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Single man and washing machine
‘I had to take off four half-days to accommodate the engineer visits.’ Photograph: Action Press/Rex Features
‘I had to take off four half-days to accommodate the engineer visits.’ Photograph: Action Press/Rex Features

Domestic & General caught me in a spin cycle over warranty

This article is more than 8 years old

It took five visits for it to agree to send out a new washing machine – if I paid a delivery charge

I am at the end of my tether. I have a washing machine warranty with Domestic & General. My machine broke down, but only after five engineer visits did it decide to replace it.

I am a single dad with two young daughters who has had to take off four half-days to accommodate the engineer visits – and countless hours on hold to D&G. The final straw came when it slapped me with a charge for delivery and the cost of finishing the plan – and said it would take a few more weeks to actually deliver a working washer.

I cannot take this any more. CE, Manchester

We are getting so many complaints about Domestic & General that we would strongly urge anyone who has a policy to look at what they are paying and decide whether it’s worth keeping – especially given the above hassle with claiming. Life’s too short to stay in for five engineer visits. We contacted D&G and, in fairness, it did get on the case and quickly delivered a new machine – it has also apologised.

These products can be terrible value. D&G just quoted us £99 a year to insure a four-year-old Bosch washing machine – a machine that would cost only £329 to replace. Why would anyone pay that? If you do claim, and it decides to replace the machine, you have to pay a delivery charge of £20 on top. Crazy.

We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at consumer.champions@theguardian.com or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number

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