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Experiences of Appliances Online v Appliances Direct

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Clariman
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Experiences of Appliances Online v Appliances Direct

#392169

Postby Clariman » March 4th, 2021, 10:43 am

I need to replace a white goods item for a holiday let. Appliances Online and Appliances Direct have them. Are they both equally reputable/reliable? Anyone had good/bad experiences of either.

The Appliances Direct price is about 10% less than AO.com.

Thanks
C

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Re: Experiences of Appliances Online v Appliances Direct

#392173

Postby Mike4 » March 4th, 2021, 10:56 am

I repeatedly use AO and have yet to have anything less than an excellent experience.

I would rather pay AO 10% more for getting it right than risk using another supplier. I learned this after suffering years of truly dreadful service from Comet and Curry's, before at least the former went bust. Dunno if Curry's are still trading, but not with me they aren't!

Never tried AD so can't comment on their service, and when buying appliances, service is what makes the difference as the product is identical.

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Re: Experiences of Appliances Online v Appliances Direct

#392250

Postby quelquod » March 4th, 2021, 1:36 pm

We bought a Washing machine, Tumble Drier and Microwave from Appliances Direct last year on the basis of their lower prices. It was a bit of a trial overall.

On the due date the carrier sent us an email saying that they had damaged the white goods and returned them to AD. AD however treated them as delivered to us and it took a considerable amount of time phoning Customer “Service” on 2 phones at start of business (otherwise it was impossible to get through) to resolve. Each time a different person answered and it was apparent that no notes were kept as I had to spend ages explaining again that nothing had been delivered. Each time I was told a fresh delivery would be made, each time I received an email giving a new delivery date, and each time no delivery was made nor reason or reschedule given.

It was apparent that the CS staff simultaneously sent a delivery schedule to us, and an order to the warehouse to deliver with no checks made that they could or would actually do it. We were unable to cancel because AD did not recognise that we had never received them. We finally resolved things and received the goods weeks after the original delivery schedule.

Even more annoyingly we had used their recycling service as due to Covid restrictions the local council facilities were closed. They collected our old machines successfully enough on the original schedule leaving us with no washing facilities, so if you are in that situation don’t do what we did but hang on to your old machines until you get the new ones. We had no option due to space issues.

With the Microwave, supposedly in stock, we were promised a delivery date a couple of days ahead and on several successive occasions this was pushed out until it eventually arrived about a month and a half later.

I think that the carrier issue was a bit unusual, but the difficulty in dealing with their customer “service” department would put me off ever going for their slightly lower prices another time.

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Re: Experiences of Appliances Online v Appliances Direct

#392321

Postby UncleEbenezer » March 4th, 2021, 3:20 pm

Mike4 wrote:I repeatedly use AO and have yet to have anything less than an excellent experience.

I would rather pay AO 10% more for getting it right than risk using another supplier. I learned this after suffering years of truly dreadful service from Comet and Curry's, before at least the former went bust. Dunno if Curry's are still trading, but not with me they aren't!

Never tried AD so can't comment on their service, and when buying appliances, service is what makes the difference as the product is identical.

Currys are still trading, and I've bought from them without problems. Most recently last November, when I also last used AO.

Re: the OP. Good experiences with AO including one where I messed them about (not seriously - they hadn't got so far as to dispatch the order), and I'd use them again. Also good experience with AD when I bought my dehumidifier - would use them again.

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Re: Experiences of Appliances Online v Appliances Direct

#392326

Postby Rhyd6 » March 4th, 2021, 3:31 pm

Another vote here for AO, we've had excellent service from them.

R6

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Re: Experiences of Appliances Online v Appliances Direct

#392576

Postby mutantpoodle » March 5th, 2021, 8:23 am

definitely use AO..i have only good experiences wuth tem

I did contact AD in january re a new washing machine, but was told delivery was possible but only to the front door, not inside, no installation etc etc
'covid used as excuse
fair enough...no sale to me
local EURONICS performed brilliantly!

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Re: Experiences of Appliances Online v Appliances Direct

#392584

Postby Clariman » March 5th, 2021, 8:45 am

Thanks everyone. I went with AO. It will be delivered to our agent on Monday - could have delivered on Saturday but want to make sure someone in the office.

