Whirlpool tells us to keep using a faulty Hotpoint washing machine

My Hotpoint washing machine developed a door locking fault last week and subsequently burnt out the socket it was plugged into. I completed the recall form with Whirlpool and contacted it straight away to get a replacement.

My wife and I both work in frontline social care; my wife has a uniform that she has to wash after every shift and we are also in a local (Wales) lockdown and not allowed to mix with any other households.

I have explained the urgency to Whirlpool but staff have been extremely rude and dismissive. I’ve been told to use the machine at 20C which wouldn’t be high enough to wash the uniform, and would invalidate our home insurance as we know the product is faulty and on recall.

Whirlpool has suggested it will be weeks, or possibly months, until I get a replacement. It will not offer any solution, or pay further compensation. I’m at a loss what to do. I’ve worked solidly for months with no break and this might tip me over the edge. How can a company treat consumers in this way?

CL, Cwm, Blaenau Gwent

We continue to receive similar letters from readers who have been unable to get replacement machines since the recall kicked in in January. We were struck by the urgency of your case, given the need to regularly wash your uniforms. A wait of months is unacceptable.

After our intervention Whirlpool arranged for an engineer to visit within days, and delivery of a replacement was arranged.

Whirlpool says: “We are very sorry for the delay this customer experienced. We have since been in touch and have delivered a replacement washing machine.”

Of the 265,000 customers who have registered an affected model so far, 93% have, apparently, been fully resolved. Any readers with a Hotpoint or Indesit washing machine who are unsure whether their appliance is part of the recall, can visit the website or call 0800 316 1442.

And finally …

Reader JJ from Leicester has some cheery news. “In mid-October my wife and I booked a cottage through Norfolk Cottages for a stay from 2-9 November. We were encouraged by its “book with confidence” promise so that if government restrictions prevented us going, we’d be able to rebook, get a voucher or get a full refund. On Sunday 1 November it sent an email cancelling. We opted for a full refund, which appeared in our credit card account the next day. When so many travel firms are slow, or even refusing to give customers their money back, we thought Norfolk Cottages deserved to get credit where it’s due.”

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