The washing machine broke down under warranty
A washing machine breaking down some time after purchasing it is an unpleasant situation in which many people don’t even know what to do. When the warranty on the washing machine has not yet expired, the question arises: is it possible to refuse it altogether and return the money, or will it have to be sent in for repair? In such a situation, the main thing is not to panic, what happened, happened, no one is immune from this, but let’s figure out what exactly to do.
Procedure
A washing machine can fail for a number of reasons. This can be either defective components during assembly or a voltage drop in the network. Most often, the user encounters the following problems:
- the machine does not turn on, does not respond to pressing buttons;
- when washing and spinning, the machine knocks and makes a hum;
- after starting the program, the machine does not draw water;
- The drum door does not open after washing.
When the machine breaks down, there is no need to randomly press buttons and pull out the cord from the outlet. This will lead to nothing and may even make the situation worse. If your washing machine breaks down, find the instructions and read them carefully, Perhaps the reason lies in a violation of operating conditions, for example, the drain filter is clogged. Cleaning it will solve the problem.
In such a situation, the first thing you need to do is eliminate everything that could cause the machine to malfunction:
- check that the water supply and drainage hoses are not kinked;
- Is the water supply tap open?
- Is the socket burnt out, etc.
Important! Do not disassemble the washing machine itself if it breaks down, do not try to repair it while it is under warranty.If you connect yourself, the warranty period will not be lost, unless, of course, the connection is correct and does not lead to damage.
If the machine really doesn't work, then the first thing to do is look for the warranty card. Carefully look at the date of purchase of the machine and the warranty period. And after that, feel free to contact the service center. By the way, the telephone number of the service center may be indicated in the warranty card or on the washing machine itself. If you do not have such numbers, you can contact the store, providing a receipt, sales receipt and warranty for the washing machine. You can ask the seller:
- free washing machine repair;
- refund;
- or exchange for a similar option.
The seller can unconditionally agree, then the problem will be settled. The seller will most likely offer to carry out an examination of the washing machine in order to establish the cause of the malfunction and, depending on the result of the examination, make a further decision. Or the seller may categorically refuse to accept the goods and enter into any dialogue with you.
Important! The seller may unreasonably delay the examination; in this case, you need to contact the store with a claim, and if an adequate response is not forthcoming, then go to court.
What if the seller refuses?
So, if the seller does not want to return your money for the product or change it, or do an examination, then you need to write a claim in free form, in which you state all the requirements, indicating the reasons. If the seller refuses to accept a written claim, then you need to send a claim letter by mail with return receipt requested. Then we wait within 10 working days. If there is no response from the seller, then contact:
- to the Society for the Protection of Consumer Rights;
- to the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Protection;
- or to court.
We contact the first two authorities with a letter in free form, asking for help in the current situation. Well, you must go to court in the established procedural form with a statement of claim. This is best done by a lawyer, so in this case you will have to contact him. A properly drafted document will reduce the time spent on proceedings.
After filing a complaint, if the seller responds to it and makes contact with you, you must proceed depending on what the response to the complaint will be. Most likely, the seller will offer to deliver the machine to the retail outlet where it was purchased, or to a special service center for examination.
For your information! The seller can provide free delivery of the washing machine to the place of examination. If the machine does not work due to the fault of the seller, he is obliged to pay all costs.
Having delivered the machine to the service center, you must receive in return a certificate of acceptance of the washing machine for examination. The act must have a date; in addition, it must contain all the necessary details: signatures, seals, etc.
Having handed over the washing machine and received the certificate, we just have to wait for the expert’s opinion. The examination is carried out within a reasonable time; if the seller delays the examination, then in the future he can be required to reimburse the costs associated with the delay. The following are possible options:
- the washing machine has a defect due to the fault of the seller/manufacturer - we have the right to demand the exchange of the product for a similar one, a refund, free repair;
- the washing machine broke down as a result of user actions - the money will not be returned to us and the goods will not be exchanged, but we retain the right to demand an independent examination, and if refused, we can go to court;
- The washing machine was damaged due to the fault of third parties, for example, power surges, poor-quality water supply services, etc. – we have the right to go to court, where we will prove the guilt of third parties and bring them to civil liability.
