h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Douglas washes clothes, bedding etc. The machine is on more than once per day.

We had a very reliable AEG. It was insured through D-tic & G-l and repairs were seldom and happened three days from call out. NOTE - Aeg ver' good. Robust. Well-engineered. Served us well for over 10 years.

Last May at ten years old after the customary three days for an engineer to call the machine was deemed 'uneconomic to repair.' It would be replaced by a 'like' machine.

The calls started.

Machine first offered had a 1000 spin speed I said no.

The second after I looked it up and the viewed it was a washer dryer, I said no.

I was told to choose one from Com*t and let them know the model. I spent time on line and then in the two local Com*ts choosing a machine. It was not available under the policy. I tried again on line. The machine did not exist. I tried other models - no I couldn’t have it. I visited Com*t and choose other brand names. No they were not available from the warehouse and no the local Com*t could not deliver the ones in stock.

At five days from breakdown and two days looking at washing machines morning noon and night, they said we have a Bos*h Classicxxx6 (which, come to think of it, sounds like a v. dubious German DVD series) that is perfect for you. Bos*h 'supposed to be' a reasonable make and did have a 1400 spin speed. I said yes, “It will take a week/ten days to arrive” from Com*t.

So an insured machine on terminal breakdown takes 15 days to replace! Phone calls on the Monday, Wednesday then around seven hours of research and calls to the insurance company before Saturday evening.

I swore I would never take out insurance on a washing machine again.
The blo*dy thing arrived and it drives us up the wall. It beeps insistently when it ends the programme. It beeps if you touch it. It does not work in real time, the 44 minute quick wash is one hour ten minutes. It does wash clothes and spin them reasonably dry.

At 12 months old the door start to not close properly so the programme does not start and it beeps. We bang the door closed it start gets to 38 minutes on the clock spins and stops; the door is not reading as closed. Fiddle it finishes the programme.

At 12 months Douglas says insure it and get it fixed. I say no too much hassle. Paper work comes in offering insurance, I am persuaded. I send time on the phone setting up the direct debit and as there is an offer that includes freezer and cooker.

At thirteen months and one week it will not start. Douglas phones the insurance company. They give him the repair company who require all the numbers for the machine. He has to sit on the floor go read the twenty numbers. The next available date for repair is a week. He agrees with a heavy heart, having unsuccessfully pled 'wife out of hospital after surgery/really need machine' (implication = gangerine, blood, pus, other fluids, and a general Peet-like physical condition).

We then start trying to get a repair faster and Google. There seems to be a company that covers eight towns in Aberdeenshire plus the city. I Google further and the company have presence in 62 towns and cities. Douglas phones and is told you need to call Bos*h on this number. It takes us back to the repair company who told us next week.

Note - Bos*h seem to have Google fixed to show up first then all over the front page when searching for a repair to one of their machines. All nicely sewn-up.

I look up a local company three streets away to see if they still exist. Yes they will come tomorrow. Local knowledge prevails.

Moral – Insurance is not always a good idea because it can channel you into a automated switchboard standard scripted rat run in which the best you can hope for is a second-rate deal based on second-rate expectations of a second-rate service with a second-rate outcome. ALSO don't believe Google unquestioningly. Local knowledge, local services, local firms - when we phoned the local engineer we spoke - immediately - to a human being, we didn't have to listen to Vivaldi, and we got the promise of a visit tomorrow.


Sue

Entertaining account. Sorry for your hassles.

Service in the UK appallingly bad - I had a hard time yesterday with my credit card provider.