White Knight ‘A Class’ cracked drum

[PiaMaria]

Last week the drier made a banging sound as it turned, even when it was empty. Also i noticed that the back of the drum started to crack inside..

Since the drum was cracked i haven’t been using it too much, but i did contact White Knight via email as phoning them proved a little of a challenge.
However, the other night i used it, it still worked as normal but i had to make sure i didn’t put anything with strings or ties in cos they get caught in the cracks and twist.
So into the cycle it started making a VERY unhealthy noise, and the cracks are 100 times worse. I had phoned the local appliance repair people and he said i definitely need a whole new drum fitting and that’s gonna cost around £95 to get sorted through them (£65 for the drum, £30-ish for the fitting).
So seeing as it’s only just over a year i thought i’d get on the phone to White Knight… But i couldn’t get through on a few occasions so i emailed instead and got a rather automated response along the lines of ‘ring this numver and have proof of purchase if it’s within 12 months we’ll send someone out’.

Anyway, i don’t have any proof of purchase, i’m not a customer of the catalogue anymore and i have no old statements, plus it will only tell them i’ve had it for 13 or 14 months. But the fault is shocking!! There is no way it’s acceptable for it to break this way for no apparent reason unless it’s a design fault or something, i’ve taken this photo to show the damage.

Could i take this further with them seeing as it’s a pretty disgraceful fault to have after such a short time?

Here are some photo’s of the damage i uploaded….

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v720/ … 007399.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v720/ … 007400.jpg

It’s a White Knight “CL847” vented tumble drier

[kwatt]

Re: White Knight ‘A Class’ cracked drum

That is a bit unusual.

The retailer is ultimately responsible but all you can do is try to talk to someone at White Knight really and see if they are prepared to do anything or have a go at the retailer.

K.

[Penguin45]

Re: White Knight ‘A Class’ cracked drum

Wow! The retaining rivets working loose is a well known problem, but that’s quite spectacular. Pointing out that the evidence is on public view sometimes helps if you’re getting nowhere……….. 😯

Good luck with it,
Penguin45.

[WhirlpoolQueen]

Re: White Knight ‘A Class’ cracked drum

I am gonna put my legal hat on here, just because it is out of Warranty does not mean that are left high & dry. According to Consumer Direct, I quote

“You will probably get quicker and better results by complaining to whoever sold you the faulty goods. Remember, your contract was with them and they are liable – not the manufacturer. But if you do decide to claim under the manufacturer’s guarantee, perhaps because it’s more convenient for you, tell the manufacturer that you’re ‘reserving your rights under the Sale of Goods Act’.

Don’t listen to the seller if he tells you that he can do nothing for you because the guarantee has run out. Goods should do what they are supposed to for a reasonable length of time. The time set by the guarantee is not necessarily reasonable. For example, the control panel on a microwave or the gearbox in a car should last for more than twelve months even though their guarantees only lasted a year.”

I think it is fair to argue with White Knight that the product should be expected to last more than 13 months. I would say at the very least the product should give 5yrs life. I would place this in writing to them, write to

The Managing Director’s Office/Executive Office,
Crosslee Plc T/A White Knight Ltd.
Hipperholme,
Halifax,
West Yorkshire
England
HX3 8DE

If you have access to a fax, fax your letter across to 01442 206304(as well as post, recorded delivery) (remember to keep a copy of all correspondence for your records)

In Finality, if that doesn’t produce the goods in the respect that White Knight will not assist you further, you can always issue a claim via The Small Claims Court via HM Court Service Website. If you are on a low income/benefits you can claim full exemption from the Court Fees & issue a claim against Crosslee Plc. My guess is that rather than fight the case, they would try and reach a settlement with you. But before you cross that bridge try writing to them first. Don’t bother phoning them, it is a waste of time, and at least if you write c/o the Executive Office, you may get someone who may be sympathetic to your plight and you never know either fix or replace the dryer as a gesture of goodwill.

Keep us posted!!!

WQ

[kwatt]

Re: White Knight ‘A Class’ cracked drum

You are correct WP however a couple of points.

