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It feels as if I’ve been hung out to dry by John Lewis over discounted machine

More of what you love… for less protection?
More of what you love… for less protection? Photograph: Ray Tang/REX

In January I bought an ex-display Siemens Avantgarde tumble dryer from John Lewis in Cheadle at a greatly reduced price – £499 compared with an RRP of £1,249 – but with the John Lewis two-year guarantee (written on the receipt) along with a five-year manufacturer’s warranty.

When I plugged it in, none of the programmes would start. An engineer found that the door sensor was faulty and a new one was ordered.

A few days later he fixed it, but the machine instantly developed another fault and a display panel was ordered. Nearly two weeks later these parts were installed but the same fault remained.

The technician returned again and replaced further parts (he had now spent in excess of £600 on parts alone), but the machine would still not operate. He advised that it be condemned and that I contact John Lewis to arrange a replacement.

Siemens confirmed it had issued John Lewis with an uplift number – the authority from the manufacturer to exchange the item. I rang John Lewis, which spoke with Siemens (I was on hold), and stated that Siemens had claimed the machine could still be fixed. I then had to agree a further visit from a technician, which meant another day off work. When he arrived he rechecked the machine and his only suggestion was to reorder all the parts as one of them might be faulty (a further £600). John Lewis had, by this stage, assigned me a customer care manager to resolve my case. He said John Lewis would not offer a like-for-like replacement due to the discounted price.

It would seem that the level of warranty/guarantee that John Lewis offers is wholly dependent upon the purchase price, even if the manufacturer recognises their product has a fault and they are prepared to support the consumer.

WJ, Macclesfield, Cheshire

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We first wondered how many people would spend £1,249 on a tumble dryer – this model apparently uses ground-breaking sensor technology, which is not much use when it doesn’t work.

However, your complaint does raise some interesting issues, not least whether you were entitled to the same protection in the guarantee/warranty as if you had paid the full amount – and the gamble of buying shop-soiled products where the price may seem too good to be true. It’s also difficult to know exactly when the fault occurred. What seemed odd to us was the fact that the manufacturer had agreed to replace the machine, but John Lewis appeared to be blocking the process and could not explain why.

John Lewis confirmed that the product was heavily marked down because it had been in the shop for some time. It said: “We provide a minimum two-year guarantee on all of our electrical appliances, including those sold at a significantly reduced price. The guarantee principally provides for a repair, and where that is not achievable we will always offer another option. In this circumstance a replacement – the same appliance at the same price paid – did not exist, due to the markdown.” You have been offered a refund for the price you paid and a £200 goodwill gesture for all the inconvenience. John Lewis also apologised for any confusion caused by the terms of its guarantee.

We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at consumer.champions@theguardian.com or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number