Whirlpool’s reputation has taken a dive over the last few years, having had to recall many of its products due to faults that have resulted in dangerous fires.
While dryers have been the main source of flames for Whirlpool products, some of its washers are have also been questionable, causing concern for many households around the UK that did not want their machine to set alight.
As a result of 79 fires, it recalled over 500,000 Hotpoint and Indesit products before Christmas last year, replacing the faulty ones with new models.
However, the Mirror has reported many customers have since found fault with these replacement machines, leaving households worried about using the washers in case they start a fire.
One such consumer is Fiona Dodd, who said her Hotpoint machine began to release nasty fumes and started to leak.
The 64-year-old told the publication: “I ran a programme as normal and the whole house was filled with a vomit-inducing fishy smell. I had to open the doors and windows even though it was raining.”
She went on to say: “As the programme continued, a fault mode flashed up and the door was jammed.”
After this, water began to leak on to the floor, so she contacted Whirlpool for a refund. She was offered £296 after the company took the machine away. However, it since retracted the reimbursement, claiming it was not company policy to provide refunds.
Instead, it offered another replacement appliance, which made Ms Dodd from Dorset feel “badly let down”.
She stated: “I just want what I was offered. It’s about time Whirlpool did the decent thing.”
Ms Dodd is not alone with her grievances, as a petition launched by consumer watchdog Which? calling for the company to give refunds has gained more than 62,000 signatures so far.
In addition to this, social media is full of complaints from other customers who also reported similar leaks and toxic smells emanating from their appliance.
Whirlpool originally launched the recall after its door-locking mechanism, seen in machines sold between 2014 and 2018, led to machines over-heating.
While it advised customers to unplug their machines and avoid using them if they experienced a noxious odour or the door locked, their solution to the problem is to simply provide another appliance.
A spokesperson for the company stated: “All owners are entitled to either a replacement machine or repair, free of charge.”
So far, it has been alerted to more than 180,000 faulty machines, while there could still be more in homes across the country.
It advised those with Indesit or Hotpoint washing machines that were made since 2014 to check if theirs is one of the products it has recalled (WMFG 741 G UK, WMAQG 741 P UK, WMAQC 641 P UK). Those with an affected machine have been recommended to use cold water cycles of 20 degrees Celsius or lower to avoid over-heating.
However, it is still only providing a replacement or repair service, which might not be enough to relieve customers’ concerns about their appliance.
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