Hi,
Samsung pushed me toward their "approved repairer" and the online reviews were awful. Some company in the North West.
I decided to try some local engineers, so I could keep control of it and three refused to come on the basis that a blown PCB or Inverter means something else is wrong, which would be hard if not impossible to track down and I would be throwing good money after bad. EVERY single one of the three also said Samsung were awful to deal with, hard to source parts, can take months and no easy access engineer manuals.
The last one I contacted suggested it might be more fruitful to contact the retailer where I bought it from. The FIRST time I had been given this advice!
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 is like a warranty for 6 years, an appliance should have a reasonable lifetime of 6 years.
So I called Currys customers services and was met with the same BS as Samsung, out of warranty no repair. I repeated to the lady I wanted to make a claim under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and Got an email address.
I contacted them and they replied in about 7 days, they wanted me to get an engineer to come out and write a report, at my cost but they would refund that. I tried two local and they were not interested, so I emailed and told them they would have to send their own engineer which they did.
Although Samsung had told me it could be the main PCB or Inverter, my machine only has one PCB which had an inverter built in.
The engineer tested everything on it, it was fine, except this PCB clearly had blown. He mentioned it might have degassed, or was degassing, but wouldn't know unless the board was replaced. I thought nothing more of it, until now!! Currys would have repaired to free of charge..
I have told Currys I do not want it repaired because I am confident it won't work, or will but blow again, causing another loss of food. I was confident because since the awful appliance has not been working, my Electricity consumption has dropped between £6.50-9 A WEEK. The Fridge Freezer had seemed to be working harder for a bout a year before it blew, things like Peas were clumping in frost balls. Seemed to be coming on frequently and was noisier.
This will be the first full month and looking like it will be 72 for the month August was £109, Sept with two weeks no Samsung £97
Reading your reply, I reckon mine was the same as yours, the slow loss of the gas meant it was working harder and harder until it blew the PCB board.
Still not finished the claim with Currys. I bought a under counter fridge freezer for £179 as couldn't stand powdered milk, tinned food etc as we didn't have a car at the time.
Your right is if it is a manufacturer's fault, which clearly this is and how can they prove it is not, they are supposed to refund the number of weeks left between when you bought, when it went wrong and 6 years.
I finally had an offer of £460 on Monday, which is for five years, I have replied upping the anti and threatening to go to small claims for the £570 they owe me + the emergency fridge freezer.
I think it is beyond a reasonable time to expect someone to live without any Fridge.
Put me right off American Fridge Freezers to be honest, I am 59 and 40 years never had a FF breakdown!