There used to be a local electrical goods shop who were part of the Euronics buying group and they were great, but they retired and closed some years ago. They were always my first choice.

C

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Re: Experiences of Appliances Online v Appliances Direct

#392620

Postby AF62 » March 5th, 2021, 10:14 am

UncleEbenezer wrote:
Mike4 wrote:...I learned this after suffering years of truly dreadful service from Comet and Curry's, before at least the former went bust. Dunno if Curry's are still trading, but not with me they aren't!

...

Currys are still trading, and I've bought from them without problems. Most recently last November...


Currys are fine when the item is delivered direct from the manufacturer, as tends to happen with large items, because all they have done is taken your money and passed your order details through to the manufacturer.

Currys are not fine when anything goes wrong and you need to deal with their customer service team.

However John Lewis who used to be a paragon of virtue when it came to aftersales customer service are now operating at the Currys level if anything goes wrong, so perhaps it is just something to expect from High St retailers these days.

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Re: Experiences of Appliances Online v Appliances Direct

#392636

Postby UncleEbenezer » March 5th, 2021, 10:29 am

Snorvey wrote:I ordered a washing machine from Argos online last year and it was never coming (the online tracker just showed 'in warehouse' or something). So I phoned argos and they said 'oh, you have to contact the manufacturer directly to arrange delivery'.

Argos used to be excellent. I bought practically everything from them in 2005 when I moved from a furnished to an unfurnished flat and had to equip it from scratch. Including some things I ordered elsewhere, then cancelled when other retailers cocked up.

I think I'd had some inking it had gone downhill, but it was when my cheapo Candy washing machine (2005-2019) from Argos packed up that I realised how bad things had got, and after some minimal online research ordered from AO instead.

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Re: Experiences of Appliances Online v Appliances Direct

#393120

Postby csearle » March 6th, 2021, 3:33 pm

Clariman wrote:Thanks everyone.
At the risk of being off-topic and feeling obliged to delete my own post this is quite a consumer service facility you've managed to set up here Clari-baby. ;) C.

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Re: Experiences of Appliances Online v Appliances Direct

#393263

Postby DrFfybes » March 7th, 2021, 9:48 am

Clariman wrote:Thanks everyone. I went with AO. It will be delivered to our agent on Monday - could have delivered on Saturday but want to make sure someone in the office.

There used to be a local electrical goods shop who were part of the Euronics buying group and they were great, but they retired and closed some years ago. They were always my first choice.

C


Euronics would have been my suggestion - used them quite a bit in the past and when I phoned last year about a washing machine the person in the shop actually knew about the products and gave me the exact model number to check online, then scanned and sent me the 'programs' list (we wanted one with a short 60 wash and a 'self clean' function).

Currys technically still owe us money from the fridge freezer bought last June - paid £25 extra for 'door removal' which they decided they didn't need to do, so they dented it. Eventually got 20% off for the damage (it was in a utility room so not in view), but getting the £25 door removal fee back required yet another visit to store (which was closed by then) so I gave up.

Paul

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Re: Experiences of Appliances Online v Appliances Direct

#408132

Postby AF62 » April 29th, 2021, 6:01 pm

Mike4 wrote:I repeatedly use AO and have yet to have anything less than an excellent experience.


I used AO for the first time today to replace an integrated dishwasher that had gone 'phut'.

All seemed good - lots of communications about when they would arrive, which they did on time. Old dead machine taken out, new machine installed and set on a test run and then they left whilst it was running.

After the test run had completed I went to look at the machine. Hmm, the door doesn't open because it hits the kickboard, which obviously the old one didn't. Hmm, the condensation plate shown in the instructions to be fitted under the worktop hasn't been (and looked suspiciously like the piece of metal one of the fitters said to the other "do we need this" to which their colleague said "no"). Hmm, the brackets shown in the instructions to fix it in place have not been fitted, Hmm, only one (loose) screw is holding it in place so it wobbles around.

On the plus side their customer complaints team answer the phone promptly, although they haven't suggested a solution other than waiting a few weeks to get the parts the fitters didn't fit (and presumably threw away) from the manufacturer.

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Re: Experiences of Appliances Online v Appliances Direct

#408154

Postby Mike4 » April 29th, 2021, 7:07 pm

AF62 wrote:
Mike4 wrote:I repeatedly use AO and have yet to have anything less than an excellent experience.


