the capacity, mine is 11cu ft, not too small as they go, so no sense getting something smaller really since ive filled what I have.
My nan has already told my mum she will buy me a new one, god love her, but ill buy this one and she can have her oven/fridge back :-p
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So, you are worried about your beko turning you into toast, yet you are looking at a new beko?
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Its 8 years since mine was made and 5 years since they produced one with this issue, they also have a new part so they obviously know whats wrong and how to fix it.
Its a specific component that was also fitted to Lec fridges aswell, its not a Beko only problem.
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Stu,
You may have a case for a replacement, but it would be difficult, have a read of the below.
Getting your goods repaired or replaced
If there is something wrong with your goods and you aren't entitled to, or don't want to get a full refund, you can ask the trader to either repair or replace them for free instead. You might not be able to get a full refund if, perhaps, you had the goods for too long before realising there was a problem, or before the problem became obvious.
If you take the goods back within six months of buying them, the trader must accept that they were faulty at the time of sale and offer to repair or replace them. If the trader doesn't accept that the goods were faulty, they will have to prove this.
If you have had your goods for more than six months when they go wrong, you can still ask the trader to repair or replace them, but you may have to prove that they were faulty when you bought them if the trader doesn't agree. You can ask for a repair or replacement at any time up to six years after you bought the goods (five years in Scotland), as long as it is reasonable for them to have lasted this long. If the goods go wrong after six years (or five in Scotland), you no longer have the right to ask for a repair or replacement.
If the trader agrees to carry out a repair or provide a replacement, they must do this within a reasonable period of time, and without causing you any significant inconvenience. If you ask the trader for a repair but this turns out to be impractical or to be too expensive, the trader doesn't have to repair your goods, but you can choose to have a replacement instead. In the same way, if you have asked the trader to replace your goods and this turns out to be impractical or too expensive, the trader doesn't have to replace them, but you can choose to have a repair instead.
If neither repair or replacement is practical, you can ask to get some or all of your money back. You can also ask to get some or all of your money back if:
replacing or repairing the goods would cost more than giving you some or all of your money back, or
the trader did not replace or repair the goods within a reasonable period of time, or
the trader was not able to repair or replace the goods without causing you significant inconvenience.
How much money you can get back will depend on how much use you have had out of the goods. You will probably only be able to get some of your money back if:-
the goods had worked for some time before they went wrong, or
they still work but their appearance has got worse, or
only one of their functions has failed.
However, if you have been able to get no, or little use out of the goods, and/or repairs have been unsuccessful, then you will probably be able to give back the goods and get all of your money back.
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Anyone got anything against LOGIK products?
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Put it outside with a long extension lead.
Last edited by: Cliff Pope on Fri 18 Nov 11 at 19:53
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It is just one of DSGis own brands, so you don't know who actually makes the produuct.
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...It is just one of DSGis own brands...
Beko is the UK marketing subsidiary of a Turkish manufacturer.
www.beko.co.uk/Pg/AboutBeko
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Was referring to Logik, not Beko. I used to work for the swines at DSGI so I know about their brand names and practices.
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With half a million appliances I doubt if it would take many refunds to bankrupt Beko, so I can't see anyone that hasn't had one catch fire getting any compo.
In terms of SOGA then any appliance more than 6 years old is considered to have had its useful life - I think there's some case law that establishes that.
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Don't waste money on another Beko. Get something decent!
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Like Bosch or Siemens. oh hang on, they make stuff that catches fire as well :-/
appliancenotes.blogspot.com/2009/01/bosch-and-siemens-dishwasher-recall.html
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www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/logik-lfc60w11-fridge-freezer-white-08665656-pdt.html?intcmpid=display~RR~Household%20Appliances~08665656
Im thinking about this one atm, but it depends who has what stock too.
Is there any worth in asking for some cheeky money off or do they not deviate on price at the big stores?
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They don't want to know - tried the bargaining thing with them - no interest - even a dented Hotpoint only attracted a 10% discount. Lost interest in the end and walked out (not before trying the 3D Tellies though)
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Worth asking I guess, ive upped my budget to £300 so I dont need to get money off, but ill try anyway, just for the hell of it, might work in Comet, I hear they need the sales :-p
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Buy it from the co-op online, nicer people.
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Perhaps but I want one tomorrow morning so it will be whatever is in stock although usually they have one of most things.
Could do with a dishwasher in the spring so ill look at the broader options then.
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If weren't in a hurry to replace it Stu I'd suggest having a look on Comet's clearance site - www.clearance-comet.co.uk - it appears to be where they sell on returns, ex-display, and shop soiled products.
We got a new dishwasher from there a couple of months ago for less than £120 including delivery. It had a small dent in the side which was shown in the product description, but as it's an integrated machine we weren't worried by that, and it has a full 12 month guarantee.
Only downside was delivery - it was nearly a week to get it delivered.
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Got a Hotpoint in the end, £250.
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Am I overreacting? - RattleandSmoke
