Alas, poor Samsung Ecobubble

You often find that Currys’ model numbers have an extra letter at the end which makes them “exclusive” to Currys. We have a Leisure cooker which has a K at the end of the number which means they never have to price match. Although I bought it at a “graded” outlet on Ladypool Rd in Birmingham which sort if makes it curries as it’s right in the middle of Balti Triangle.

John Lewis can also be a good option (although their delivery service isn’t as slick as ao) as after a very expensive dishwasher failed within a week, they came back & uplifted it, then gave me a full refund without any quibbling.

ao.com was more expensive for the same machine. Although if their customer service is decent, maybe that extra £100 would have been worth it!

[ao.com] Not great post-sales customer service in my experience. They ripped our flooring doing a washing machine install and despite the installer begrudgingly acknowledging the issue when I pointed it out they still wanted me to jump through lots of hoops, getting multiple repair quotes and paper filling before they would even consider if they might be liable ! I would have been happy if they had just waived the install fee but now I just wouldn’t use them again even if cheapest. I’d be interested to hear if they are better when dealing with machine failures / replacement.

with Currys saying that they can’t give a replacement without Samsung approval, and Samsung saying that Currys should be able to replace it. :/

I was of the understanding that it’s the retailer who takes responsibility for any replacement, not the manufacturer, and it shouldn’t depend on spurious ‘engineer reports’, they should accept that the machine is on the fritz and just replace the chuffing thing!
Ok, it’s not only not chuffing, it’s not doing anything at all, but my statement still stands. 😉

Mrs Toast – Member
…That’s what I’m trying to find out – I know that I’m entitled to a replacement or refund, but I don’t know if they have a time limit to provide those by, or whether (as someone from Currys claimed) they have to have the fault confirmed by an engineer first…

You’re well within any reasonable time limit.

Also fitness for use means that it should work in the hands of the consumer. If it doesn’t, it’s broke. You don’t need an engineer to confirm that.

The retailer is responsible, not the manufacturer. They know damn fine it’s their responsibility, they’re just avoiding it. If you’re unsure, check with your Citizen’s Advice or a solicitor.

However if it was me, I’d be round there and telling them I am exercising my consumer rights, and expect them to refund or replace NOW (as in not tomorrow). Brook no argument.

You can go through quidco to order stuff on ao

You are entitled to a straight replacement Mrs Toast. Don’t accept a repair. If they installed it, they know it worked and was installed correctly.

I know I’m entitled to a replacement if I want (which I do), and Currys have said that they’ll sort me one – first they’re going to try for an authorisation code from Samsung, and if they can’t get that, then they’ll send one from another store. I don’t know why they wouldn’t do that in the first place. :/

Apparently Samsung did authorise a replacement on Friday afternoon, but for a lower spec model. Currys said no and it should be a machine if the same spec, but Samsung had buggered off for the weekend by that point, so nothing can get sorted until tomorrow at the earliest. Apparently this is just the ‘procedure’ Currys follow with certain manufacturers – if a replacement is required, they have to try and obtain it from the manufacturer first, if the manufacturer says no, then they’ll provide it themselves. So, I am getting a replacement, I just don’t know when…

I went to the laundrette yesterday with the husband (instead of biking), had to go to one a bit further out as the local one is closed on the weekends. The clothes came out smelling a bit funny (although arguably better than when they went in). -_-

All that internal procedure rubbish shouldn’t stop you getting a new machine tout suite through. Your contact is with Curry’s not Samsung. Get yourself down the store with the receipt and the broken machine in the back of the car if possible. They’d love a pregnant woman kicking off in the shop. Pick a busy time. 😀

Something, something *whisper* should have bought a Miele */whisper* something, something 😀

If just like to deny all involvement.

Yours sincerely, Sung by Sam

Get a refund and buy a Miele. I await my execution but our washer dryer thingie is knocking on 15 years old and is still top bombing. Never had to replace anything on it (touch wood).

Alas, still no progress – Currys have gone back to saying no refund/replacement until Samsung give their mystical authorisation code, which requires the Samsng engineer visit. This is despite their own website saying that you can take faulty items back into store for a refund if it’s done within 30 days.

Samsung won’t give us a time to expect the engineer, so one of us has to book the day off work. I’m pretty sure that’s in contradiction of the Consumer Rights Act (which says that the retailer has to provide refunds or replacements in a reasonable time, without ‘significant inconvenience to the consumer’ – yet they won’t arrange stuff pre-9am/post 6pm, nor offer a reduction to take into account holiday/unpaid leave). Pretty gutted because we’ve both been trying to conserve all of our holiday for after Mini Toast is born. 🙁

They also said that refunds can take 5 working days to process, but, because we’ve paid in store, we have to sort the collection and refund from the store. The delivery of a replacement would take 2-4 weeks, because they have none in their warehouses (although they do have some in their stores still – our own broken one came from store stock).

