Buying Miele or ISE10 revisited

[broadswordsman]

We are in need of a new washing machine to replace a Bosch which has served us well without any cost for nearly 9 years but has developed two unrelated faults, one of which sounds like the bearings, and thanks to this forum a fault code which I have identified as the inlet valve. It may imminently cough its last and like most purchasers a machine is a distress purchase in the “need it now category”. No wonder Curry’s when I visited it this weekend had a huge pile of indesits at prices higher than on line, clearly satisfying the “need it now” purchaser.

Despite my urgent need, I wanted to make a considered and long term quality purchase and spent some hours researching the best choice. Like others I have come ot the Miele W3922 or ISE10 choice and have considered carefully the long previous thread on which to go for. I am now convinced that the ISE10 is the best choice, and it saves about £50 all in. I remain a little unconvinced by the unsubstantiated spares price arguments without a definitive comparison but I was prepared to take that on trust particularly as Miele prices are so high.

No-one appears to have considered the supplychain/logistics, where despite my best attempts, Miele clearly have the upper hand. I can get a Miele delivered by a reputable retailer in 48 hours, thus taking a weight off my shoulder if the Bosch gives up. With reasonable faith I guess Miele will be around with a local engineer whenever I need him/her at any point in the future.

I find there is no local agent for the ISE10. My area serves a population of 250000 so hardly out in the sticks! I have e-mailed the nearest agent- we appear to be about 15 miles beyond his patch- asking does he reach out this far and can he supply the ISE10. That was 24 hours ago and no reply as yet. So I went onto the website to order and there’s no stock until 28th November. I have no way of knowing if local agents have any stock and even if I could order off the website, what confidence is given that there is someone who can maintain it for me when I do need it looked after. The spares prices and reliability become hypothetical problems if there’s no one out there when you need them.

The ISE10 may be the best machine in the world but if they are unavailable at the time of need and without the surety of local support on a continuing basis, the “Rolls Royce” brand is somewhat diminished. I know the specialists out there are very convincing about what they have done, and I applaud that, but without the infrastructure today, at point of purchase and in 10 years time, it does not give the confidence to buy!

So, as yet, I have not bought, but I shall want a machine up and running within a week (hardly unreasonable). If I cannot get a ISE10 or contact a local agent, it leaves me little choice

[kwatt]

Re: Buying Miele or ISE10 revisited

Hi,

The companies listed on the website are only those that sell the machines as well as repair them. There are a LOT more that offer support but don’t want listed as a stockist or seller.

Sometimes the guys are not the best with email it has to be said, btu then that can be said of an awful lot of companies, including many that trade online. A good proportion only look at email occasionally I’m afraid as it’s not their primary communication method.

As to stock, the problem is that the machines have proved way more popular than we had anticipated so, we ran out. 😕

The good news is that we’ve been told that they are now enroute to us with an ETA within the next week or so. 😀

The shop hasn’t been updated as we haven’t got a confirmed date yet as we’ve been trying to get the machines here as quickly as possible since there’s a number on order already.

K.

[broadswordsman]

Re: Buying Miele or ISE10 revisited

OK if I assume that the ISE10 will arrive in time, telling me that there’s a LOT who will support the machine sounds hopeful but rather too vague to be reassuring. However as a potential purchaser, how do I find out who these “shy of publicity” people are. I would rather have the certainty before I buy than the doubt at some future time. If e-mail is not the primary means of communications, and I can understand that, then it seems shortsighted to have a website and prominent e-mail address as is the case with the reseller I contacted. If I buy a Miele, the aftercare may be overpriced, but at least I know where to look for it and can assume, before I buy, that the resellers will not be avoiding publicity. If I order the ISE10 from the website how do I find out who will install it and when?

If I bought anything of this value, which might need support in the future, I would always ask how I can find support. For example is there a single phone number I can call, a list of those I can call etc. While your site has a repairs@ facility, in the light of the lack of the e-mail reply before I buy, I am seeking something a little more certain to make contact when the machine needs support , The current list of those who both resell and repair is surprisingly light in many parts of the country. While the issue of substance in the aftercare must be relevant to many purchasers, to return to my particular need I am looking at Hastings, East Sussex

[kwatt]

Re: Buying Miele or ISE10 revisited

A lot of the pure repairers asked to be removed from the site as they were getting calls about sales and they don’t sell machines, they repair them.

There are three repairers that cover that area but the closest retailer is based in Royal Tunbridge Wells. I’m afraid that cover in that part of the world isn’t as good as we would perhaps like.

But then the traditional retailers don’t exactly like our model of keeping machines in the field for as long as possible, it doesn’t do their sales any good so there is a reluctance to stock the ISE range.

In any event the ISE head office would always provide support and sort any issue if there was one.

K.

[broadswordsman]

Re: Sadly i had to go for the Miele

With much reluctance and despite my best efforts I have had to go for the Miele. My heart said ISE10 but my head said Miele.

Why? Because despite the undoubted quality of the machine, it was just too difficult to get answers.

The guy in Tunbridge Wells could not help, the original guy I contacted told me he could help but to contact him nearer the 21st November, so nothing definite there.

I had been told the failsafe, if there was not someone local when I need support ,would be ISE itself. I am not convinced. I had a minor question so e-mailed them -does it have a cycle end buzzer- not vital but helpful. Two full (working days)days later no reply. It does not give confidence that they are there when you need them.

So ,as I started off by saying, some more work on the logistics and supply needs to be undertaken to give the confidence that this great machine is backed by an adequate supply chain and infrastructure.

With a distress purchase it has to be easy to get one and to get support. I was able to order a Miele immediately (from a discount source) and it arrives in 3 days, on Saturday in a three hour time slot.

As it stood, after 4 days of work on the ISE10 (and rather too much effort) I still had no real certainty when I would get an ISE10, or from whom, or who I could contact when I need support.

I guess when the Miele needs repair, it will cost me (after the 10 year guarantee expires) but at least I have confidence it will have the infrastructure to support me.

I am truly sorry that I had to make this decision but I did try to make it happen!

[kwatt]

Re: Buying Miele or ISE10 revisited

Hi,

I found the enquiry which was received at 19:22 on the 10th. In effect we’ve had little over 10 working hours to respond, not two days since the email would only have been even seen yesterday morning. That is, had it not somehow ended up in the spam folder on the two PC’s I checked, we’d have caught it but it would mean a delay in answering.

The simple fact of the matter is that you need a machine now and we don’t have any available right now, that’s why you can’t get definitive answers.

But to answer the query, the machine has a 1-24 hour start delay and doesn’t have an end of cycle buzzer. However you would hear the door unlock as the solenoid releases it at the end if the child safety function isn’t enabled as the door automatically opens.

Good luck with the Miele.

K.

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