On the other side of the fence. (Long…)

[lesandclaire]

I have an 18 month old Indesit W143UK and a couple of weeks ago the drum started moving only one way or “almost” starting to turn and then giving up.
Now, in my job I am often called in to fix or replace machines on hire. My knowledge amounts to checking the instalation. Re-setting the machine by emptying if needed and switching off for a few mins to resetany tripped overload or off balance sensors. Or looking for any obvious loose connections, abraded or shorting wires. Making sure the belt is ok. Or checking the brushes. Any machine that still does not work I will swap it for one that does.
Needless to say, the Indesit didn’t respond to my ministrations so I called in a local repair man. He was the one who reccomended this forum to me to help with my “on site” repairs. Anyway, I explained what i’d checked on the phone and he reccomended i check the connections on the control board. This was encased in a plastic cover and i felt that i may get some connectors mixed up if i delved any further (not realising they were numbered) so i pushed all the connectors to make sure they were tight and left it at that.
No improvement, so the chap turns up. He examines the machine and declares it may, or may not be a problem with the board. He sends it off to be tested (QER). A week or so later he phones and tells me a chip has blown on the board and he needs to replace it. Cost just under £80 plus labour.. Now, i’d set £100 as the cut off point to get new machine but i thought “We need a machine quickly, fed up with the Launderette already so i’ll go for it.”
Another four or so days go by and he turns up with new board. But he has forgotten where the connectors went, he didn’t see that they were numbered. So he couldn’t even put the old board in to get back to how he found the machine. It now shows a new fault with the selector knob clicking round and round and constant hot fillaccompanid with constant pumping out. He doesn’t want to risk new board in case he has the connectors wrong so he dissapears again to get the connection details right.
A few days later he comes back, connects up new board and it still exhibits this new failt with the control knob ect. By now I have found his posts in here and learn about Indesit error codes. I search about on the internet and find http://www.washerhelp.com/. The owner of the site replies with thermistor / connectors for E03. I call the repair chap and tell him what i have found out. He says he has already checked the thermistor and connectors.
So anyway, this afternoon he calls and asks if i am home sometime today. I take the afternoon off work and tell him i am in all afternoon / evening. As i type it is now 7:20pm with no sign of him, not even a phone call.
So we’re looking at two weeks of no washer, another saturday afternoon wasted in the damned Launderette and i’m feeling that perhaps i should ask him to just forget it and i will try someone else. I don’t like to do this because he’s a nice chap and he’s spent a few hours laying on my kitchen floor and purchased a part that hasn’t worked. But he seems inexperienced, totally foxed by my machine and out of his depth. The good things to come out of this are this forum, learning about error codes and discovering QER. All things that are really going to help me in my job. But we really could do with some kind of resolution here…
What would you do? I’d like to keep it amicable and hate confrontation. That’s probably why i have let this drag on so long..

Any advice greatly appreciated…

Les

[admin]

Re: On the other side of the fence. (Long…)

I think you should call the chap involved and explain what you have said to us in your post, seek a resolution, one more chance, perhaps offer a get out for the chap by a refund of monies paid in order for you to move on.

We occasionally have run into similar problems where a Manufacturer offers no technical support outside of their own network. Where this has happened to us we offer full refund and an honest explanation to the customer, with 100{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} resolution to both parties.

Kevin

[lesandclaire]

Re: On the other side of the fence. (Long…)

kheath wrote:perhaps offer a get out for the chap by a refund of monies paid in order for you to move on.
Kevin

It’s cost us nothing so far except cost of Launderette and the hassle of no machine for two weeks.. It’ll be him that’s out of pocket.. He has just called saying he’ll be round tomorrow morning though. If it still doesn’t work i’ll pull the plug and try someone else.

Les

[kwatt]

Indes*it will offer no technical backup whatsoever for their appliances. Full stop, end of story.

So, picture the scene…

Poor chap gets a bargain bucket brand name to go repair, should be a nice easy one as there’s nothing technical in such cheapo machines. Only there is, as well as the nasty surprise that there’s also no technical support at all available for such a tricky little number. Gets there, guesses at the fault gets it right, but only partially, what blew the PCB?

Module back in, appliance fails. You find out what the error message is supposed to mean only to find that it probably isn’t what’s wrong.