1. The six year rule is not a guarantee of durability and does not guarantee against failures through wear and tear. Usually what would be considered to be “reasonable” would be established in a court and is dependent on many factors. Not least of which is purchase price in relation to general market.

For example a £100 dryer cannot “reasonably” be expected to last as long as a £300 dryer which perform the same function and courts do take account of this as it is a good indicator of the goods’ quality.

This has to be taken up with the retailer, not the manufacturer. Since the contract of sale is not with Crosslee there’s no point in issuing a summons to them.

Anything you get from the manufacturer is a gesture of goodwill beyond the warranty period, even if it is an unusual failure as it is not their responsibility really but that of the retailer.

2. IME with most retailers, in particular the larger ones, prepare for a battle to get anything back. 🙁

They know full well what the rules are and they know that any settlement will take into account a lot of factors and I have found that all too often what people think they are entitled to and what they are actually entitled to, are two very different numbers.

However best of luck, but I wouldn’t waste too much time on Crosslee, concentrate on the retailer.

K.

[WhirlpoolQueen]

Re: White Knight ‘A Class’ cracked drum

I hear what you say Kwatt, but I am going to politely disagree with you on this occasion. I have always found that a polite letter to the Executive Office can work wonders. 🙂 where as a letter to a Customer Service Desk usually gets binned. 🙁

If the person in question complains to the Retailer about the dryer, it is most likely that she will be passed back to Crosslee Plc anyway, as most firms will try and pass the buck back to the Manufacturer. It is my considered opinion that she may get a better result by contacting Crosslee Plc. At the very least they may agree to fix the dryer on a free of chrge basis. – Nothing ventured, Nothing Gained, or Shy Bairns Get Now’t.

As for Court well, I see that (Robertshaw V Currys) set a precedent & that my guess it that most firms will back off if they think they are going to end up in the Small Claims Court.

WQ

PS Kwatt, I am WQ not WP!

[kwatt]

Re: White Knight ‘A Class’ cracked drum

Sorry WQ. 😳

Yep, I know.

And the manufacturer will refer back to the retailer as it is, legally, the retailer’s problem. 😉

You will probably get something from Crosslee but I have little experience with them in regard to this sort of complaint and it comes down to the company and how they handle things like this as to what they offer.

I can tell you that, if it was, for example, Whirlpool, you’d get nothing beyond the warranty expiry date, not a thing without a fight. But that’s only one example, Philips used to be the same as well, no concessions whatsoever.

As for court, is that the one with the Hoover washing machine? There’s so many I forget. 😕

Normally the process would be for an offer to be tendered before any actual proceedings and that’s where things get a bit more complex IME. The problem usually is, is it worth the hassle and time spent on it for what will most often amount to very little compensation?

K.

[WhirlpoolQueen]

Re: White Knight ‘A Class’ cracked drum

Before anyone resorts to Court, I would always advise a letter to both parties respective Executive Offices, ( Retailer & Manuf) Court should only be considered if an agreement can’t be reached. I forgot to mention that a copy of the photos of the state of the drum enclosed with the letters may also help.

I have no experience of Crosslee Plc other than the fact they are a well established and respected brand & have a very good name to protect.

I can only document my experience with Samsung. The first was many years ago (about 10) over a bench top dishwasher, when the sealed in resin control panel broke down and could not be replaced. Even though the machine was 3yr old, I wrote to Samsung UK’s MD & bless him, he upon the condition that I returned the data plate from the machine i.e. serial number etc, refunded my money paid for the item in full. If memory serves me correctly I bought it from the Coop for £100.

Last year I had a problem with my Samsung microwave (paint peeling inside) and although out of warranty by 2 months, they delivered me a new & better one via Courier with profound apologies & a very nice letter advising that they expected their products to last longer than the Guarantee Period.

So again, nothing ventured, nothing gained!

I do agree with you Kwatt that in view of the cost of the dryer £100? that it probably is not that cost efficient in time and effort to pursue this matter via the courts especially if it is going to cost £50 to issue a summons. If you are Fee Exempt then ok, I suppose why not give it a go?