When can I return or replace a washing machine under warranty?
If you mistakenly accepted the washing machine from the seller without noticing any defects (major or minor), within the first 15 days from the date of purchase you can return the washing machine to the seller and ask for a refund or exchange the machine for a similar one. In this case, it is very important that the defect is obvious and does not arise through your fault, for example, due to incorrect self-connection.
Note! When purchasing a machine online, the return and exchange period for the washing machine is 7 days.
If the seller doubts that the defect arose through his fault, he has the right to take back the goods for examination. And then the consequences will come according to the results indicated in the examination, unless, of course, you go to court and demand an independent examination to confirm that the washing machine broke down through no fault of yours.
If there are no defects, you cannot return the washing machine to the store even within fifteen days. The fact is that the machine is a technically complex piece of equipment, and without obvious breakdowns it cannot be returned or replaced. You can clarify all the nuances by reading the Law “On Protection of Consumer Rights”, paying special attention to Articles 18, 19 and 22. Thus, you can only return the money or replace the machine:
- if there is a serious defect within 15 days;
- through the court, if the examination proves that further operation is impossible and repairs are not advisable.
In other cases, you can only count on free repairs under the warranty card.
Liabilities
Various manufacturers of washing machines provide warranty periods for their products, that is, the period of time during which the washing machine must work with proper operation. Warranty periods may vary, and the warranty period for a washing machine may differ from the warranty period for its individual components and assemblies. For example, the manufacturer provides a warranty period for an LG washing machine for 3 years, and the warranty for the engine of this machine can reach 10 years. So, what are the warranty periods for washing machines:
- Bosch and Siemens washing machines – 2 years;
- Atlant washing machines – 2 years;
- Indesit washing machines - 1 year.
These warranty periods are mandatory for fulfillment by the retail outlet selling the washing machine. The seller cannot arbitrarily reduce the warranty period determined by the manufacturer.
For your information! For equipment manufactured for different countries, the manufacturer may provide different warranties.
When buying equipment, look at the warranty period in the coupon; sellers, while praising the product, may deliberately inflate it. And don’t forget to put stamps on the warranty, otherwise later the service center may refuse free repairs.
So, what should you do if your washing machine breaks down a little time after purchase? The answer would seem obvious - return it to the seller and collect the money. But it's not that simple. The manufacturer sets a warranty period for the machines, confirming that if their equipment breaks down during this period, they will either repair it or replace it free of charge.But, unfortunately, many sellers are in no hurry to fulfill the obligations given by the manufacturer and in every possible way hinder the implementation of your legal rights. In this situation, it is necessary to defend your rights.
Interesting:
8 reader comments
Hans washing machine. After 5 months the bearing rattled. They took it in for repair under warranty. They said your part has arrived. 3 weeks have passed and they say it’s not ready. Our service is very bad.
The same hansa! From the first days I heard the bearing making noise. But the master doesn’t hear. Now we are tormented by proving that the defect still exists.
The service is simply disgusting. At first it took 3 months to find out who was to blame, and now it’s been 4 months of repairs. Conclusion: an additional guarantee is a waste of money!
Washing machines are made to last for 3 years, and only if the machine is made without defects. But unfortunately, in Russia it is impossible to buy a good thing other than the C400.
My Beko machine worked for 15 years before it broke down. The bearings rattled. My son has the same one - 17 years old, but after 7 years he changed the heating element. A year ago I bought “Atlant” - it has already refused.
We have Beko, 5 months since we bought it. It rattles and moves. Very unhappy!
Machine indsit. We bought it and immediately refused to work. Replaced it with the same one, same result. Contact the service.At first we waited 3 weeks, the spare part arrived defective. We waited another week for another spare part, the same result. As a result, two machines do not work, and two spare parts are also defective. I do not recommend the company Indesit. Let's go to court to defend our rights.
We bought Beko, after 2 months there was smoke at the bottom of the machine. The master was called. Now we are waiting for the detail. We regretted buying it. Before that there was LG. Worked for 6 years. Now we will repair it and use it.