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Had a phone call last night from a lady concerned about the diagnosis another company in my patch had given. I was so intrigued at the outlandish charges she had already paid them that I volunteered to call by her house today and take a look and see for myself.
This largish independent company originally sent an engineer out to look and fix a washer/dryer that was sticking mid cycle. He diagnosed that part of the motor was required and that it would cost £160 in total to fix. Charged her £40 call-out and another engineer from their company returned 2 weeks later and fitted it.
She put a wash on after he left and exactly the same fault returned. She called the company again and the guy came back the next day and told her the motor was completely shot and it would cost her a further £200 for a replacement motor OR he could supply a brand new machine for just £600? She declined his suggestion and phoned me later for a second opinion.
Needless to say when I checked the motor and the repair they had done to it (surprisingly) it was fine. (Except I noted the motor wires had not been tied back and the motor splash guard left lying in the base instead of on the top of the motor, attaching bolts not tightened etc…but hey, perhaps I’m being too picky over someones shoddy work maybe?)
Run testing the machine showed that the pump was making a racket, she said she mentioned that to the bloke but he put the noise down to the motor instead. However I took the trouble to open up the pump and remove a ladies brooch clasp, which was the problem all along!!!! 👿
So, there we have it, yet another cowboy story with a happy ending. :rotl:
I’m sure, knowing the form of this particular firm, many more such ‘Adventures in the Southern Badlands’ will follow …..the’re still out there!!!!!
(they incidentally have also been named and shamed before here on UKW in their run-in with the ASA 😉 )
Re: Second opinion request
Incredible.
Before I was half way down the page I knew who you meant. They have blitzed Yellow pages in this area with “gost” telephone numbers of all the deccent sized towns. Ripping people off left right and centre, even carries a new machine in the back of the van just in case. They then tell the customer that they have one that is earmarked for a delivery later in the day, “but if want this one Madam I can get another later on for the customer I was delivering this one to tonight”.
We had a similar tale to the one Martin just related, but turned on its head.
We made a call to an insured product upon which we tried in vain to convince the customer there was no fault. As we had been several times for the same, and having got fed up of subsidising the customer’s whims and fancies, we decided to charge the customer. Naturally that was met with a tirade of abuse; but the point is as from then on, we can say, “Sorry, no can do, there is an outstanding invoice”.
So many moons later, she calls out this lot. They tell her that the bearings have gone, there is a module fault and the pump is worn out, she may as well buy a new one. Strange thing is, that was last August, and she is still using the machine, unrepaired and in a so called clapped out state. She is convinced though that they are right and we are wrong, as she still has the original fault.
Talk about an early diagnosis.
Alex
Re: Second opinion request
Woder if this is the “no call out charge unless diagnostic work carried out” team !!!
Re: Second opinion request
Oooooops!….finger trouble…
http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/modules.p … le&sid=986
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