Was I being unreasonable?

We asked a washing machine repairman to come and look at our washing machine and give a price for repairing it.

He can round to do a free quote and told us it was not worth the cost of repairing it, that he didn’t want to do it and that we should get a new machine.

We said thank you for your time and gave him £20 for his time and effort (even though he was not expecting payment).

Anyway, I decided it might be worth trying to repair it myself – if we are going to need a new machine, I could at least have a go at saving the money and if I failed miserably then I had only lost the cost of the part.

So anyway, I rang him up to ask him what the part was that needed replacing and he told me I was being unfair in asking him! I really don’t understand his attitude – he didn’t want to repair the machine, we paid him for his time anyway, yet he won’t tell us what part that is required!!!!!

Have to agree, not unreasonable at all to ask. Sounds like you gave £20 to someone who really didn’t dererve it.

(unless he also sells new machines)

or he doesn’t have a clue what he was doing??

I even re-iterated that I was happy for him to come out and repair it if he still wanted to – to which he said he didn’t!

(And no he doesn’t, he’s just an old fella doing it part time. He was really nice when he came out first time round a few years ago).

Maybe he doesn’t know

Maybe he doesn’t know

My guess too.

Doesn’t know +1

You should have asked him the q while he was still on site 🙂

To be honest I don’t think he didn’t know – it is just a noisy machine so I am assuming bearings, brackets or shock absorbers.

It is annoying to think we gave him £20 now.

Grr

Anyone know of a repairman in the Harrogate area that fixes Zanussi stuff????

You should have asked him the q while he was still on site

It was just my wife who was in when he came to look at it and she didn’t think to ask.

Our machine was making a horrible grinding noise, which turned out to be a sock which had somehow made it under the drum. Repair man just reached inside (from the back) and was able to remove it. Might be worth checking that. I’d was convienced it was the bushes or bearings or something which was going to cost a fortune in parts.

Just take it to bits, find the parts and google the part nos or washing machine type no.

Interesting you should say that – it makes a ‘clunking’ noise (if that is what you can call it as 1,200 RPM on a spin cycle) but my wife says the kids socks keep going missing…

Just take it to bits, find the parts and google the part nos or washing machine type no.

Yeah I could do that – I was just trying to get the fastest fix that meant being without the machine for the shortest time (having two very young children means it is on almost non-stop) and had assumed he would tell me, I could order it and then spend a few hours trying to fix it.

Hmm, I seem to keep loosing socks in the wash…..

Yeah I could do that – I was just trying to get the fastest fix that meant being without the machine

Understandable, I would rather pay the bloke and use my time to earn more, or spare time to enjoy myself.

Understandable, I would rather pay the bloke and use my time to earn more, or spare time to enjoy myself.

Well yeah, that was the original plan but when he told us he didn’t want to fix it, it spoiled my plans.

I might just see if I can find someone else who is willing to repair it.

Why would you pay someone for doing nothing? How very odd.

Fix it yourself

I had a broken washing machine, to replace the faulty part would have cost 250 quid, the manufacturers really don’t sell replacement parts with an expectation for repairs they want to sell new machines. The repair man probably had a point and didn’t explain the situation very well.

Take the back off and get a mechanic’s stethescope. Or a long screwdriver. If it’s making a noise when turning over then it’s surely got to be a bearing or belt, or a mount. Shouldn’t take long to figure out which…

Why would you pay someone for doing nothing? How very odd.

Because he came out to our house, spent time looking at it and my wife is a thoughtful person and didn’t want to feel like he was wasting his time and effort I suppose.

The repair man probably had a point and didn’t explain the situation very well.

Well he could have explained it to me more clearly when I just called him!

I had a broken washing machine, to replace the faulty part would have cost 250 quid, the manufacturers really don’t sell replacement parts with an expectation for repairs they want to sell new machines. The repair man probably had a point and didn’t explain the situation very well.

Nah I dont think this is true, I have 4x washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers in my student houses, I spent lots of money on repairs most have parts available, in the end if they are old or its a major failure they die. I ahve gradually replaced everything with bosch, and I don’t get any major problems, the odd switch goes and I had a belt failure last year, but my local repair guy is amazing (http://www.cdappliances.com.

Because he came out to our house, spent time looking at it and my wife is a thoughtful person and didn’t want to feel like he was wasting his time and effort I suppose.

He’s a business, he factors that into his profits surely, if he’s a decent business man? I applaud your empathy but I’m not sure I could do the same.

UK Whitegoods forum is your friend. It takes a few mins to find how to get on the bit you need to ask your question and register but you usually get good quick responses.

Well perhaps, but my wife was just being thoughtful. I don’t see how her paying him changes the outcome though.

cheers big john

Well perhaps, but my wife was just being thoughtful. I don’t see how her paying him changes the outcome though.

No, and having paid him for nowt I’d expect a better outcome, such as “this is the bit that failed, you can find it online”. Unless he didn’t know and was winging it as many do.

Coffee – the situation was that he came round, told her it wasn’t worth repairing, recommended we bought a new machine, she accepted the recommendation and paid him cash there and then.

On thinking about it, I decided to do as I mentioned in the OP and try to repair it myself so called him. He won’t tell me anything as he doesn’t think I have a right to know and has our money.

Not much else I can do now and my wife probably knows not to be so thoughtful next time.

coffeeking – Member

“Why would you pay someone for doing nothing? How very odd.”

If he’d refused to come out at all you’d have a point, but diagnosis is part of the job.

We had a result last year when our ancient Hotpoint started making a terrible noise, then died mid-wash. When I tried turning it on again it tripped the circuit breaker on the circuit. New to the area, so ended up picking a random repairer from the internet – and he happens to be passing the end of the road! Standing in the kitchen in 5 mins! Not only that but he’s excellent – “Ah that’ll be your brushes gone, I have some spares here – your machine now works fine. And I’ll explain how you can replace them in future, you’ll get years out of this machine yet”. Brilliant. 28 quid. Doesn’t help you but I’m still happy about that result!

I don’t suppose you live in the HG2 postcode area do you?

Yep, as already mentioned – he diagnosed the situation and gave his professional advice. He didn’t “do nothing”. He would have done nothing if he hadn’t bothered leaving his house.

I think he’s being unreasonable though, specially as the alternative which he suggests would not have financially benefited him.

specially as the alternative which he suggests would not have financially benefited him.

Yeah – I put this to him and he just started going on about only working part time and that he has just had a heart operation.

On reflection I think he might just be a bit loopy.

I think he might just be a bit loopy

Sounds like it……I’ll go along with that.

Well I have called someone else and they are coming out on Friday (when I am at home).

No call out charge and they aren’t getting a penny unless they undertake a repair.

If he’d refused to come out at all you’d have a point, but diagnosis is part of the job.

Only if you pay everyone for estimating a cost. I don’t expect my mechanic (I don’t have one, but…) to charge me for looking at the car and suggesting I need new tyres. Neither do I expect my roofer to charge me for telling me I have slipped tiles and they need replacing. If he’d stripped the whole thing down, spent an hour doing so and found a problem then sure you’ve lost out if you don’t then get the work, but that’s the name of the game and your quote was obviously too high in comparison with someone elses for the same work.

Well, had the other guy round and it turns out it just needs the drum tightening onto the weights – all that he needs to do is drop the drum out to get to the nuts at the front then put it back together.

And he says we are much better off repairing the machine as it is much better than most new models.

He’s charging £60.

(I could do it myself but what the heck – I don’t have the free time and he knows what he is doing).