Whirlpool should refund 500,000 buyers of faulty appliances - Which?

Which? consumer group called for the appliances manufacturer Whirlpool to offer owners of 500,000 faulty washing machines a refund or offer a repair or replacement.

The US company is launching the UK-wide recall on Thursday after admitting that up to 519,000 appliances sold under its Hotpoint and Indesit brands between October 2014 and February 2018 were a fire risk due to a weakness that could lead to overheating.

As many as 79 machines had reportedly caught on fire as a result of the fault.

The company offered to repair or replace the unsafe machines, but Which? warned that could leave a large number of customers with the dangerous appliances in their homes for many months.

Which? was concerned about conflicting advice from Whirlpool and the Government’s product safety regulator regarding whether customers could continue to use the machines at all while they are left to wait for a repair or replacement.

“We’re urging Whirlpool to offer consumers a refund and reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses caused by the recall, so people can quickly find a replacement for this essential household appliance,” said Which?

After finally issuing a formal recall of faulty tumble dryers following government intervention last year, Whirlpool eventually offered refunds of up to £150, with the value dependent on the age of the appliance.

According to the Guardian, a Whirlpool spokesperson said: “We want to apologise for any inconvenience caused by this recall. The issue relates to a particular combination of components which are no longer used in the production of certain models of Indesit and Hotpoint washing machines.

“Replacing or repairing affected units completely removes the risk of this issue and avoids any possibility of the machines entering the second-hand market. Therefore this is the most effective means of removing this risk from people’s homes."