Thousands of householders are putting themselves at risk of injury or even death from unsafe appliances such as fridges, freezers and washing machines by failing to register them, according to research.
Only just over a third of consumers currently register all of their appliances with the manufacturer, leaving thousands of owners untraceable if a safety repair is needed, according to a YouGov survey for the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances (Amdea).
More than half of purchasers only register appliances sporadically: rarely (15%) or never (9%). For 75% of those who have already registered, the main reason for registering is to activate the guarantee. .
The government wants more people to register their appliances and is backing a new Amdea website, which provides access to the registration pages of 47 leading brands of domestic appliances.
“It is so important that we make sure that we register new appliances and don’t risk missing out on key information that could save lives,” said Jo Swinson, consumer affairs minister. “This initiative will make it easier for consumers to register appliances both new and old, and will help to ensure that relevant owners get vital information on product recalls and safety notices.”
There are between six and 10 recalls of large appliances a year, according to Amdea, but, “unlike cars, if manufacturers need to make a safety adjustment they have no way of tracing the majority of affected models”, its chief executive, Douglas Herbison, said.
Although major safety recalls are usually communicated via advertisements and press publicity, there is no single authority to oversee recalls. The new portal aims to help the industry to act swiftly and contact owners when a fault is discovered in a batch of products.
One of the biggest and most serious product recalls in the UK (involving electrical appliances) three years ago were of models of Beko fridge freezers, which led to 20 fires in London and left 15 injured and one dead.
