The washing machine broke down under warranty

By purchasing washing machine, the owner hopes that it will serve for a long time. The breakdown of brand new and expensive household appliances is a big nuisance. Many buyers run to the store in panic, hoping to get money for a low-quality product. But there is no need to rush: if your washing machine breaks down under warranty, you can send it in for free repairs. How to act in a difficult situation and fight for consumer rights is described below in the article.

Why did the new washing machine fail?

There are many reasons. The buyer may purchase a defective product assembled in production with errors and irregularities. Instability of the operation of a household appliance may result from mains voltage surges.

Housewives mainly encounter the following problems:

the impossibility or difficulty of turning on the washing machine;
buzzing and other loud annoying sounds during the washing and spinning process;
lack of water flow after installing the program;
inability to open the door after finishing the wash.

Panicking, the owners begin to chaotically press the buttons, or forcefully turn off the device by pulling the wire out of the socket.This should absolutely not be done if any of the above problems occur. The machine will not work correctly, but the situation is likely to get worse.

First of all, the owner must find the instructions and read them carefully. The breakdown factor may be improper use of the washing machine. The drain filter may be clogged, and to fix the problem it is enough to clean it. You should also perform a brief diagnosis:

check the condition of the hose through which water is supplied and drained (perhaps it is bent);
see whether the supply tap is turned off or on, and whether water is flowing into the drum;
check whether the socket intended for connecting the washing machine is working.

The main thing that you absolutely cannot do is try repair the washing mashine yourself, which is under warranty. Problems arise with transferring the device for warranty repair if the master diagnostician, when inspecting the received machine, discovers that the owner has made some manipulations with the mechanism. But if the buyer himself was involved in connecting the washing machine, and did it according to all the rules, then the product is unlikely to be removed from warranty service.

If a brand new washing machine refuses to work, then you need to look at the warranty card. The warranty period for the purchased product is written there. If it has not expired, then you can safely contact the seller to transfer the faulty equipment to a repair shop. Usually, the addresses and telephone numbers of all existing service centers are written on the warranty sheet or on the body of the household appliance. If such information is not available, the seller must provide it.When contacting the store where the purchase was made, you need to take with you the receipt, check and warranty card.

In the store, the buyer fills out an application form for free warranty repairs. In it he can indicate one of three wishes:

repair equipment free of charge;
return the amount spent on low-quality goods;
Replace the damaged washing machine with one of similar value.

Obligations of sellers and manufacturers

Each manufacturer of household appliances provides a warranty period for the products they sell. This means the period during which the washing machine should operate without failures, provided that the operating rules are followed.

Warranty periods vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Moreover, the differences concern not only equipment from different brands, but also individual parts and assemblies within the same brand of washing machine. For example, LG provides a 3-year warranty on its washing mashine, and the warranty period for the motor of the same household appliance is 10 years.

Warranty periods for washing machines of common brands:

Bosch - 2 years;
Indesit - 1 year;
Atlant - 2 years;
Siemens - 2 years.

The store selling the washing machine is obliged to comply with the warranty periods established by the manufacturer. Moreover, a company producing products for wide export can set its own warranty period for each importing country.

At his own discretion, the seller cannot change the period noted on the coupon. However, trying to sell a product, sellers often deceive in words: they name one term, although in reality it is different. Therefore, when making a purchase, you should definitely look at the warranty sheet.The seller is also obliged to put a stamp on the coupon, otherwise the service center will refuse to accept the equipment for free repair.

Refund or replacement of defective goods under warranty

Modern household appliances cannot be called reliable. It happens that a buyer purchases a washing machine without visible defects, and when trying to wash it at home, he finds out that it is faulty. In such a situation, there should be no problem with how to return the money or replace the product: within 15 days after purchasing the washing mashine, the buyer has the right to contact the seller and submit an appropriate application. But you need to keep in mind that when purchasing equipment through an online store, the return period is 7 days.

To make sure that the cause of the breakdown is a manufacturing defect and not improper operation, the seller has the right to send the household appliance for technical diagnostics. If during the inspection it turns out that the washing machine broke down due to operational violations, then you will not be able to return the goods and collect the money. It is also impossible, even during the warranty period, to return an undamaged washing machine to the store that you simply no longer like. For the seller, such a reason is not an argument.

