About Me

Extended Warranties - Why Bother?

What a week! I have written to a few consumer affairs people this last week, and a few of the UK's Red banner newspapers. What has made you do this? I hear you ask. Well it all concerns a Hotpoint Tumble dryer that we purchased 2 years ago. Oh Boring! I hear you say, but when I tell you this thing is a fire trap, and could have burnt the house down along with my wife and kids. But is STILL in the house, I hope that you read on.

It began in September, when the dryer went wrong, as we had an extended warranty on the item from MasterCare (HA! Couldn'tCare Less more like it) we asked them to come and fix it. They arranged a visit for 3 days later.
They came but couldn't fix it as they didn't have the part, so another week passed, and they then came to fix it again, but they had ordered the wrong part so couldn't do it. A few more days passed, the drying was piling up, and as our 22 month old uses washable nappies, he was looking worried too!

Then they came, when my wife was out (although she gave them a time she would be in), this was because the repairman thought he would come 2 hours early, and not tell anyone! Cue another wait and a fourth visit, in which the part was fitted wrong, and they then had to come out again. Oh dear no part again, another wait and a sixth visit.

Then just when we thought all was OK, the day after it was supposedly fixed, I went to open the door of the dryer, and it wouldn't open, the door catch had bust! So a call out for a SEVENTH time was required, interestingly my wife managed to get the dryer open prior to his visit and noticed a burning smell. So the engineer arrived, and checked the machine, confirmed it needed a new door catch, said he had to get a part ordered (WHAT A BLOODY SURPRISE!!!) but said that the dryer was safe to use.
That afternoon, the wife put on some nappies, and noticed a burning smell, and then flames coming from the back of the machine! REALLY F*!KING SAFE!!!!

Just think if she had put the dryer on as she was going out, or our son had turned on the dryer, as a now does, what then??

Now I was at work when this happened, and my wife phoned me in tears, so I straight away rang MasterCare customer services, when I mentioned the flames, the woman asked, "was there any fire damage to the property?". Not "was anyone hurt", when I questioned this, she said she needed to know if the fire brigade was called, or if there was any fire damage. Not a word about if any person was harmed!! Customer services my arse!

The next day, Customer services said that they would send an assessor on the 3rd (today), to look at the dryer, but then just 24 hours later they said the assessor would not come till Monday 6th, the same day coincidently that the repairman is coming for the EIGHTH time!!!

Not once, have they offered to give us a new machine!

So spread the word, UK readers MasterCare DON'T CARE.

Thanks for reading!