Charged for home appliance breakdown cover despite my request not to!

Sky King · 04-11-2011 08:33AM #1

Hi all!

I'll spare you the long and illustrious catalogue of failure that was my Hotpoint / Indesit customer service experience (unless anyone actually wants to hear it!!).

Suffice to say their incompetence actually defies belief.

Anyway they advertise a one-off service call for €114 on the website but when you call to book it the phone operator automatically puts you on an appliance guarantee scheme which is really poor value for money, as your washing machine would have to break down three times per year to make it worthwhile (I presume he is on commission).

An unfair and underhanded tactic which a lot of people might not cop on to. You would actually buy a new washing machine for the price of the package.

Anyway I am now at a stage where on 31st October I was charged for this crappy home appliance insurance package, despite not requesting it.

I have an email from 25th saying I do not want this package, and I have a confirmation email sent back to me from them saying I would only be charged €114 for a one-off service and not for the cover.

But lo! On Monday they hit my credit card for the cover package!

I want my money back, obviously. Possible for a credit card though? I have proof i specifically asked NOT to be put on the scheme.

I also want to report them for the way they trick people into paying for this truly awful financial product.

I would appreciate suggestions from people.

Thanks.

RoboRat · 04-11-2011 09:46AM

Ring the Credit Card company and tell them you didn't authorise this and they should sort it out and refund the money - tell them to cancel any further transactions.

jor el · 04-11-2011 10:12AM

Did you contact Hotpoint and tell them to refund the money? If you haven't, then that's the first thing you should have done.

dudara · 04-11-2011 11:21AM

Get in touch with Hotpoint first, and give them a chance to refund the money.

If that doesn't work, get in touch with your credit card provider and initiate a chargeback.

penexpers · 04-11-2011 11:28AM

The "crappy insurance" is actually not a bad deal, imo. It guarantees a repair (the 114 euro is charged regardless of whether the appliance can be repaired or not), gives an extra years guarantee on the repair and also gives new for old if the appliance can't be repaired any time during that year.

I agree though to contact Hotpoint and then your CC company.

Sky King · 04-11-2011 11:44AM

Thanks for the replies lads.

Whether or not it's a crap deal is kind of irrelevant really, the fact is I didn't want this plan and I didn't ask for it and they charge for it without permission and I want to report them for it.

I emailed them with copies of my original emails two days ago and haven't heard back yet. I'll give them until Monday to get their sh!t together.

I always pay my credit card bill on time to avoid interest but I am not paying for this because I have that money earmarked for something else and I shouldn't have to, and so I am holding them liable for interest incurred as a result as well.

UrbanSea · 04-11-2011 12:00PM

Call them,these companies take a long time to respond to e mails.

In fairness to Hotpoint it may have been a genuine mistake,through my dealings with them they're usually alright.

jor el · 04-11-2011 12:48PM

Sky King wrote: »

I emailed them with copies of my original emails two days ago and haven't heard back yet. I'll give them until Monday to get their sh!t together.

Follow that up with a phone call today, and get an answer from them. Tell them you never signed up for that service, and that if they don't cancel it and refund the money then you'll take it further. That should be the end of it.

It's good that you sent it in writing, but a phone call should be able to clarify their response. Waiting for a written response could take ages.

booboo88 · 04-11-2011 04:36PM

Sky King wrote: »

Thanks for the replies lads.

Whether or not it's a crap deal is kind of irrelevant really, the fact is I didn't want this plan and I didn't ask for it and they charge for it without permission and I want to report them for it.

I emailed them with copies of my original emails two days ago and haven't heard back yet. I'll give them until Monday to get their sh!t together.

I always pay my credit card bill on time to avoid interest but I am not paying for this because I have that money earmarked for something else and I shouldn't have to, and so I am holding them liable for interest incurred as a result as well.

You realise you don't really have a way of charging the company interest don't you?

Sky King · 04-11-2011 05:59PM

Yes I do. However I can still hold them liable and they will be instructed to pay if and when it goes to the small claims court.

Interestingly, I just got a PM from someone with the exact same complaint as me. The appliance repair guy tried to sell them the insurance, the customer declined it, then they got hit with the insurance charge for the very same amount as me on the next credit card bill...

Hotpoint really really must be making a fortune on this scam. They should be stopped. It is nothing short of theft. It is fraudulent and extremely unfair.

Waiting for a written response could take ages.

Agreed, and in my experience talking to people always solves issues a lot faster BUT these people have a track record of being extremely devious and I need my own written record of everything to document my case.

nobeastsofierce · 10-11-2011 01:47PM

Sky King wrote: »

Yes I do. However I can still hold them liable and they will be instructed to pay if and when it goes to the small claims court.

And if your credit score is damaged? How will they pay for that?

Charged for home appliance breakdown cover despite my request not to!

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