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Whirlpool names date for washing machine recall 'I've called Whirlpool 40 times and got nowhere'
(about 1 hour later)
The recall of Hotpoint and Indesit washing machines will start on 9 January, according to owner Whirlpool. Alex Acteson gave up on Whirlpool's website once it buckled under the weight of consumers frantically trying to find out if their washing machine needed to be recalled.
Instead, on behalf of her elderly mother Chris who has a potentially fire-prone washing machine, Ms Acteson rang Whirlpool's helpline.
And she rang. And rang.
Forty phone calls later, Ms Acteson is still waiting to get through to Whirlpool. "I'm worried," she said.
Whirlpool - which owns the Hotpoint and Indesit brands - announced on Tuesday it had been forced to recall about 500,000 washing machines built between 2014 and 2018 after discovering some were a fire risk.
Customers were unable to check the safety of their machines online because of technical difficulties. The special recall website crashed immediately and only began working again on Wednesday afternoon.
At the same time, customers have been struggling to get through to the company's helpline.
Whirlpool apologised for the problems and its vice president of communications and public affairs, Jeff Noel, said on Wednesday that the recall was "now up and running".
'Duty of care'
But Ms Acteson, from Chichester in West Sussex, has been calling the phone line for hours and said she has been "hung up on", "put on hold for 25 minutes", told the phone line doesn't exist or advised to call back via a recorded message.
"They have a duty of care to look after their customers so if they are going to have a recall, at least have the systems in place to be able to have the recall," she said.
Whirlpool announced on Wednesday that the recall of Hotpoint and Indesit washing machines will start on 9 January
Owners of the affected machines who register on a dedicated website will be asked from that date whether they want a repair or a replacement.Owners of the affected machines who register on a dedicated website will be asked from that date whether they want a repair or a replacement.
Whirlpool has been forced to recall about 500,000 appliances after it was discovered some were a fire risk. However, that is a long wait for someone like Ms Acteson's mother Chris, who is in her seventies and had a stroke two years ago.
However, customers were unable to check the safety of their machines online because of technical difficulties. "She doesn't need to be worried about this over Christmas," she said. "And due to the fact that she has had a stroke, things like this do worry her more than probably your average person.
"It is just not acceptable by Whirlpool."
'Unfortunate situation'
Half a million appliances need to be fixed or replaced as the door locking system can overheat.Half a million appliances need to be fixed or replaced as the door locking system can overheat.
Whirlpool said it had recorded 79 incidents in which washing machines had caught fire because of the electronic door.Whirlpool said it had recorded 79 incidents in which washing machines had caught fire because of the electronic door.
Whirlpool has been criticised for the chaotic way in which the programme was launched. Whirlpool's Mr Noel said: "It has been an unfortunate situation. It is not the way that any of us would want to start a recall, especially something so important during the holidays.
The company revealed on Tuesday that more than half a million washing machines built between 2014 and 2018 would have to be recalled because of a fire risk.
But the special recall website crashed immediately and only got back up and running on Wednesday afternoon.
At the same time, customers have been struggling to get through to the company's helpline.
'Not acceptable'
Whirlpool's vice president of communications and public affairs, Jeff Noel, said: "It has been an unfortunate situation. It is not the way that any of us would want to start a recall, especially something so important during the holidays.
"But it is such that we have done everything we can to resolve it. We've done everything we can to improve and I'm proud to say that these folks that have worked so hard, that we are up and running.""But it is such that we have done everything we can to resolve it. We've done everything we can to improve and I'm proud to say that these folks that have worked so hard, that we are up and running."
However, Alex Acteson from Chichester in West Sussex says that she has phoned Whirlpool's helpline nearly 40 times on behalf of her elderly mother, Chris, only to be hung up on, left on hold for 25 minutes or told that the telephone number does not exist.
Ms Acteson said: "We couldn't actually get on to the website but luckily my partner found a list of the washing machines that are affected and we found that my Mum's washing machine was on it."
She said that her mother, who is in her seventies, had a stroke two years ago, adding: "She doesn't need to be worried about this over Christmas and due to the fact that she has had a stroke, things like this do worry her more than your average person.
"It is just not acceptable by Whirlpool."
Whirlpool was already reeling after problems with fire-prone dryers.Whirlpool was already reeling after problems with fire-prone dryers.
It was heavily criticised for its initial response when more than five million tumble dryers, sold over 11 years, were found to be a fire danger. It only launched a full recall for that issue after four years, following an intervention by the regulator.It was heavily criticised for its initial response when more than five million tumble dryers, sold over 11 years, were found to be a fire danger. It only launched a full recall for that issue after four years, following an intervention by the regulator.
The affected washing machine models are:The affected washing machine models are:
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 171418.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 171418.