Quick question about Weee

OU812

Hopefully someone can answer this question for me. I have a new for old policy on my appliances. Our washing machine broke last week & has been written off by the service agent. We've had five previous visits & the last guy we had told us he didn't understand how the previous guys didn't spot what the problem was.

The insurance company are replacing it, but want to charge us €11.50 to take away & dispose of the old one.

Now It's only €11.50, however on principle I'm digging my heels in because the Weee legislation states:

Distributors, i.e. Retailers, when supplying a new product, must accept back waste electrical and electronic equipment from private households free of charge on a one-to-one basis as long as the waste electrical and electronic equipment is of equivalent type or has fulfilled the same function as the supplied equipment

Am I correct in thinking that they cannot charge ?

They say they can because they're not a distributor, but they're engaging someone who is.

I'ts all a load of word play really, but who's right ?

Cabaal

It effectively works like this (atleast in my experience)

Your washing machine/oven etc breaks, you buy a new one and you pay the charge on that. The electrical store will take the old washing machine/oven etc,

However, they can charge you for pickup of the item, you are certainly welcome to bring it to them instead.
I've replaced a oven and a TV in this manner and the store had no problem taking it once I dropped it to them,

Your alternative solution is bring it to your local WEEE center and get rid of it that way yourself.

The charge of 11.50 doesn't seem right for a WEEE charge, it sounds like a pickup charge as you should be paying 10e based on this http://weeeireland.ie/downloads/Offical-Guidelines-for-Retailers-2006.pdf

dudara

Probably the best thing to do is ring WEEE Ireland and ask their advice.

brightspark

You need to have it disconnected and clean ready for collection when the new one is delivered

(2) Distributors shall fulfil the obligation in sub-article (1)(b)(i) in instances where the supplied electrical and electronic equipment—
(a) is delivered to the purchaser and where the waste electrical and elec- tronic equipment of equivalent type or which has fulfilled the same function as the supplied equipment—
(i) is available at its place of ordinary use for immediate collection, and at the time of collection, is not connected to any electrical, gas or water supply, waste water pipe, or permanent structure, by collecting it on delivery, provided that the distributor has given at least 24 hours notice of delivery

http://www.weeeireland.ie/downloads/WEEE_Regulations2011_en.PDF,

I don't know if you or the insurer are responsible for the PRF of €5.00, as you are not as such purchasing a machine.

sandin

read your own post - the insurance company is charging to take away and dispose of the old one. They are NOT saying they are imposing a WEEE charge. - Its obviously a collection and bring to disposal centre charge being charged to them by whatever company is delivering the replacement.

If you don;t want to pay it, simply tell them you will dispose of the machine yourself, though I'd be happy to pay 11.50 to get someone else to do that rather than the hassle of laoding a heavy machine and having to bring it to a recycling centre myself

brightspark

Perhaps they should really call it a delivery charge for the new machine?