I would have exploded by rage by now… This service is appalling. Use any means possible to get them to treat you fairly!

get in the local store and be a pregnant hormonal woman, that’ll sort it.

I was struggling to control myself on the phone, particularly given that Samsung should have sweet f all to do with it, and my emails have gotten progressively rantier. It’s just a bit gobsmacking that they’ve made literally no progress since Friday, making out to me by email that they’re trying to, when it seems that they’ve never intended to do anything until the Samsung engineer visit.

There may have been pregnant woman tears afterwards. -_-

When you post a happy resolution to this, we need a drum roll.

Sorry, I’ll leave.

I’ve reported them to Citizens Advice, who will pass on the complaint to Trading Standards if they see fit. Absolutely fuming (unlike the washing machine, (which didn’t even have the good grace to fail in spectacular fashion…).

Mrs_Toast – may be worth phoning the CEO’s PA of both companies, ime going straight to the top does work. Wishing you good luck.

I know nothing about washing machines or domestic appliances in general, but a mate of mine, known for being ‘frugal’ got so angry when his died after 5 years he fixed it himself, not in any sort of hitting with a hammer ‘fix’.

He spent a day getting all red faced researching common faults with his machine, and diagnosed it as a failed capacitor on the board – the fix for this is either have it reconned (£60) or buy a new board (£125) oh no, that just made him angrier, so he spent a day angrily learning how to circuit boards worked and how to repair them, on the third day he bought himself his first soldering iron and capacitor for £1.50 and spent about 8 hours over night carefully fixing this board on his kitchen table.

Admittedly he watched the first two washes happen with a fire extinguisher in one hand and the pin for it in the other, but it’s been working perfectly every since. I’m incredibly impressed with the Lad.

So the moral of P-Jay’s story is….erm…ring his mate and he’ll angrily sort it?

bongohoohaa – Member

So the moral of P-Jay’s story is….erm…ring his mate and he’ll angrily sort it?

No moral to this one, I more the old strange bloke in the pub who’ll tell your stories whether you want to hear them or not.

He’s a resourceful Dude when motivated though.

So the moral of P-Jay’s story is….erm…ring his mate and he’ll angrily sort it?

I’m not sure we can cope with another furious person in the house! I already have a soldering iron though, hmmmm….

Wrote an email detailing how they’ve breached the Consumer Rights Act, as well as their own procedures according to their website, and CCd the CEO in it.

Tempted to dub the video of the faulty machine with Proximo’s line from Gladiatot where he’s complaining about being sold queer giraffes…

That is truly abysmal.

As Cinnamon Girl suggests, CEO’s, (or their probelm solving minions) are generally great at sorting out this sort of ****. Where do you live? I’d do a couple of loads for you AND IRON THEM!

Dixons Carphone Plc

Mr Sebastian James Chief Executive

Email sebastian.james@dixonscarphonegroup.com
Telephone 0208 896 5000
Switchboard 0208 896 5000
Website http://dixonscarphonegroup.com
Personal Twitter @DCSebJ

Postal Address 1 Portal Way, London, W3 6RSM

edit – sorry, looks like you already have that contact info, but his personal twitter account could be fun.

All this talk of horrific repair bills and expansive machines?

Our white goods are the cheapest the shop has, and if it breaks it takes, 5 min to change a belt, 10min to change bushings (including getting to play with the impact driver for the full F1 pit crew fantasy), 20min to change the dampers. Occasionally walk past the pile of machines at the tip and wonder how many are a £10 fix away from working again.

Wrote an email detailing how they’ve breached the Consumer Rights Act, as well as their own procedures according to their website, and CCd the CEO in it.

May I politely suggest an actual letter or phoning them….or just going into the store and demanding to see the manager. In my experience email is the most easily ignored form of correspondence going. Whereas getting up in some punks grill can usually proffer more prompt outcomes.

May I politely suggest an actual letter or phoning them….or just going into the store and demanding to see the manager. In my experience email is the most easily ignored form of correspondence going. Whereas getting up in some punks grill can usually proffer more prompt outcomes.

I’ve phoned them (twice, including a 45 minute call last night, although 25 minutes of that was on hold…), and been into the store (but I can only do that in the evenings after work, at which point they say they can’t do anything because Samsung close their support lines at 6pm, even though THAT SHOULDN’T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE!