I used AO for the first time today to replace an integrated dishwasher that had gone 'phut'.

All seemed good - lots of communications about when they would arrive, which they did on time. Old dead machine taken out, new machine installed and set on a test run and then they left whilst it was running.

After the test run had completed I went to look at the machine. Hmm, the door doesn't open because it hits the kickboard, which obviously the old one didn't. Hmm, the condensation plate shown in the instructions to be fitted under the worktop hasn't been (and looked suspiciously like the piece of metal one of the fitters said to the other "do we need this" to which their colleague said "no"). Hmm, the brackets shown in the instructions to fix it in place have not been fitted, Hmm, only one (loose) screw is holding it in place so it wobbles around.

On the plus side their customer complaints team answer the phone promptly, although they haven't suggested a solution other than waiting a few weeks to get the parts the fitters didn't fit (and presumably threw away) from the manufacturer.


That's disappointing, although I think it is ambitious to expect people who are basically delivery drivers to do a moderately skilled job of fitting an integrated dishwasher correctly. I have learned NEVER to allow drivers to install appliances because that way I am no longer infuriated/disappointed. ALWAYS diy. I should have mentioned this.

Even so, if AO (or any firm) offers complex installations like integrated appliances, they should train the drivers properly or send an experienced fitter.

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Re: Experiences of Appliances Online v Appliances Direct

#408159

Postby jfgw » April 29th, 2021, 7:19 pm

AF62 wrote:After the test run had completed I went to look at the machine. Hmm, the door doesn't open because it hits the kickboard, which obviously the old one didn't. Hmm, the condensation plate shown in the instructions to be fitted under the worktop hasn't been (and looked suspiciously like the piece of metal one of the fitters said to the other "do we need this" to which their colleague said "no"). Hmm, the brackets shown in the instructions to fix it in place have not been fitted, Hmm, only one (loose) screw is holding it in place so it wobbles around.


The kickboard problem is fairly uncommon when replacing an existing appliance but certainly not unknown; wild guess, about 5%, so they should know to check it. Another problem that can occur is where the cabinets are slightly over the standard 720mm tall. Some are about 735mm which means that the doors are about 730mm tall. If this is the case, and the appliance is fitted directly under the worktop without a strip of something as a spacer, the appliance may not provide enough clearance for the bottom of the door to swing under, preventing the door from opening fully.

I am guessing your new machine is Bosch/Neff/Siemens if you have a metal condensation plate (all the same manufacturer). Miele may have them, I'm not sure. Most manufacturers supply some wide sticky tape for this purpose, either a thick clear tape or aluminium foil tape. These are only needed for chipboard or wooden worktops (ones that can be damaged by moisture). (Nailing one to a granite worktop might prove difficult!)

If your worktop is chipboard, there should have been something already there although, if it was tape, I would fit the metal plate if I was doing it. If the old appliance (or any previous appliance) was Bosch/Neff/Siemens and a plate was already there, I would not remove it and fit the new one. They are nailed in place, and removing one to fit another identical one may cause problems such as the nails not holding properly.


Julian F. G. W.

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Re: Experiences of Appliances Online v Appliances Direct

#408163

Postby Mike4 » April 29th, 2021, 7:30 pm

jfgw wrote:
AF62 wrote:After the test run had completed I went to look at the machine. Hmm, the door doesn't open because it hits the kickboard, which obviously the old one didn't. Hmm, the condensation plate shown in the instructions to be fitted under the worktop hasn't been (and looked suspiciously like the piece of metal one of the fitters said to the other "do we need this" to which their colleague said "no"). Hmm, the brackets shown in the instructions to fix it in place have not been fitted, Hmm, only one (loose) screw is holding it in place so it wobbles around.


The kickboard problem is fairly uncommon when replacing an existing appliance but certainly not unknown; wild guess, about 5%, so they should know to check it. Another problem that can occur is where the cabinets are slightly over the standard 720mm tall. Some are about 735mm which means that the doors are about 730mm tall. If this is the case, and the appliance is fitted directly under the worktop without a strip of something as a spacer, the appliance may not provide enough clearance for the bottom of the door to swing under, preventing the door from opening fully.

