Zanussi Or John Lewis Advice

[mentalmike]

Hi,

Before I found this site I was all set to go out and buy a hotpoint washing machine, but now I've had second thoughts and am now looking at other brands.

Originally I was going to buy from John Lewis anyway as they always have great warranty and when I was last there I saw they had their own range but didn't think much of them as own brand stuff from other places usally ends up in a disapointment!

The washing machine I was going to buy was the Hotpoint Aqualtis AQXXF149PM.

Since Reading your review on the Zanussi ZWF1221W (which is now only £199!) I've been tempted to get a Zanussi ZWF1431. First because I have got around £350 to spend, secondly it seems quite good with power and water.

But to make things more confusing I saw your review on John Lewis which says there are made by Zanussi and indeed there is a John Lewis one there for the same price as the Zanussi but I don't think they are based on the same machine as the dimensions are different. The Zanussi looks to be a newer model in the range as it is the only one there with different dimensions.

The hotpoint looks like a no no as it is the biggest, uses the most water and electric and I can't work out how it has an A+ energy rating when washers using less of everything don't get one!

There is the AEG that I have included but I don't know much about them, so the main two are the John Lewis and the Zanussi and I can't pick.

What are your recommendations on the above or is there a better one in this price range?

Thanks for any help!

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

The John Lewis washing machine should have a full 3 year guarantee, which is great. It may well be that the Zanussi washing machine you saw is a later version than the one they make for John Lewis. Later versions aren't always better of course and can at times be worse.

I agree that buying from John Lewis is good. Apart from the good service, you get 2 years guarantee with most white goods and 3 years with their own brand and even 5 year guarantees with televisions etc. I like the fact that if they don’t have an item in stock on their web site, they aren’t afraid to tell us. They may lose a sale, but I know some companies would take your order knowing they have no stock and potentially greatly inconvenience you hoping you’ll wait until they come into stock.

I just bought a new Sebo vacuum cleaner from John Lewis at the weekend and the lady that demonstrated it had excellent (and these days remarkable) product knowledge. She demonstrated the Dyson (which I intended to talk my wife out of buying) and a Miele cylinder before recommending the Sebo upright as my wife was adamant she would not buy a cylinder vac no matter how well made and quiet it was. We were able to plug in and try all 3, and then she left us to (argue/decide) which to buy. She did not hover around waiting to pounce like many sales people I’ve encountered, and instead simply left us to either walk away or go to the counter to buy if we chose to. I really value this kind of service, which I've only ever seen matched by much smaller independent shops.

I wouldn't buy a Hotpoint Aqualtis because it has got a sealed outer tub. This is a new development which only increases the throwaway washing machine problem we currently have. It means you can't strip it down to either retrieve foreign objects or replace drum bearings. Imagine how much it would cost to fix drum bearings when this washing machine is several years old if you have to fit an entire outer tub and inner drum. Where will it end - a washing machine with welded lid and back panel that no one can repair?

AEG are owned by the same group that makes Zanussi, the John Lewis own brand, and Tricity Bendix, with AEG being slightly above Zanussi & John Lewis in quality though not much.

As both the washing machines you are looking at are virtually the same (including price). The John Lewis one has an extra years guarantee which may give it the edge.

[Guest Guest_David_*]

Your remarks about the welded drum on the Hotpoint is accurate. I have a Creda W220VW which is made by Hotpoint and my main bearing hast just failed after 22 months. Now when you consider that there is just myself and my wife using this machine then is is a very short lifespan for a major component in a domestic appliance. The cost of reparing the machine is £70 labour plus parts costs of £75. What is interesting is that my machine has a drum that is screwed together and the bearing is contained in the rear half of the drum. Later models have a welded drum and the cost of replacing the whole drum is over £100. I am very reluctant to spend so much after relatively light usage as I fully expect other parts to fail. I am now considering replacing it with a John Lewis machine which comes with a 3 year guarantee. Hotpoint view is it is out of warranty so tough. Needlesss to say that is the last Hotpoint product I buy.

Regards

David

[davemcd]

Hello again

I must apologise for my impatience in posting my previous reply before I registered. I also forgot to mention that the Creda washing machine was recommended to me by the shop as they were easy to work on and they hardly have any trouble with them. So it looks like I'll be off to John Lewis's soon.

Regards

David

[mentalmike]

Well we got our John Lewis washing machine last week. As I was unpacking it I noticed that the plastic that runs around the top of the machine was cracked. We phoned up John Lewis and they said the best they could do was replace the machine in 14 days time, which I said was a joke as how are we meant to survive without one for that time! In the end they refunded us £50.

I have no complaint over the washing machine - its great, but John Lewis themselves were finding it hard to see my point that yes the machine worked fine but a brand new item shouldn't be damaged.