[PiaMaria]

Hellol thanks for all the replies, i thought i had set it to email me when i got replies so that’s why i didn’t come straight back!!

Thanks for the interesting info, i’m going to send an email to Crosslee today explaining some of the info posted here such as the reasonable time factor, they replied pretty quickly last time so if i don’t get anywhere in the next few days i shall put it into writing to the EO.

I’ll keep you updated!

[PiaMaria]

Hi, received a call from Stephen at Crosslee tonight, they are going to send out their service agents at some point to repair the drier with the cost being charged to Crosslee, so it’s a result so far! Hopefully it won’t take too long for it to be fixed, thanks for your advice on here which helped me to write a constructive email to them about the problems in the first place.
🙂

[PiaMaria]

Re: White Knight ‘A Class’ cracked drum

(Mega-Bump!)

Well – 2.5 years later and it’s happened again!!!

I don’t use heavy loads in my drier, and there’s only me and my young son so it’s not overused.

Seriously, is 3.5 years the average lifespan of a tumble drier?? I seriously expected it to last 7+…. Maybe i’m being totally unrealistic?

Not happy 🙁

(edit – actually i think i bought the drier May 06 so almost 4 years old!! How time has flown… Still not happy though)

[kwatt]

Re: White Knight ‘A Class’ cracked drum

PiaMaria wrote:I don’t use heavy loads in my drier, and there’s only me and my young son so it’s not overused.

Seriously, is 3.5 years the average lifespan of a tumble drier?? I seriously expected it to last 7+…. Maybe i’m being totally unrealistic?

Sadly, there’s no expectation on any appliance bar the amount it is used as they are designed (in the main) to last a certain number of cycles or uses if you like the length of time that expires in can vary massively. Unlike a car you don’t see the miles (or usage) racking up on a gauge.

Quite what’s causing this, I’ve no idea although the only two assumptions I can arrive at with the limited information is overuse/misuse through overloading or whatever or it’s a poor drum design. If the circumstances are as described them the latter is more likely but, this is the only case of this I’ve heard of on on of these dryers.

It isn’t the first drum I’ve seen like that in a Crosslee built dryer however, it’s not a common fault in my experience.

You could just be unlucky I suppose. 🙁

K.

[PiaMaria]

I’m wondering if a repair is going to be a- possible, and b- cheaper than a new machine. Or of course, it would be totally pointless because this is the 2nd time it’s happened now.

Would i be totally pushing my luck if i emailed Crosslee? (lol!!)

[kwatt]

Re: White Knight ‘A Class’ cracked drum

You can repair anything.

Only the cost to do so is an issue.

Usually a drum, which if it’s the same as the photos in the original post show faulty, then you’re looking at in excess of £100 to fix it. Not good.

My guess is that Crosslee won’t want to know and, most likely, neither will the retailer and both will probably tell you that you had the option of an additional repair insurance or cover, you chose to take the risk yourself rather than buy that insurance.

To do anything on the six year front you’d have to prove that the fault was there from new which can be more than a bit of challenge.

Sorry to be the bearer of not so good tidings but I hope it helps.

K.

[Higher-water-level]

Re: White Knight ‘A Class’ cracked drum

Hi PiaMaria,

Just out of interest are you using the 8 hour A class programme? Because if you are your drier is doing 4 times more work per load than it needs to! So will only last 25{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} as long as a normal Crosslee made machine would. Hence the regular faillings.

I also have a White Knight A class (84AW) just over 3 years old, it makes noises it really shouldn’t do so as far as I’m concerened they are not really worth putting great money into, so when mine fails (unless its a cheap repair) its had it chips for something better. They are made about 2 miles up the road from my home, so I thought I would buy locally and put money into our economy, well won’t be doing that again. I hate to say this but I may even consider a Miele.

I heard some of Crosslees employees talking the other day, lets just say quality control has gone out of the window. I won’t say anymore on that as you can get sued for telling the truth these days!

Oliver.

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