Is Mr Toast not taking any active role in this process?

Oh. In that case, I think the only way forward is a class action pissing through their letterboxes. We all go to our local branches commence pissing at 18:00.

Everyone synchronise their ridiculously overpriced STW endorsed watches in 5….4…3….

Is Mr Toast not taking any active role in this process?

He’s taken the day off for the engineer – unfortunately, he’s been absolutely hammering overtime (including weekends) to earn more holiday for when Mini Toast is born (as statutory parental pay is a bit guff. He did also carry all of the washing to the laundrette at the weekend (which was one of his rare days off!).

We may have to pay the store another visit so he can lurk there angrily, given that he’s 6ft 6 he’s probably slightly more intimidating than a red faced pregnant hobbit…

The latest from Currys:

“You are correct in stating that an exchange would need to be processed through us on our systems, however, as Samsung are required to confirm the request and provide an reference number to process the exchange, we are unable to offer this to you at this time.”

So, they’re blaming Samsung, even though I’ve pointed out that it’s their responsibility to sort (Samsung have also pointed this out to me…)

Ask them to confirm that they personally are denying you your legal / statutory rights under the consumer rights act 2015 ( or whatever it’s correct name is). You should get escalated up the chain to someone who knows what you’re talking about.

The other option is to go straight to their legal department – they should know what they’re talking about and instruct customer services to do the right thing.

I don’t do twitter, but can’t someone link this thread to the CEO’s personal account I put on page 2 so he can have a read how his staff/policies are affecting expectant customers.

I’ve just seen the midwife for the 24 week appointment, half an hour after coming off the phone. I told her about the situation, and she said that it explained the blood pressure reading (not a great idea getting it done after coming off the phone in tears, this time to Samsung!) – she then had a rant about how she won’t shop at Currys because when she moved house, they delivered a washing machine which didn’t work, a fridge with broken shelves, and a dryer that broke after six months due to an installation error!

I feel I’ve learned a valuable lesson – I researched the hell out of washing machines, but never thought to check the retailer. Never had any issues with Currys before, but I guess the true test is how they deal with stuff when it does go wrong. I feel like this dude should have been waiting outside:

Feeling like crap because I thought the Samsung appointment originally was tomorrow (as in my op), but Currys then said it was the 5th, so I assumed I’d mixed up the dates (I’ve had the dentist and midwife today, car is going in tomorrow!). Turned out I hadn’t, Currys had, so Mr Toast has blown a day’s holiday for nothing.

I’m still not sure why it’s dragging out, when their own returns policy for faulty goods within 30 days makes no mention of engineers, never mind manufacturer ones. When they have their own engineers. When they have the machine in stock. Piss taking of the highest order.

I’m still not sure why it’s dragging out….

You won’t want to hear this but….it’s because you’re letting them.

<Runs away>

You won’t want to hear this but….it’s because you’re letting them.

I’m not sure what I can do more than I have. Even if it’s my legal right, I can’t force them to given me a replacement or refund, or stop them fannying around. I can’t even take the machine back to the store, because I don’t think it’ll even fit in the car, and, even if it could, I’m not sure Mr Toast could lift it by himself.

I’ve complained to them in person, by phone, by Twitter and by email, and I’ve complained to Trading Standards. I’ve asked them, repeatedly, why they’re breaching the Consumer Rights Act, what are they going to do about it and when. I literally can’t see a way to get around this without inventing a time machine (one which will hopefully last longer than a few hours…). They just apologise, bleat about Samsung and don’t answer any of the questions.

What branch is it? Can we all email them.
People power.

Did you pay by credit or debit card? Should be covered either way. Get the card provider to refund using chargeback or whatever system they use. Phone Currys, tell them the machine is on the driveway and to collect within 7 days.

‘ve asked them, repeatedly, why they’re breaching the Consumer Rights Act,

What was their answer to this?

It appears you keep letting them fob you off by referencing Samsung. It’s irrelevant, each time they bring that up ask to speak to their boss.

Emails and phone calls are pointless.

Go stand in the store and do not leave until you have your refund or a new machine out for delivery.

Had a Samsung Ecobubble for three years now, it came with a five year warranty and has worked just fine, and it wasn’t expensive either.

Did you pay by credit or debit card? Should be covered either way.

Debit card, which I believe isn’t covered (if it’s credit card, then the card provider gives protection and can provide a refund). 🙁

And Zippykona, they don’t have individual branch emails – they don’t even have individual branch telephone numbers accessible to the public!