I am guessing your new machine is Bosch/Neff/Siemens if you have a metal condensation plate (all the same manufacturer). Miele may have them, I'm not sure. Most manufacturers supply some wide sticky tape for this purpose, either a thick clear tape or aluminium foil tape. These are only needed for chipboard or wooden worktops (ones that can be damaged by moisture). (Nailing one to a granite worktop might prove difficult!)

If your worktop is chipboard, there should have been something already there although, if it was tape, I would fit the metal plate if I was doing it. If the old appliance (or any previous appliance) was Bosch/Neff/Siemens and a plate was already there, I would not remove it and fit the new one. They are nailed in place, and removing one to fit another identical one may cause problems such as the nails not holding properly.


Julian F. G. W.



Exactly. The spectrum of possibilities when fitting an integrated appliance was truly massive in my experience as a one-time kitchen fitter back in the 80s. Nowadays it has probably multiplied 20-fold. The kitchen designer will have taken great care to specify an exactly suitable appliance and a user picking a replacement and expecting it to be a 'straight swap' is going to be any appliance-fitter's nightmare.

If I were employed to fit an integrated dishwasher I would have probably set aside three or four hours to do the job properly in full compliance with the manufacturer's installation instructions, back in the day.

How much did AO charge for fitting it, out of interest? £20 perhaps?

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Re: Experiences of Appliances Online v Appliances Direct

#408169

Postby AF62 » April 29th, 2021, 7:55 pm

Mike4 wrote:
jfgw wrote:
AF62 wrote:After the test run had completed I went to look at the machine. Hmm, the door doesn't open because it hits the kickboard, which obviously the old one didn't. Hmm, the condensation plate shown in the instructions to be fitted under the worktop hasn't been (and looked suspiciously like the piece of metal one of the fitters said to the other "do we need this" to which their colleague said "no"). Hmm, the brackets shown in the instructions to fix it in place have not been fitted, Hmm, only one (loose) screw is holding it in place so it wobbles around.


The kickboard problem is fairly uncommon when replacing an existing appliance but certainly not unknown; wild guess, about 5%, so they should know to check it. Another problem that can occur is where the cabinets are slightly over the standard 720mm tall. Some are about 735mm which means that the doors are about 730mm tall. If this is the case, and the appliance is fitted directly under the worktop without a strip of something as a spacer, the appliance may not provide enough clearance for the bottom of the door to swing under, preventing the door from opening fully.

I am guessing your new machine is Bosch/Neff/Siemens if you have a metal condensation plate (all the same manufacturer). Miele may have them, I'm not sure. Most manufacturers supply some wide sticky tape for this purpose, either a thick clear tape or aluminium foil tape. These are only needed for chipboard or wooden worktops (ones that can be damaged by moisture). (Nailing one to a granite worktop might prove difficult!)

If your worktop is chipboard, there should have been something already there although, if it was tape, I would fit the metal plate if I was doing it. If the old appliance (or any previous appliance) was Bosch/Neff/Siemens and a plate was already there, I would not remove it and fit the new one. They are nailed in place, and removing one to fit another identical one may cause problems such as the nails not holding properly.


Julian F. G. W.



Exactly. The spectrum of possibilities when fitting an integrated appliance was truly massive in my experience as a one-time kitchen fitter back in the 80s. Nowadays it has probably multiplied 20-fold. The kitchen designer will have taken great care to specify an exactly suitable appliance and a user picking a replacement and expecting it to be a 'straight swap' is going to be any appliance-fitter's nightmare.

If I were employed to fit an integrated dishwasher I would have probably set aside three or four hours to do the job properly in full compliance with the manufacturer's installation instructions, back in the day.

How much did AO charge for fitting it, out of interest? £20 perhaps?


£90 for installation and £20 to take the old one away - but those seem to be standard prices across all retailers. If they were putting in £90 worth of labour then fine, but it really wasn't - either in length of time performing the work or the quality of the work.

It is a Bosch machine, and the old machine didn't come with a vapour plate so I had bodged one after it had been installed some years ago with some tape to protect the laminate worktop. The AO installer had half ripped away my bodged tape when installing the machine but left most of it there screwed up in places, but leaving the chipboard exposed in others.

The AO fitter should have realised the kickboard might be an issue as the old machine needed a 'cutout' for the door to open. The trouble is the 'cutout' isn't deep enough by a couple of mm.

