Choosing white goods when everything looks the same

Trying to decide what to buy for the new pad. Need everything from fridge freezer to oven, washing machine, blah blah...

After looking at a lot of white goods, I can't escape the feeling that they are all made pretty much to the same standard in China, even the top brands (and I include Samsung and LG in this as they seem to have come from nowhere) don't "feel" much better made.

So I'm planning to buy below-average-cost items with the longest guarantees I can find, seems that nothing is built to last so paying for quality is a false economy. Any reviews I read of this stuff online, contain mixed reports which leads me to think two things.

1) Due to modern manufacturing, everything is pretty much as (un)reliable as anything else. 2) Brands are more "just a name" than they have ever been.

Any comments useful, my brain hurts.

Reply to
TD
Loading thread data ...

Not quite. Some manufacturers are distinctly 'better'

That much is true. But they still have a little traction beyond historical quality..

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

Generally fridges and freezers with an automatic defrost are less reliable than those without...

Keep your receipts, as under the sale of goods act, the RETAILER of the item is liable up to 6 years for this sort of thing - buy on a CREDIT card if possible, as this makes the card company responsible for them too, so if the retailer is not playing ball, or has gone bust, you can pursue the card company.

Reply to
Toby

Most posters here have a wife/gf and would never have to make that decision.

I am a tight sod. I have a second hand washing machine, dishwasher and tumble drier. They cost me nothing other than an element in the tumble drier. I did buy the fridge and the freezer as new. Both cheapies and not AAA efficient and they have both lasted 10 years without problem.

Reply to
ARWadsworth

Just remember that the Sale of Goods Act will legally only cover manufacturing and material defects (and nothing else) - which you will have to prove after the first six months. Also, if things do go wrong, an automatic entitlement to a refund or replacement is not guaranteed and the retailer can legally offer a pro-rata refund based on the usage that the item has had (and that is usually after around the first month from date of purchase) - so if the item fails after 5 years because of the aforesaid defects, you won't get a replacement or full refund (some have tried).

Reply to
Unbeliever

mebbebbut "choose your own present, darling" is less romantic than presenting a bow-tied surprise in the kitchen on christmas day.

Owain

Reply to
Owain

Paper plates, Disposable knives and forks, Microwave oven+, Kettle+, Disposable under wear*, jeans and t-shirts Numbers of Pizza, Chinese and Indian takeaways. Fridge+ for Beer.

  • - No brand names necessary.

  • -
    formatting link

Reply to
Adrian C

Are you suggesting that I should bow-tie a ribbon around my c*ck and insert it without warning when she is bent over basting the turkey on Christmas day?

Reply to
ARWadsworth

That's what you usually do, innit? LOL.

Reply to
scorched

Bosch Logixx has done me well - Tumble dryer > 13 years Dishwasher 9 years, 1 fault (warranty), 2 minor plastic breakages (DIYed)

also Miele Fridge - bloody good in terms of making food keep better Washing machine - washes better than any machine I've had before

Hotpoint - Freezer 17 years old still looks newish and works.

It used to be the case Bosch Logixx were the "german" machines and the others (Excell, Classix) were the subcontracted crap.

Reply to
Tim Watts

In message , TD writes

Don't waste your life. Just buy whatever Tesco Direct have on special offer. It may have half the life of a 'good' one, but at a quarter of the price.

Reply to
News

Our built-in Bosch d/w when we moved in here is s**te. No front panel so no idea where it's at when running (have to open the door to see whether it's finished). Door won't stay open fully (tends to try to close) so I have to put my foot on it when loading.

Had a Hotpoint for 15 years at the old house, much better.

Reply to
Tim Streater

I wouldn't totally agree.

We had a Hotpoint washer and tumbler drier for 15 years. Very reliable apart from 2 sets of brushes, a door seal, one set of bearings and a new heater.

It finally died and a replacement Hotpoint machine failed with buggered bearings after a year or so. Failed again a year later.

I think the moral there is that *old* medium/low grade machines last a long time, and new ones don't.

We replaced them with Bosch; they do various 'grades' of machine. We bought the Logiix (I think) which is actually made in Germany. Expensive but we got 10% discount from the retailer and about 185 quid cashback from Bosch as well. I am *very* impressed with the build quality and performance, and the energy consumption is noticeably better.

Sometimes, YGWYPF.

Reply to
Bob Eager

Only if the ribbon is ribbed.

Reply to
Bob Eager

We have a 10 year old Bosch dishwasher that gets heavy use. Only replacement parts were a new drain hose and a plastic lever for the solenoid operated detergent dispenser.

Old Hotpoint good, new Hotpoint crap.

Oh, the new Bosch w/m and dryer I mentioned...came with two year parts and labout warranty, doubled to four as special offer!

Reply to
Bob Eager

Don't do it when she is bending over the chest freezer trying to grab a box of fish fingers at the bottom....

Did that once, and they have never let us back into that branch of Iceland ;-)

Reply to
John Rumm

Could you really find a ribbon small enough to fit your friendly weapon?

Reply to
Unbeliever

Could you find one to fit the friendly weapon that protudes from the front your skull?

Reply to
ARWadsworth

Not when she's got a squirty thing filled with hot fat, no.

Owain

Reply to
Owain

In message , TD wrote

Don't fall for the 5 year guarantee on parts - BUT - only if installed by the manufacturer's engineers at a call out charge of £100+ a time.

It's worth checking about which brands are owned by the same holding company. Often near identical goods are sold at vastly different prices to cater for the people who purchased something 10 years a go and thing it's now made to the same standard by the same company.

Also consider what you actually need. Are you going to use the 50 different washing options on that more expensive washing machine or are you just going to do the same as 99.9% of the population and just use one of two cycles?

Reply to
Alan

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.