Whirlpool urged to refund customers as recall of more than 500,00 fire-risk models begins - full list of models recalled
Whirlpool is being urged to offer refunds to customers on more than half a million fire-risk washing machines, as a mass recall gets under way.
The company began the process of recalling the faulty machines yesterday (9 Jan), after it was found thousands of people may still have the dangerous dryers in their homes.
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As many as 519,000 washing machines are being recalled, after Whirlpool announced in December last year that thousands of models sold under the Hotpoint and Indesit brands could be faulty and risk catching fire.
Owners of washing machines purchased between 2014 and 2018 have been urged to contact the company to check if their model is one of the affected appliances.
With the recall now under way, affected customers are being given the option of a free repair or replacement, but Which? is calling for the company to give people their money back instead.
The consumer group said conflicting advice from Whirlpool and the Government’s product safety regulator about whether the machines were safe to use at all while awaiting repair or replacement left thousands unable to do laundry over the festive period.
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Hide AdWhich? said it has been inundated by concerns from customers since the recall announcement stating they have no confidence in the company’s advice, and have been faced with customer service problems.
Last year, Whirlpool eventually offered refunds of up to £150 for faulty tumble dryers following a recall, and is now urging the company to do the same for washing machines.
Which? has urged Whirlpool to offer refunds to affected customers (Photo: Shutterstock)
“Unacceptable”
Sue Davies, head of consumer protection at Which?, said it would be “unacceptable” if customers were left without adequate washing facilities in their home for many months, especially given they may have been forced to fund trips to the laundrette as a result.
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Hide AdDavies said: “The company should do the right thing and offer customers a refund, so people can get fire-risk machines out of their homes and quickly find a suitable replacement.
“There needs to be a full investigation about what Whirlpool knew about these machines and when.”
It has been reported that Whirlpool believe issuing a refund would not ensure the fire-risk machines were removed from people’s homes - an issue that was the company’s main priority.
Whirlpool said replacing or repairing the affected machines removes the risk of the machines being sold second hand.
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Hide AdFull list of models affected
Customers can check their model on the Whirlpool website, or call 0800 316 1442 to find out if their machine is being recalled.
The recall applies to machines manufactured under the Hotpoint and Indesit brands between 2014 and 2018, and does not include appliances under the Whirlpool brand.
These are all the models being recalled:
Hotpoint:
FML 742P UKWMAOD 743G UKWMAOD 743P UKWMAQB 721P UK.MWMAQC 641P UK.MWMAQC 741G UKWMAQC 741P UKWMAQC 741P UK.MWMAQF 621G UKWMAQF 621P UKWMAQF 641 P UK.MWMAQF 721G UKWMAQF 721P UK.MWMAQL 621G UKWMBF 742G UKWMBF 742K UKWMBF 742P UKWMBF 742P UK.MWMBF 763P UKWMEF 722 BC UKWMEF 742 P UKWMEUF 722P UKWMEUF 743G UKWMEUF 743P UKWMFG 741P UKWMFG 741P UK.MWMFUG 742 P UK.MWMFUG 742G UKWMFUG 742P UKWMFUG 842P UK.MWMJLF 842P UKWMJLL 742P UKWMSAQG 621P UKWMXTF 742G UKWMXTF 742K UKWMXTF 742P UKWMXTF 842P UK.MWMYL 7151PS UK
Indesit:
XWA 81252X K UKXWA 81252X W UKXWD 71452X K UK