Kitchen Appliances cheap for a reason? RSS News Feed

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Got A Great Deal On Kitchen Appliances? Are They New?

Increasingly it seems the cost of purchasing kitchen appliances is getting lower and lower, especially whilst the retail sector seems to be in a big slump. But are all retailers and manufacturers playing fair? There is little doubt that whilst retailers are suffering a slump in consumer spending, there are some fantastic deals to be had in the kitchen appliances market. But it seems some unscrupulous retailers are taking consumers for a ride by supplying second hand goods and passing them off as new. Steve Davis reports

Most manufacturers of kitchen appliances have a small percentage of what is known in the trade as ‘graded appliances’ most people have heard expressions like ‘slight second’ or ‘B grade’ (Incidentally www.discount-appliances.co.uk only sell new perfect appliances) But what most consumers don’t know is that a graded item may have already been sold to a customer, developed a fault and taken back by the manufacturer within the guarantee period. Contrary to what you might expect manufacturers do not dispose of these items. Usually they carry out what is known in the trade as ‘re-working’ this is where the appliance is re-tested, repaired, re-boxed and sold off cheap as a graded appliance.

A New Dishwasher?

But are the goods cheap for a reason?

Some makers even have appointed kitchen appliance retailers dotted around the UK who collect the condemned appliances direct from consumer’s houses. They are authorised to carry out any repairs and testing to the appliances, which are then sold to the public. What may surprise you is that makers usually still offer a full parts and labour guarantee on graded items. Plus most of these items are boxed (even if not its original box) so unscrupulous retailers find it easy to pass these items off as new. By law any appliance which has been previously delivered to a consumer and un-boxed is no longer new, let alone an appliance which may have been used for many months.

The problem is that there seems to be a grey area which allow traders to deny consumers their basic rights and get away with it. We spoke to the office of fair trading, who told us that “It is the retailers responsibility to inform the customer if an appliance is second hand” Yet there is no responsibility for the manufacturers to clearly mark such appliances so that the end user is in no doubt the minute delivery is made. There is not even a requirement for the manufacturer to inform the retailer if a graded appliance has been used or not. Perhaps the reason is simple, if manufacturers were forced to inform the consumer/retailer that an item was second hand, then the retailers would pay far less for the item in the first place. Nearly all manufacturers from the cheapest to the most expensive sell off graded/used items, from hi-fi and DVD’s to washing machines and cookers. There are a lot of retailers both on the Internet and down the high street who happily sell these items to the unsuspecting public. Although most retailers will tell you that the item is either a ‘slight second’ or an ‘ex-display’ many will not, let alone telling you that it may already have been used.

So what can you do to protect yourself? Well it seems unlikely that this practice is going to be stopped anytime soon, so it is probably best to arm yourself with as much information before you buy. Firstly the prices, if you have been offered an unusually low price for an item by one retailer, try to find out why. Most retailers pay about the same for appliances give or take a small percentage, so if you find one is much cheaper than the rest, be wary. But do compare like for like, for instance most Internet companies are considerably cheaper than traditional high street retailers. Sometimes bargains can be hard to refuse especially when you get the hard sell from a helpful sales person, so always pay by credit card as this offers you more protection. Never accept an item which is not sealed in its box (although graded/used items often are) or if there are any marks or dents on the appliance. However do not be alarmed if your new washing machine or dishwasher already has some water in it, most do as they are water tested by the maker. Once you have taken delivery, if you have any suspicions, make a note of the serial number and call the manufacturer. Ask them if the appliance was sold as a graded item, and when it was manufactured. If purchasing on the Internet try to choose a retailer who offers delivery direct by the maker, as the manufacturer would not home deliver a graded/used item.

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