My real annoyance was the 'hit and run' attitude of setting the machine running so I couldn't check their workmanship until they were an hour away.

Anyway after five calls to customer service, each one promising a call back which didn't happen, it has been taken over by a supervisor. However they are now having issues as Bosch will take a couple of weeks to supply the parts the fitters didn't fit and threw away and the alternative of delivering out a new machine is problematic as they are out of stock of that particular machine and only have the (far more) expensive machines in stock. They asked if I was prepared to accept a Beko instead of a Bosch - I think I was quite restrained in my reply.

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Re: Experiences of Appliances Online v Appliances Direct

#408215

Postby quelquod » April 29th, 2021, 10:04 pm

Just a followup to my post (number 3 above) about Appliances Direct, rather amusingly I had an email from them last week saying “we haven’t forgotten you” and that they expected to deliver my order from July last year “in the next 5 weeks”. I’m not holding my breath and I couldn’t face another few sessions with their Customer Service but I feel sure that their dispatch department will notice that I did finally receive the things about 8 months ago.

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Re: Experiences of Appliances Online v Appliances Direct

#408220

Postby jfgw » April 29th, 2021, 10:33 pm

AF62 wrote:The AO fitter should have realised the kickboard might be an issue as the old machine needed a 'cutout' for the door to open. The trouble is the 'cutout' isn't deep enough by a couple of mm.


The fitter should always check that the door opens. With very few exceptions, they all require a bit to be cut out of the plinth so this would not look any different from their other installations. An exception is the Bosch etc. Vario Hinge where the furniture door slides upwards on the appliance door when it is opened. I think Zanussi/Electrolux do something similar, and you can get these adapters which fit most makes (I have no experience of these), https://www.adapt-r.co.uk/product/dishwasher-sliding-hinge-adapt-r-2-0easy/ .

Dishwashers are easy. Integrated washing-machines have recessed hinges which require 35mm diameter holes to be drilled in the furniture door. Different manufacturers put the hinges in different places, and sometimes those different places overlap. It is then necessary to plug the hole, wait for the glue to set, then redrill it. Plugs are easy to make if you have an engineer's lathe and some suitable hardwood.

I know of a repairer who went to a job shortly after the customer had had some expensive (£50 each) hand-made tiles laid such that the appliance could not be pulled out. He said he would go back after a kitchen fitter had extracted the machine.


Julian F. G. W.

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Re: Experiences of Appliances Online v Appliances Direct

#452644

Postby UncleEbenezer » October 24th, 2021, 12:05 pm

New experience here.

My dishwasher packed up. Left it running overnight. Woke up to find it had tripped the electricity, and piddled a pool of water on the kitchen floor. Turning the power back on, it beeped frantically and the motor started of its own accord.

Ordered new one from AO. Delivery due yesterday, but never arrived. Confusing information via their delivery tracking page all day: it was still showing "up to 22:00" until 10pm.

So they rebooked for today without consulting me (OK, I got a text message to inform me). But unlike yesterday when I had no commitments, today I'm out for three hours that can't just be rearranged. So I go online and follow their "rebook delivery".

Guess what? I can't rebook delivery - probably because it thinks delivery was in the past. I'm not even going to try to 'phone. :evil:

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Re: Experiences of Appliances Online v Appliances Direct

#452771

Postby AF62 » October 24th, 2021, 8:25 pm

AF62 wrote:Anyway after five calls to customer service, each one promising a call back which didn't happen, it has been taken over by a supervisor. However they are now having issues as Bosch will take a couple of weeks to supply the parts the fitters didn't fit and threw away and the alternative of delivering out a new machine is problematic as they are out of stock of that particular machine and only have the (far more) expensive machines in stock. They asked if I was prepared to accept a Beko instead of a Bosch - I think I was quite restrained in my reply.


Realising I had forgotten to give an end to my tale.

Eventually AO realised that the parts the original fitters had thrown away were not going to arrive from Germany in a sensible timescale so we agreed to split the cost of the difference with the more expensive machine and they would refund the cost of the fitting service and send a competent fitter.

The new fitter did turn up with the machine, shook his head at the botched job the previous person had done, and correctly fitted it.

And then five weeks later the newly fitted top of the range Bosch machine died….


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