Money

Whirlpool charged customers up to 72p per minute to call about fire-risk washing machines replacements and repairs


WHIRLPOOL customers with fire-risk washing machines have been charged up to 72p per minute to phone about repairs and replacements.

Some customers were charged as much as £30 after ringing a 0844 premium rate phone number that was included in an email from the domestic appliance firm.

Credit: PA:Press Association

It is illegal for firms use numbers which charge customers to call about complaints or customer service.

Whirlpool is in the process of repairing and replacing 519,000 fire risk washing machines after announcing a recall in early December.

It told customers to unlpug machines or only use them on cold water cycles of 20c or lower – but said the process of repairing and refunding machine would not start until at the New Year.

The announcement sparked fury among customers who were quick to blast the company over the delay.

But now customers have been complaining about being charged to call Whirlpool, with many facing long delays.

Today, consumer group Which? urged Whirlpool to offer refunds to customers. 

The 42 models of affected Hotpoint and Indesit washing machines have a serious safety fault that has been linked to 3,000 fires of the past decade.

David Hickson, from Fair Telecoms Campaign, said: “Under a law that has been in place since June 2014, anyone who calls a company about something they have bought using 084, 087 or 09 number should claim a refund of their call costs.”

A spokesperson from Whirlpool said: “We are aware of an administrative error that led to a small number of customers being advised to call a premium telephone number to arrange delivery of a replacement unit.

“We apologise to those customers that received this communication.

“If you have been charged, please contact us via ccns@whirlpool.com so we can arrange a refund as soon as possible.”

If customers are affected by the recall then they can phone the Whirlpool customer service team on 0800 316 1442.

Whirlpool Washing Machine Recall – Official Model List

as of December 17, 2019

  • FML 742P UK Hotpoint
  • WMAOD 743G UK Hotpoint
  • WMAOD 743P UK Hotpoint
  • WMAQB 721P UK.M Hotpoint
  • WMAQC 641P UK.M Hotpoint
  • WMAQC 741G UK Hotpoint
  • WMAQC 741P UK Hotpoint
  • WMAQC 741P UK.M Hotpoint
  • WMAQF 621G UK Hotpoint
  • WMAQF 621P UK Hotpoint
  • WMAQF 641 P UK.M Hotpoint
  • WMAQF 721G UK Hotpoint
  • WMAQF 721P UK.M Hotpoint
  • WMAQL 621G UK Hotpoint
  • WMBF 742G UK Hotpoint
  • WMBF 742K UK Hotpoint
  • WMBF 742P UK Hotpoint
  • WMBF 742P UK.M Hotpoint
  • WMBF 763P UK Hotpoint
  • WMEF 722 BC UK Hotpoint
  • WMEF 742 P UK Hotpoint
  • WMEUF 722P UK Hotpoint
  • WMEUF 743G UK Hotpoint
  • WMEUF 743P UK Hotpoint
  • WMFG 741P UK Hotpoint
  • WMFG 741P UK.M Hotpoint
  • WMFUG 742 P UK.M Hotpoint
  • WMFUG 742G UK Hotpoint
  • WMFUG 742P UK Hotpoint
  • WMFUG 842P UK.M Hotpoint
  • WMJLF 842P UK Hotpoint
  • WMJLL 742P UK Hotpoint
  • WMSAQG 621P UK Hotpoint
  • WMXTF 742G UK Hotpoint
  • WMXTF 742K UK Hotpoint
  • WMXTF 742P UK Hotpoint
  • WMXTF 742P UK.M Hotpoint
  • WMXTF 842P UK.M Hotpoint
  • WMYL 7151PS UK Hotpoint
  • XWA 81252X K UK Indesit
  • XWA 81252X W UK Indesit
  • XWD 71452X K UK Indesit
Whirlpool customer shares shocking video of smoke pouring from machine and warns her model is NOT on recall list





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