Hi.
Can anyone advise?
I bought a new tumble dryer from Argos on the 24th Feb 2012, so it is just over one year old.
Today it has stopped working.

It is over it’s year guarantee but I have heard in the past of electrical items being covered for longer as they are meant to last longer.

Does anyone know anything about this or if there is anything I can do ?

yes its 5 years, 13mths just is not acceptable

have a read of this

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/£300-aluminium-door-stop

As always, it depends.
It is not 5 years too, either 6 or 7.
But, to claim after so long (6/7 yrs), you need to show there was a fault when it was made, as you do if it is over the typical lifetime of the product. How long is the products life? Who knows? A £700 dryer will be expected to last 5 years, a £100 may only be expected to last a year.
13 months is a short time, but if it has been used every day, or left in a shed etc, then the seller can refuse to repair.
First point of call is the seller. They are allowed to repair it before they give a refund. if they do give a refund, it does not have to be the full purchase price.
If they refuse to look at it, you will have to get a report stating what the problem is, and submit to them, along with the quote to repair it. They may still refuse if they think you have had a fair life out of it.
It’ll be Court then if you want to pursue.
See what the seller says first.
If the Manufacturer offers a longer guarantee, see what they say, but your Contract is with the seller.

Mine just stopped working. No heat.

Unblocked the pump. Heat. Result.

EU minimum is 2 years for all electrical goods. SoGA can give you more cover but it comes down to what is “reasaonable”.

Have you cleaned it out, as ours did this and I hadn’t realised that it had an inner filter.

it hasn’t tripped a safety switch somewhere – our had one on the back, press it and it was back up and running

Well it still has power and is making a whirring noise but not spinning or tumbling.

It is kept in the house so hasn’t been mistreated. I clean the fluff filter every time and clean the condenser. In fact it is all spotless.

I just rang Argos and they said as it is over a year old they require an independent report and I have to send it to them.

So now my next dilemma…..
I have rung the local washer repair type chap, have used him before, old family friend sort of chap so completely trust him.
He is coming out tomorrow morning to look at it.
If he can fix it for a reasonable price, would it still be possible or worth trying to claim for that fee back off Argos?
Or should I pursue a replacement under the sales of goods act thing?

You will be lucky if you can get a replacement. They will possibly refund the repair fee, or, allow their owner Fitter to repair it.

You have used it for a year, so no chance of a full refund/replacement, unless it cannot be repaired economically.
Sounds like a belt or cog/drive has come loose/broken.
Could be a £10 belt, if so, it is just wear and tear. If a drive cog, it’d be £50, and worth trying to get recompense.

THe sales of goods act states that items must be fit for purpose and as such have a reasonable life expectancy. There are guides out there if you google.

It is possible to get a refund of sorts, don’t expect a cheque though.

We had a Fridge freezer break after 3 years. We’d spend £750 on it so were not too happy. As we had bought it from M and S we challenged them to the fact that it was inherently faulty from purchase since it should have lasted longer. We agreed that 6 years was reasonable and so got a refund for 50% of the value. They don’t do appliances anymore, I imagine other companies would rather provide a replacement themselves.

It was a struggle. It took about 6 weeks. We were very persistent, polite but firm in all of our dealings.