The nuances regarding the conditions for returning goods during the warranty period are spelled out in Articles 18 and 19 of the Law of the Russian Federation “On the Protection of Consumer Rights”. According to the law, a refund of the amount spent on a purchase is possible only if:

the fault was discovered within 15 days after purchase;
Technical examination confirmed a serious manufacturing defect that makes the device impossible to use.

In other cases, the buyer is provided only with free repairs.

Sample application DOWNLOAD

Sample application for a refund for goods taken on credit DOWNLOAD

Reasons for refusal of warranty repair of a washing machine

The warranty period is established so that the buyer, who discovers a manufacturing defect in the purchased equipment, can resolve the issue of replacement or repair without damage to himself. But the buyer can exercise the right to repair or replace a defective washing machine only if certain rules are observed.

Thus, the installation of a purchased household device must be carried out by a qualified technician. If the consumer decides to install the equipment on his own without following the rules, then the manufacturer disclaims warranty obligations in the event of a breakdown of the machine during the installation process. If during installation the technician finds out that the machine is faulty, then the owner will not be charged any money either for the upcoming repairs or for the installer’s work.

The service center will not repair your washing machine for free if:

connection to the electrical network was carried out using an extension cord;
wardrobe items and other items not intended for machine washing were placed in the drum;
the owner tried do the repairs yourself, but unsuccessfully;
The warranty card is filled out incorrectly and there is no stamp on it.

That is, for the warranty to remain valid, the user must comply with the following rules:

do not connect the washing machine yourself;
make sure that the seller indicates on the warranty sheet information about the store and the date of sale of the goods, and puts a stamp;
In case of malfunctions, immediately contact the service center.

Repair shops often deceive customers by telling them that the diagnosed type of breakdown cannot be repaired free of charge. This is not difficult to check: in the warranty card, manufacturers usually clearly state what types of breakdowns are repaired without payment. The same information is easy to find on the Internet.

The seller refuses to take the washing machine for repair in a warranty case - what to do?

If the answer to the submitted application is negative, despite the user’s non-involvement in the breakdown, then the next step should be to write a claim. In it you need to present demands to the seller, indicate for what reason. If the seller refuses to accept the claim in person, then you need to send it to the address of the retail facility by registered mail. The seller must respond to the buyer within 10 business days.

Where to contact when the 10-day period has expired and the answer has not arrived:

to the consumer rights protection society;
to court;
to the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection.

To contact the service and society for the protection of consumer rights, you only need to write a statement in any form. The procedure for going to court is more complicated and requires legal assistance. The more competently the lawyer drafts the application letter, the higher the chance of emerging from the court as a winner.

If a response to a written complaint has been received from the store, then the situation usually goes like this: the washing machine is delivered to the retail outlet and sent to a repair shop, where an examination is carried out. The owner himself can take the washing mashine to the service center, but if after diagnostics it turns out that the user is not to blame for the breakdown of the equipment, then the seller will be forced to pay the transportation costs.

Taking away washing machine for repairs, the seller draws up a special paper - an acceptance certificate. It must indicate the date of transfer of the equipment, the seller’s signature and seal. In the repair shop, specialists carry out diagnostics and determine the cause of the breakdown. This stage usually does not take much time.

Some unscrupulous sellers deliberately delay the examination period. But the buyer has the right to demand a penalty for late provision of technical diagnostic results.

Based on the results of the examination, a verdict is made:

If the washing machine has a manufacturing defect, or the seller is to blame for its breakdown, then the consumer has the right to demand any of the three free services during the warranty period: replace the device with the same one, repair the defective equipment, or return the money spent on the purchase.
If the breakdown is a consequence of non-compliance with operating rules, then you cannot count on a refund or replacement of the product. The buyer can go to court and insist on an independent diagnosis, but if he is really at fault, then such measures are unlikely to help.
If the breakdown occurred due to the actions of a third party, power surges in the network, or water supply problems, then the one who is to blame for the incident (person or organization) must bear responsibility. The owner of the washing mashine can only go to court.

Buying a washing machine, the consumer hopes that it will last a long time. But even manufacturers with a good reputation sometimes supply the market with defective products. To protect the buyer in such cases, there is a warranty period.That is, the seller guarantees free repairs within the period established by law, subject to the buyer’s compliance with operating rules.