Wonder if it is time to re-think policy on extended warranty....

[Ham]

I've always been of the opinion that you are better off self-insuring for most things, especially if you buy decent quality to start with. I'm wondering if I need to reconsider.

I've just had a Neff oven door self destruct, in an oven that cost £1,000 six years ago. The engineering that delivers the "slide & hide" feature is somewhat suspect, and it is almost certainly going to become a common occurrence. One thing of note is that while the door is easy to remove in normal operation, it can be a true SOB when it has gone off the tracks (the GBBO is not the only way it can disclocate, other ways leave everything very jammed)

Anyhow,  I poked around and came to the conclusion it was an accumulation of play in several components. I thought changing the hinges and runners would be the first step, so looked up the cost. £220. And, no guarantee it would be fixed or remain fixed. Repair through Neff? £100 callout + parts. So, after a bit of Google I found what seemed to be a good repair outfit promising a fixed cost repair guaranteed for 90 days for £160. Turns out they also sell annual warranty, which would give me a year's protection for another £70. The fixed price repair included parts up to £250, and if they can't repair they replace like for like. On the basis that I had reconciled to spending that much on spare parts, I went for it, so find myself back in warranty land.

At the same time our one year old Samsung US-Style fridge freezer started leaking water. Engineer has just visited that and..... it's a write off.

It just seems symptomatic of the naff quality of Neff and other pretty damn expensive white goods, these days. Not convinced about warranty (and I'm unlikely to renew the oven after this year) but it does make me think.

Oh, and one last thing. Those two little 20W halogen bulbs in the door.... HOW FUCKING MUCH EACH? ? ? ?

[Mrs Pingu]

Or you can buy your own warranty insurance.... https://www.money.co.uk/appliance-insurance.htm

[SteveC]

No comment on the warranty but when MrsC and I were considering our new kitchen we thought about the Neff slide & hide as per Bake Off.
We were watching the bakeoff at the time (which is why the topic had come up) so I tweeted asking what they were like.
Two contestants from previous years got back almost immediately to tell of the doors falling off, right from the first series.
We didn't buy one!

[Quisling]

This is why John Lewis exists. Never knowingly undersold and often offer longer warranty as standard. My white goods purchasing strategy is to (a) determine the minimum acceptable specification (b) buy the cheapest** one with the longest warranty that meets the spec.

** give or take a few quid.

I never bother with additional extended warranties since the companies that run the insurances inevitably go bust before you need them. Having taken your money up front.

[onerousdeporte]

Would it be time to discuss an item being fit for purpose?

Also all electrical stuff gets 2 years guarantee.

[hellymedic]

Yamaha offered to extend the warranty on the Clavinova from 2 to 5 years  for joining/registering with them online at no extra cost.

I have just had a warranty repair, at 23 months. They've updated their site and I've needed to reregister but only seem to be guaranteed until the end of this month. Hope We don't need any more attention...

[Ham]

No issues with the fridge freezer, it's a two year warranty, and FTR, the sale of goods act covers stuff like that up to six years -
 unfortunately over time for the oven^* - not sure where your 2 years comes from.

The issue I was highlighting is that the built in obsolescence appears to cover the gamut of manufacturing quality these days.

^*Strictly speaking, the first time it played up was within the 6 years, but I just fixed it and (stupidly) assumed it would stay fixed.

[hellymedic]

I am a lucky birdie! My gas hob, oven and grill are part of the fitted kitchen that came with the house I bought 18 years ago. Seem OK for now...

[TPMB12]

Off topic but a mate bought a karrimor rucksack with gold lifetime guarantee 20 plus years ago. He's sent it back with wear and tear plus failures several times. It always comes back repaired, cleaned and generally tidied up. He's been trying to get them to pay him off so he can get a newer sack but tbh it's a very good sack and very repairable.

I know it's not white goods but in my childhood I remember things got repaired but they often never went wrong. A twin tub that never failed. A washing machine that had one call out in 20 years. Only replaced when my parents decided they wanted a new, white one. It was still working well. A hoover junior that a local independent appliance shop repaired. You can still get all the parts despite it being made in the 60s / 70s!

When did things become so disposable? When did I become old? Those two questions come as a pair, moaning about disposable white goods and realizing you've just got old!

[ian]

Never go fancy is my motto, I mean 'hide and slide' which combines what might be an obscure sex game with a cookery is surely just poking Captain Jinx right on the nose*. Buying something mid-range and boring seems to result in things that work. Leastways I've never, ever had any kitchen goods fail (leastways, in the six-or-so year window before we always seem to move house and leave them behind).

*this is a why I laugh manically, then laugh some more while roll on the floor a bit until nurse brings my meds, when someone tells me they're having a 'wet room' fitted.