Caffeine Starved - Breville BES920 Dead after 2.5 Years - Advice

LLummo on 11/06/2019 - 15:47

Just a heads up to anyone interested in a Breville BES920 machine that mine recently died after 2.5 years and it's been a disaster dealing with customer service. Official warranty is 2 years.

Called up Breville, agreed to inspect for free, dropped off at authorised repairer.
Repairer inspected machine, told verbally that 70% of machine needs to be replaced for $391 of parts with Breville to cover labour.

Later told verbally by repairer that 80% of the machine needs to be replaced for $440 of labour with Breville to cover parts. Can't seem to get a straight answer.

Numerous phone calls to Breville - seem to have no clue about what the repairer has offered or what the cost will be. I'm disappointed about any out of pocket cost particularly ~$400 which is over half the cost of a (OzBargained) new machine.

I have made this clear to Breville and have told them I'm willing to put in a formal complain to Consumer Protection. Any ideas of where to go from here or even alternative coffee machines?

So hard to go past the BES920 for the price which does make good coffee despite the reliability. I would recommend anyone buying one consider extended warranties. Reading around it seems pretty common for these to die at the 2 to 3 year mark.

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Comments

  • ESEMCE on 11/06/2019 - 15:58
    +1

    What exactly has died?

    • Lummo on 11/06/2019 - 17:19

      I'm hoping to get this in writing but from memory it was boiler, pumps, valves, some electronic parts.
      Repairer indicated it would be 'practically new' after all these parts were replaced…

      • Yawhae on 31/12/2020 - 08:42

        It sounds like the repairer has no clue what's broken and is replacing everything. What's the likelihood of all those things breaking at once?

  • garetz on 11/06/2019 - 16:05
    +1

    What does 70-80% of machine parts need to be replaced actually mean, there arent that many moving parts in a coffee machine, maybe you should query this. Also stop bothering with breville and go straight to consumer protection.

    • altomic on 11/06/2019 - 16:18

      isn't, like, 50% of the machine literally the body?

      • EightImmortals on 11/06/2019 - 16:34

        I believe that model has 2 boilers, not sure how many pumps, probably one, there would be some kind of steam valve and a few switches. But I don't see how they can claim 70-80% of the parts 'need' to be replaced unless there is one broken major part and a bunch of others that are simply worn? More detail from the repairer would be good as wold a description of the actual problem.

    • Diji1 on 11/06/2019 - 21:25
      +1

      Also stop bothering with breville and go straight to consumer protection.

      This. They string people along until they give up.

      • shutuptakemymoney101 on 11/08/2022 - 18:15

        Got to agree with this, go the ACL route because you really don't have anything else to lose.

        At the worst you might get a 'gesture of goodwill' with a discount off a new one.

  • try2bhelpful on 11/06/2019 - 16:07
    +2

    Another thing to consider is buying it with a Platinum card which should give you another year of protection. Do you have another authorised repairer near you to get a second opinion?

  • crashloaded on 11/06/2019 - 16:45
    +3

    Just buy a Silvia:)

    • alz on 11/06/2019 - 20:19
      +2

      200sx bruh

  • scooter on 11/06/2019 - 17:37
    +1

    Go back to the retailer and deal through them.
    Regardless of the mfr warranty machine should last a period of time commensurate with its purchase price, sure you can buy higher end machines but the Breville isn't a cheap unit.
    I had the same problem - after 2yr 4mnth had water leaks then a power issue that tripped the safety switch. Went into The Good Guys where I bought it, and they sorted it with Breville and fixed at zero cost to me. Expected to have to see the mgr and argue my case but didn't need to, couldn't have been easier.
    Good luck!

    • Lummo on 11/06/2019 - 18:22

      Thanks @scooter I'll probably give this a go if I don't get anywhere in the next few days. Sounds like I should have done this in the first place. Did you have a BES920 as well?

      • scooter on 12/06/2019 - 15:14

        Yep, still have. My return and fix through the good guys was only last week. I found out the service agent they sent it to (Balwyn, Melbourne) was the one I was going to take it to if no luck with warranty, as they had strong google reviews for good service.

        Not too late to take it back to retailer and sort out through there, unless you’ve already committed to the repair? When/if you go back - keep your cool, be unfailingly polite and patient with whoever you encounter, no matter how many times you need to repeat your issue. You want to be the person they want to help rather than the retail customer from hell. Be prepared to escalate the dispute if needed to store manager / area manager / head office.

        Read the ACCC site before you go so you are aware of your consumer rights. Get the name of the person you deal with instore.

        Good luck!

  • [Deactivated] on 11/06/2019 - 18:18

    Did you descale the machine as required?

    • Lummo on 11/06/2019 - 18:21

      Definitely, descaled as recommended in manual, used cleaning tablets when prompted and swapped out water filter every 2 months - plus used filter water going in. Was pretty diligent about this, probably made 2 to 3 coffees per day on average.

