Repair / Or New!

[TWR]

If one of your household items no matter what it is, do you or your OH try to repair it, replace it with new, or contact the Manufactures for a FOC Replacement part?

[Islay]

Depends on what it is, the cost of a replacement item and the age.

[ummmm]

Depends how old it is.

[woofgang]

if its a new item, say less than a year old, then I contact the shop I got it from. If its four or five years old then I replace with new or don’t replace at all if I don’t need to. For things that fall in between I decide on a case by case basis.

[Islay]

Well it seems we all think the same way.

[Islay]

Having said that - my washing machine is covered by insurance and I normally have them out at least once a year so that's paid for itself several times over!

[hc4361]

My washing machine is probably 15 years old and never a minutes trouble. You've been unlucky, Islay.

Anyhooo, it depends on the age and the cost of the item, TWR. I don't expect kettles to last long because of the limescale so I just replace those. I expect white goods to last years and would try a repair.

[Islay]

I think so HC

Machine 6 years old, and has had 2 new doors, 3 new circuit boards, and a heater and a couple of other things!!

The insurance costs £9 a month, on the basis that I was told to get the engineer out and do the repairs was £200+ a time I think I have made the right choice!

[rockyroad]

Depends what it is. Last year our washing machine stopped working and the plumber that called out quoted £125 to repair it. I looked up the part needed on the net and found it was really easy to replace. We bought the part and fitted it ourselves for under £30. My coffee machine packed up a few months ago, tripping the electric so its gone in the bin as its easy to replace and cheap enough.

[TWR]

Going off the Kettle HC, It's normally the Electric contact at the base that goes, to replace these come to £2>>£4 for 2, It's not that I'm a scrooge, far from it but If I can repair, I will.

[Cloverjo]

Islay, £200 a time to repair a washing machine? You can buy a new one for just over half of that. In fact you could almost buy a new one every year for what you spend on insurance.

[SherryBea]

Cloverjo, this is why we never get appliance insurance. They only quote a huge repair price as you have to use their approved workmen who can charge what they want.

[Islay]

cloverjo, could you be bothered to get a new machine every year getting it delivered (taking the time off work) getting rid of the old one.

I couldn't, also what would the washing machine be like for £109?

[hc4361]

Better than yours by the sound of it, Islay. Don't you have to take time off work for the repair man? Maybe a second time if he has to order parts.

[hc4361]

In real terms the cost of washing machines, fridges etc has tumbled compared to what they cost in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. Much more affordable.

[Islay]

Yes I have to take time off the parts are normally already with him as the error the machine throws up tells them what is wrong.

tbf, my machine takes some battering and I still think I am better off paying insurance rather than buying a new machine every year!

[hc4361]

If you're happy to keep paying, fine. I'd rely on the guarantee that came with the machine and then my legal rights after that. I would expect a quality washing machine to last more than two years without needing a repair and I would expect the seller to repair, exchange or part refund.

[woofgang]

its the time element for repairs and engineer visits that make me choose to buy new. The overall costs come out roughly the same and I can get on to somewhere like AO on the day the thing fails and get a new machine delivered and plumbed in on the following day (or maybe a day or two later) and the old one removed and recycled. They give a delivery time window and all I have to do is let them in and show them where the old machine is.

[kloofnek]

I am a great believer in insurance.All my white goods are Hotpoint,my washer I had to replace last Feb,my old one washer was 19 years old.(no insurance,have now though)
My fridge and freezer are 24 years old this coming July...never had to have anyone out to them,no insurance on them as I had just come to the UK and didn`t know much about them.
I had a cooker (insured)which one of the hot plates went,had had them out twice before to it ,the engineer told me the call out is now £109 .then one would have the parts and labour on top of that,so well worth the insurance.When it went last time,they no longer had the part,so gave me a new cooker!!Nothing wrong with the old one except the hotplate,so my daughter now has it.I loved it but who is going to refuse a new one at no cost!!
Also got a replacement tv,through insurance,they said it was too complicated to repair,the screen would sometimes have a pink wash over it,they didn`t know what it was so,new tv.when I asked if they wanted me to give it back to them(only 8 months old),they said no,so my daughter had it...NEVER went pink once since she has had it which is now 18 month ago.
Would you believe that!!!

[hc4361]

An 8 month old tv should be replaced, insurance or not.

[TWR]

Kloofnec, check out espares, I'm sure you will get the plates from them or through them.