So, there’s really only three possibilities here…

1. The repairer got it wrong and there is another fault, very possibly in the area described by Andy on Washerhelp (Andy Trigg is on UKW as well ;))

2. QER sent a board that still has a fault

3. Something not thus far spotted is the problem.

This is why I will not, under any circumstances, touch an Indesit Company product with the smelly end of a sh***y stick! They are garbage IMO and that view is supported by the total lack of support that is recieved from the company. Apart from which the customers are often the most demanding for some strange reason.

A few months ago a poor woman called me up, apparently Indesit/Hotpoint/Merlon/Ariston or whatever had given her my number to go fix a gas cooker in the South Side of Glasgow, chargeable call. They likely got my number from the directories or off Repairs@ (a few manufacturers have been seen to do this when they’re stressed and can’t attend for weeks). So, I explained that due to the lack of support and spares supplies nonsense that I couldn’t help and wouldn’t take the job just as I do for every single customer that calls us. She said that I was the umpteenth person that had responded that way.

I wonder if she’ll ever buy another one?

All you can do Les, IMO, is bin it and put it down to experience really.

K.

[lesandclaire]

kwatt wrote:

All you can do Les, IMO, is bin it and put it down to experience really.

K.

What would you advise I repalce it with to avoid this kind of thing in the future.
At the moment a couple of hundred quid (instead of the £114 to this guy has quoted to fix) seems like a good option… still, it may all go swimmingly tomorrow!

Les

[kwatt]

For about £200, I’d stick with the laundrette. 😆

Seriously, try and find a graded Bosch or something from one of the usual suppliers.

K.

[Phidom]

Re: On the other side of the fence. (Long…)

I don’t buy washing machines for my own use but just get one out of the workshop or use one I have reconditioned to try it out. For a couple of years my default machine has been a non computerised plastic tub Indesit (WG1033TG I think). This developed a leak from the rear tub joint which I could not be bothered to fix so I dragged in another working machine, this time a computerised Indesit W103UK. This completed one wash OK but left a puddle on the kitchen floor. I thought the water might have just been from when I was swapping machines so I gave it a second chance. This time I got the familiar spinning of the control knob when it reached the final spin. Inspection revealed that this machine has also got a leak at the tub joint and drips directly onto the motor plug. 10/10 for consistency Indesit 😆

[Penguin45]

Re: On the other side of the fence. (Long…)

Phidom wrote:computerised Indesit W103UK. This completed one wash OK

Did well then………….

Chris.

[lesandclaire]

Re: On the other side of the fence. (Long…)

Penguin45 wrote:

Phidom wrote:
computerised Indesit W103UK. This completed one wash OK

Did well then………….

Chris.

The repair dude called it “A solid workhorse.” And waxed lyrical about them… Shows what he knows… 🙁

Les

[lesandclaire]

Re: On the other side of the fence. (Long…)

Well… he’s offered to get new thermistor (was showing 26 at 23 deg.C) but told me extra cash and 10 days.. so told him not to bother.
Offered him the old machine as stock of spares to cover his costs if he wanted, he refused. So that is that! New washer time..

Have posted http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/modules.p … pic&t=9195 in Classifieds for a replacement.. Thanks for all your errudite replies. Now I know to argue if an Indesit is offered as warranty replacement for another type.

Les

[lesandclaire]

Re: On the other side of the fence. (Long…)

Best i’ve found so far is a new Bosch WFO2467GB for £298.32 including VAT and free delivery… and 2 year parts and labour..

Seems a good make and reasonable price.. anyone know the machine well enough to say Yay of Nay?

Les

[jeremy]

Re: On the other side of the fence. (Long…)

for approx 170 quid more you can get yourself a miele premier 500, 1200 spin, 5 year warranty, design life of between 15-20 years, nothing comes close 🙂

[don]

Re: On the other side of the fence. (Long…)

Go for it Lesandclaire you will not get a better deal than that 😀 . The build and performance is good, as is the service and back up.

Don

[lesandclaire]

Re: On the other side of the fence. (Long…)

Sorted! New Bosch WFO2467GB humming away in the kitchen…
So what have I gained? I’ve read about the better build quality and the 2 years parts and labour. But what difference does it make for you or me coming to repair the thing? What will Bosch offer that Indesit do not?

Les

[Author]

Posts