Why you should not buy Electrolux Appliances from Magnet Kitchens

Are you considering getting a new fitted kitchen? This is a sorry tale of how we had a kitchen fitted by Magnet Kitchens of Hadleigh in Essex at a cost of over £11,000. Nine months later the front plate of an Electrolux oven hood fell off and since then we have experienced appaulingly bad service from both Magnet and Electrolux in our attempts to get the problem fixed. After six months it was finally sorted, but only after many letters, phone calls and a lot of time spent arguing with the branch manager.

• 20 Feb 2008 Magnet Kitchen finished installing our complete new kitchen at a cost of £11,075. The kitchen has several new appliances including an Electrolux oven hood model number EFC90673. The hoods value alone was around £600.
• 30 Nov 2008 The front control panel of the Electrolux oven hood fell off. We were surprised to see that it was held on only with glue. The detached part was damaged but it was very fortunate that there was no damage to the oven hob, work surface or tiled floor where the heavy front plate fell.
• 1 Dec 2008 We phoned Magnet who told us to phone Electrolux to have it repaired under warranty. I said that I would talk to Electrolux but made it clear that I wanted Magnet to take responsibility because my contract is with them and the warranty would not cover refitting if required. I then called Electrolux to report the problem.
• 2 Dec 2008 We received a visit from an engineer from "Service Force" of Chelmsford who took details of the model and said he would order a replacement part.
• 21 Dec 2008 Another service engineer arrived with a replacement part but he found that it was a part for the wrong model.
• 5 Jan 2009 Having no further news I called Electrolux to complain about the slow service but was passed around with no satisfactory outcome. I called Magnet who said that I had to deal with Electrolux because the product was under warranty. I told them I was not happy with this and that they were responsible under Sale of Goods Act. They called Electrolux on my behalf and left it with them.
• 16 Jan 2009With no further progress I called Consumer Direct and under their advise I sent a letter to Magnet by recorded delivery threatening legal action if they did not repair the appliance in accordance with the Supply of Goods and Services Act. They called Electrolux again.
• 27 Jan 2009 A third enegineer from Service Force arrived with the correct part, but it had been badly packaged and was found to be damaged. He said he would order another. I told him to make a note that it should be checked before the next visit.
• 3 Feb 2009 Since Magnet had again not followed up to ensure that the matter was sorted I sent them a second letter by recorded delivery with further legal threats if no response in seven days.
• 6 Feb 2009 A fourth enegineer from Service Force arrived with another part, but it had not been checked as requested and again it was found to be damaged. He said he would go back and ask for a full replacement of the appliance but when they called I was told they would not install it.
• 10 Feb 2009 Magnet called me to see if the hood was fixed. I told them it wasn't. They arranged for Electrolux to provide full replacement and install it. I was told it had been ordered.
• 10 Mar 2009 After four weeks there was no further news from the enegineers and Magnet had failed to follow up again, so on further advise from Consumer Direct I sent Magnet a third letter by recorded delivery saying that I would get an independent service to replace the hood and I would send the bill to Magnet.
• 11 Mar 2009 In response to the letter I had a call from the service company saying that the appliance had arrived a few weeks ago, but they did not have my phone number and had sent me a letter. (Of course they had always had ny phone number and I had received no letter)
• 17 Mar 2009 The replacement hood was delivered and installed. The installers from Electrolux brought only basic tools with them so I had to lend them other items including a stepladder. They would not have been able to remove and refit the entire applaince because it is intergrated into the kitchen, but luckily it was possible to exchange just the lower part.
• 26 Mar 2009 We had found two faults with the replacement appliance. The LED display had a dead element and the hood would switch on by itself at random times when left on standby. As usual Magnet had not followed up to see that all was OK so I had to send a fourth letter by recorded delivery to demand further repairs.
• 7 May 2009 A lady from Electrolux called to say they had had to make a special case because of the cost involved but that I would get a new appliance installed. I advised that if they want to avoid such costs in future they should improve their quality control.
• 12 May 2009 (Yes that's six weeks later) Another team from Electrolux arrived with the second replacement hood. The delivery men looked reluctant to try and do the installation and they said that they had several other deliveries to make. I explained that the last team had been able to do the installation by replacing just the lower part. The leading delivery man then tried to say that I was instructing him to install the appliance in a specific way for which he was not qualified so he could not do it. I said that I was doing no such thing and he could install it any way he wanted. They quickly left without installing.
• 15 May 2009 With no news about installation so I send my fifth letter to Magnet to demand that they arrange for installation.
• 18 May 2009 A lady from Magnet called to tell me that according to Electrolux I had refused to have the appliance installed. I told her it was not true. A few minutes later she called again to say that in fact Electrolux were now saying that I had wanted it installed in a special way! I told her that this was rubbish. She then said that Magnet would no longer discuss the matter and that I should take it up with Electrolux if I did not agree. I said that if Magnet keep to that position then I would be taking legal action. Electrolux had in fact completed their obligations under the warranty by supplying a replacement. The terms of the Electrolux warranty do not require that they fit it. That is the responsibility of Magnet Kitchens under their warranty and also under consumer law.
• 25 May 2009 I sent a long letter (the sixth) to Magnet warning them that they are in breach of contract under the sale of goods and services act. I explained that I would take legal action if the matter is not settled in 14 days. Copies of the letter were sent by recorded delivery to the both the head office and the branch office of Magnet.
• 27 May 2009 The lady from Magnet called again. She has completely changed her tune after speaking with her head office and said she will arrange for a Magnet fitter to install the appliance.
• The fitter arrived and fitted the hood. Finally it wroked and we have had no problems since.

Overall I draw the following conclusions: Electrolux oven hoods are badly made and have very poor quality control. The service under warranty is slow and they are unhelpful on the phone. Magnet do not seem to understand consumer rights and always pass the problem back to the manufacturer without following up later to see if the problem is resolved. Although the hood itself was covered under an Electrolux warranty, that did not include fitting which is covered only under Magnet's warranty for the whole kitchen, and consumer retail law. I have wasted money and time on phone calls, writing letters and staying home for service engineer visits and have had no appology or compensation for that. It took many legal threats before Magnet finally agreed to fit the appliance. I would warn anyone to avoid these comapanies.