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

Guest_David_* said:

Your remarks about the welded drum on the Hotpoint is accurate. I have a Creda W220VW which is made by Hotpoint and my main bearing hast just failed after 22 months. Now when you consider that there is just myself and my wife using this machine then is is a very short lifespan for a major component in a domestic appliance. The cost of reparing the machine is £70 labour plus parts costs of £75.

If your creda washing machine has a major fault after just 22 months you can argue that it wasn't fit for its purpose, it didn't "last a reasonable amount of time" or possibly that it had an inherent fault. We should all expect that a washing machine should not suffer serious breakdowns, which threaten to force you to scrap it after such a short time. However, you may have to be prepared to take them to the small claims court in order to get it repaired. Read the consumer advice here for more detailed thoughts - My washing machine is now out of guarantee, but I don't think I should have to pay for a repair

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

Well we got our John Lewis washing machine last week. As I was unpacking it I noticed that the plastic that runs around the top of the machine was cracked. We phoned up John Lewis and they said the best they could do was replace the machine in 14 days time, which I said was a joke as how are we meant to survive without one for that time! In the end they refunded us £50.

I have no complaint over the washing machine - its great, but John Lewis themselves were finding it hard to see my point that yes the machine worked fine but a brand new item shouldn't be damaged.

Hello Mike. I agree things shouldn’t be damaged but it’s something that does happen, no matter what the company or what the make. To be honest, if all that was wrong was a crack, £50 off seems the perfect solution Clearly I don’t know the extent of the crack, and where it was, but if you’ve accepted the £50 off I presume it wasn’t too serious and something you should be compensated for rather than needing a total replacement. Having said that, I think if you want a product that's totally unmarked you have a right to demand it.

14 days would be unacceptable if you didn't have a working washing machine, but with a cosmetic problem like that it shouldn't really be a problem apart from the obvious frustration (that I would probably feel myself too). I'm not sure why they would quote 14 days though, and if they'd quoted 14 days if the washer was faulty and unusable it would definitely be unacceptable. My personal experience of John Lewis though is that they are much better with customer service than most, if not all of the other large retailers, so I would expect them to replace it much sooner if it was unusable or seriously damaged.

On the other hand, if you hadn't connected it up yet, and wanted it exchanged straight away without having to install the new one and then have to have it replaced later I can understand your frustration. Was the cracked plastic on the lid? If so, a new lid would have been another solution, causing the least inconvenience all round. It's often much more inconvenient to reject it and have to wait for a replacement than to accept a discount or a minor repair. If it was just the lid, it sounds like £50 refund is pretty good.

Normally when a product is delivered with marks, dints, scratches etc. the most common solution is to discount the product. The whole cost and time spent in taking the washing machine back, what to do with it then? And then delivering a new one on a different day is disproportionate to the reality of the situation. If the damage is bad, or in a place constantly on view then a customer will often still reject it, but if it's something not really noticed while installed, and is more of a principle, then money off is a very satisfactory way of dealing with it.

[davemcd]

Hello

Thanks for the advice about possible redress through the small claims courts. I contacted Hotpoint Creda again to complain about the short life span of a major component and to register my disatisfaction with their product and this time the person said that the spare parts for the repair would be supplied free and that the labour cost would be £90. A totally different story to yesterday. Now I have to decide whether or not I am throwing good money after bad by having it repaired or to write it off and replace it with a machine from John Lewis which I can get guaranteed for 5 years for an extra £70. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks

David

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

No Problem David. Your redress is not with Hotpoint though; it's with the people you bought the washing machine from. Hotpoint themselves have no liability at all with you directly. The consumer law in the UK is that the seller is responsible so it is them you have to deal with, and them you would take to the small claims court. They, in turn would have redress against Hotpoint as they bought it from them.

As to whether it's worth repairing the old one, if you were to pursue the "of merchantable quality" issue you could end up with compensation equating (usually) to the cost of repairs. Others have done it and been successful in the past although it’s not a given that you would win. I suspect most people wouldn't want to go through the "hassle" though. If so, the alternative would be to pay the £90 and take a chance the machine lasts long enough for you to feel you’ve had your moneys worth. It's one of those things you have to make a decision on according to how you feel and the finances etc.

( Related: Washing machine consumer advice )

[davemcd]

Hello

I just thought that you would like an update on me Creda washing machine problem. I contacted Hotpoint Creda today to arrange for them to repair my machine for which I was quoted £90 inclusive of parts yesterday and now I am told that because it is a Creda machine and not a Hotpoint then it is not covered by the 5 year parts warranty and that the repair cost will be over £150. This is despite my Creda warranty document which clearly states that parts are covered. After much arguing they have now agreed to honour the warranty for this time only at which point I stated that they will be honouring the warranty for 5 years. What a shambles! I have now gone back to the retailer and told them that they should check the warranty conditions of their current machines as they are telling customers that they have a 5 year parts warranty. Is this the last Hotpoint I buy? You bet.

Regards David