Marc's X7, C3 Aircross, Rants, Raves & Everything Else

[GiveMeABreak]

Too late I'm gong to use it as an industrial toothpick.

[GiveMeABreak]

Not car related, but are there any experienced oven engineers here?

We have a Hotpoint (first ever) Pyrolytic Oven that is just over 2 years old and the initial problem was that after a Pyro Clean it failed to unlock making a constant clicking sound. So we have Domestic & General Insurance on it, apart from Hotpoint's 10 year parts warranty.

First engineer arrived and couldn't open the door. Totally baffled him and his hook tool failed to open it - An hour on the phone with videos and calls, no further along, so talking of smashing the oven door and the like, but in the end he said he had to go off and make a tool, so ordered parts and we had to wait until we heard back.

Next appointment was going to be nearly 2 weeks later! Managed to get them here a week earlier.

Engineer number 2 turned up - with said parts but nobody told him about the door issue - so again no can do. On the phone to his supervisor who told him, he had to make a tool up. The engineer wasn't impressed as they hadn't had training on this oven, but failed to get in again.

So Marc to the rescue, found a large paper clip (yes honestly) and fashioned it into the requisite shape and gave it to the engineer, voila door now open!

As he was demonstrating it and how it locked, he managed to lock the oven door again and paperclip number 1 had broken! Back to square one, fresh out of large paper clips and his attempt to use masking tape to stick it back together was never going to work. Off I went and located a large safety Pin, uncoiled it and passed it over. It worked.

Oven now able to be unscrewed and removed. However on opening, the power board and locking module were different to what has been ordered! Back to square one, so he had to order the correct parts and reassembled it.

However, my issue is that when we refitted it and with the LED torch giving it the once over inside, I noticed loads of rust! Specifically, it was at 1" spaces at the back of the oven floor and up both left and right sides at the back - where it looks to be welding marks where the cavity floor and side part is welded to the back.

So I'm now thinking, hang on this isn't right - never had a rusty oven before, so now I'm thinking we can't use the oven now if repaired as the fans will be kicking up rust dust into the food!

So back onto D&G and the supervisor said "we don't cover rust". To which I said, excuser me we are not talking about a spec of rust, I'm talking about what is clearly a manufacturing defect, as it's all through every single weld point! That's not something I have caused.

So not happy with that they are arranging an inspection on Monday. What do you think, here are the photos. There's also rust appearing where the rack holes are in the oven side.

Click Images to Zoom

It was a top of the range oven but I don't expect it to be rusting like this, yet alone after 2 years!

Also, the last image of the oven floor shows the under floor heating elements and there are brown rust areas also starting to materialise here.

As far as I can see this is not normal, and I am hoping to reject it as unfit for purpose, as to be honest it should be designed to last more than 2 years!

[Gibbo2286]

Looks like a 1960s Italian car body problem or something recovered from the sea after a shipping tragedy.

[myglaren]

It may be best to contact Hotpoint direct and tell them that their fancy paralytic oven is a pile of rust and unsuitable for purpose.

[GiveMeABreak]

Indeed, I’m awaiting the inspection Monday, and already have the Official Hotpoint recipe book that tells you to add 1lt of water to the drip tray for various recipes and also the instruction reference book that also tells you to add water when using the turn spit to spot roast a chicken! So am prepared to throw that back at them in case they try to say it’s our fault!

[GiveMeABreak]

Oh, I forgot to mention when I first reported this to Hotpoint, there immediate response was "does you insurance policy include rust insurance"!

[myglaren]

Sounds ominous. They are clearly aware of the problem.

[GiveMeABreak]

I'm just thinking coming from a 'fit for purpose' angle as it's my intention to reject it as unfit for use, based on the rust powder that will get kicked up with the fans. There's no way this can be repaired as it's a new oven as far as I can see.

[myglaren]

Agreed. Might be worth mentioning on Which.

[CitroJim]

I'm just thinking coming from a 'fit for purpose' angle as it's my intention to reject it as unfit for use, based on the rust powder that will get kicked up with the fans. There's no way this can be repaired as it's a new oven as far as I can see.

You're covered under the consumer rights act for this Marc. A product should be fit for purpose and last a reasonable time. Two years is in no way a reasonable time...

And, your contract is with the supplier, not the manufacturer. It's up to the supplier to resolve this and under the act, they must...

If they get shirty, get on to your local radio consumer complaints programme. Ours ,on BBC 3CR, get great results when dealing with issues like this...

[GiveMeABreak]

The only problem I can see is that after 6 months, the responsibility is down to me to prove that there was a manufacturing or other defect that previously existed, which in this case is going to be difficult, so I can only try and justify it on should be fit for purpose and 2 years is well below the 10-15 years average for an oven to last.

[CitroJim]

Fingers crossed for you Marc... Be firm and stubborn

[GiveMeABreak]

Yes, they've confirmed Monday.

I can handle the major things like Nuclear Strikes, but it's the little annoying things that grind at me Jim.

[CitroJim]

I can handle the major things like Nuclear Strikes, but it's the little annoying things that grind at me Jim.

Yes, I understand that precisely - I'm exactly the same. Give me a disaster to deal with and I'll be great, give me a small issue or collection of small issues and I fall to bits

Fingers crossed for Monday

[GiveMeABreak]

So disaster averted; there was me awaiting the Hotpoint Inspector, armed to the teeth with the law, the warranty, manuals, reference guides, videos and pictures with pitchfork at the ready for a confrontation, when this rather petite lady engineer called Gemma arrived full of smiles and a right cockney she was!

Gave her the low down on the issue to date, but when she opened the oven door, it was a simple "Cor Blimey" never seen that before, and proceeded to write it off! She continued ... "They're gonna love me, that's the third one I've written off this morning" with a big on her face.

Well I was suitably gobsmacked - all that adrenalin ready for the anticipated aggro - 'all revved up and nowhere to go'. But hey, a result, not complaining.

Ordered another alternative yesterday and coming within a week, so looking forward to making proper bread again....