Consumer watchdogs are demanding that Whirlpool refunds customers left out of pocket in the chaotic recall of fire-risk washing machines.
A week before Christmas, the firm announced 519,000 Hotpoint and Indesit machines had faulty door locks that could lead them to overheat and catch fire.
Whirlpool, which recalled tumble dryers over fire fears earlier last year, advised people with affected washing machine models to stop using them.
As their recall finally gets under way tomorrow, Which? is calling for Whirlpool to reimburse people who felt they had no option but to pay for replacement machines.
And it voiced “serious concerns” that people will be left with potentially dangerous machines for months as they wait for an engineer to fix or replace them.
Which? called on Whirlpool “to do the right thing” and offer refunds, but the company tonight refused to bow to pressure and said engineer appointments would begin on Monday.
It said repair or replacement was “the most effective means of removing this risk” and said it was following “industry best-practice procedures” for the UK. It added: “Whirlpool has been able to reassure 95% of [customers] they do not have an affected appliance and can continue to use their products safely as normal.”
More than 30 MPs have written to Whirlpool about fears over the recall. Labour MP Rachel Reeves said: “If they cannot swiftly fix or replace machines with potential problems, they should offer affected customers a full refund.”
Whirlpool customers told Which? how they had to dig into savings to buy new machines or do their laundry at friends’ and relatives’ homes, or launderettes.
Geraldine Ellis, 69, of Nottinghamshire, told Which?: “I don’t want a repair or replacement and I’ve already taken the hit and bought a new washing machine.”
Fiona Thompson, 51, of Letchworth, Herts, said: “The way Whirlpool have handled this has been an absolute disgrace. I’m having to pay out hundreds of pounds for a new machine."
