Warranty Coverage Guide
Manufacturer and extended warranties are often assumed to be all encompassing when they are most often not, there are many things that are not covered by warranty and, where this is the case the position is that the owner must pay for the services of the engineer.
It is therefore important that you consult the instruction booklet, the manufacturer and the service engineer before a call is made and ensure that the fault that you are reporting is covered by the warranty.
What IS typically covered:
- Electrical component failure within the appliance
- Mechanical component failure not caused by foreign objects or improper use
Just like warranties on cars and many other primarily mechanical devices almost any other fault or failure is excluded from being covered by the warranty.
Common Exceptions (Exclusions):
- Improper use
- Poor or faulty installation
- Physical damage
- Failure to clean/maintain
- Poor/faulty drainage
- Foreign object damage
- Poor/faulty services
- Poor quality detergents
In order to highlight the importance that you do check before calling an engineer out our statistics show that in some cases over 90% of reported or suspected faults are down to use, installation or misunderstanding on the part of the user.
The repair companies do not get paid for delivering this service by manufacturers or insurers and they are therefore left with no choice but to charge you, the end user. Failure or refusal to pay the charges will often affect only the independent repairer, not the manufacturer or insurer.
Most Common Non-Faults
Top things to check for before calling an engineer. If the cause is found to be non-mechanical or non-electrical failure, you will be charged for the visit.
Washing Machines
- Will not drain: blockage in pump/filter
- Bad smell / fills when off: backfilling
- Won't spin: imbalanced load
- Soap drawer leaks: high pressure/overdosing
- Noises/Broken Paddles: foreign items/trainers
- Timer changes: dynamic calculation (no fault)
Dishwashers
- Poor results: blocked filter/spray arms
- Will not drain: pump/drainage blockage
- Bad smell: maintenance/detergent use
Cookers & Hobs
- Dead Oven: timer on auto/incorrect links
- Smoke: failure to clean
- Cabinet burning: improper installation
- New gas leak: malleable joint not tightened
- Knobs too hot: see BSI standards (normal)
Cold & Air
- Fridges Noisy: normal operation/install
- Ice in integrated: improper installation
- Heat from doors: normal operation
- Hood extraction poor: improper venting
- Tumble Dryers: blocked filters/ventilation
What If I Do Not Accept This?
If an engineer attends and finds that damage or the problem has been caused by anything other than what is specifically covered by warranty then you are legally obliged to pay for the engineer's time.
If you then refuse to pay the repairer for his time then you are at fault and the repairer can, ultimately, pursue payment through the legal system in order to recoup his costs. Given the fact that the costs of pursuing payments in this way can be many times the cost of the call charges we do recommend that the charges are paid as quickly as possible.
Refusal to pay can result in:
- Denial of further warranty service
- Denial of service on other brands
- Denial of out-of-warranty service
- Denial from other local repairers
How Can The Trade Association Help?
We can confirm whether a fault is typically covered by warranty when emailed a scan of a WTA registered engineer's worksheet.
Email for Warranty Advice:
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