      • [Deactivated] on 11/06/2019 - 18:26

        :( that's bad luck. Hope you get it sorted.

        Moving forward, check your water quality. May want a softener or filter less a new unit suffer the same fate.

  • foggy10 on 11/06/2019 - 21:31

    Funny, I also sent my BES920 in for assessment after it died, and the repair bill came back today - $455.

    Mine was 3.5 yrs old. Solenoid failed, pump failed, a few cracked seals, some leaking thing internally causing power to trip.

    Reading how common these issues are doesn’t inspire me with confidence moving forward.

    • Yawhae on 31/12/2020 - 08:45

      Sounds more like, not a common issue, a common diagnosis. I'd say they just replace everything because they have no clue what's broken.

  • crentist on 12/06/2019 - 00:53

    get an aldi machine next time they pop up. i had got one for around $70, it started to have isues after 2 or 3 years or so (and then i accidentally made it worse).
    i replaced it with a $250 breville and the coffee wasnt as good, reliability not much different.

    hmm i just realised you had a $900 machine. that might be better, but they're all basically the same in the end

  • crentist on 12/06/2019 - 01:03

    In the interim, if you want something temporary at low cost, maybe try out pourover coffee. The "best" dripper is the Hario V60, which you can get (in plastic) for about $10.

    I've been getting into them in Japan, where espressos aren't so common and somehow pourover is their preferred way to make coffee. They're different, but not bad. They don't have the thick richness of an espresso shot, but for long blacks they work quite well.

    It's about as simple as coffee brewing can possibly get, but if you get a taste for them you see that all you need is really just hot water and ground beans. All the expensive equipment we use is not as necessary as we think, except for making this one particular type of coffee that most people drown in milk anyway.

  • [Deactivated] on 12/06/2019 - 08:29

    Another case of the old "poor man pays twice" addage. These cheaply-built machines look pretty and appear to have lots of bells and whistles. But, for reliability and longevity, they don't come close to basic/solid Italian machines (eg Rancilio Silvia, Gaggia Classic).

    And if you do need to fix something on one of those, any espresso equipment supplier can do it economically…assuming you don't want to follow a YouTube video and DIY.

    Good luck OP.

    • Yawhae on 31/12/2020 - 08:46

      Since when have Italians made quality goods?

      • [Deactivated] on 31/12/2020 - 10:37

        They've been manufacturing high quality espresso equipment since the late 1800s.

        They have also been manufacturing a large range of other sh*t products for even longer.

  • Aussybob on 12/06/2019 - 09:54

    They make great coffee but poor reliability! I have owned a dual boiler for the last 10 plus year's and have had numerous repairs/ replacements, all covered either under Breville warranty or suppliers extended warranty. Yes in convenient but well worth the cost of the extended warranty!

    My advice put the cash into a new dual boiler and purchase the extended warranty! Ensure you negotiate the costs. I do believe the newer models are more reliable.

  • wintermadness on 12/06/2019 - 10:01

    Seeing these issues with these types of machines once they're 2-3 years old isn't at all uncommon. Seals often fail, water gets into components that it shouldn't get into and by the time you realise there's an issue multiple parts need to be replaced. Complex design means there's more parts then entirely necessary, and they're hard to access and diagnose due to the design.

    If not the seals, then you get a noisy valve and no water coming though, and if not that then the boiler fails during descaling, and.. you get the picture.

    These make a great espresso when they're working but aren't made for longevity or affordable repairs.

    Seems suss that they can't figure out who is covering labour and who is covering parts. Maybe just a slip up in their communication though.

    In any case, I'd take it up with the retailer. They'll have more bargaining power than you, and ultimately it's their responsibility since your contract (the sale) is with them. I would expect a $1,000.00 investment which is probably only used a few times a day to easily last 3-5 years without any major faults, for it to fail so soon outside of warranty isn't good enough.

    What was the actual fault with your machine, by the way?

    • ESEMCE on 12/06/2019 - 10:16

      In that case, they're not worth the money…
      You can buy a low end Italian machine for the same money that will last at least double the lifespan and if/when it needs repair, it is relatively cheap and easy to do so.
      Of course, I'm comparing a Dual Boiler to a Single Boiler machine, but the end result is the same unless you're making more than a few cups at any one time.

      • wintermadness on 12/06/2019 - 16:14

        Agree completely. It's a bit of a false economy when you're spending that much.

        For not much more you can even get a HX machine - which was the route I took - and I think I could pull that thing apart completely and put it back together before I even got the stupid steam boiler out of one of the Brevilles.

        • Lummo on 12/06/2019 - 18:30

          Thanks for the comments, which machine did you end up buying? I am tempted to pull the plug and get something different.

          • ESEMCE on 13/06/2019 - 08:14

            @Lummo: I have a Magister ES30 (https://www.cerinicoffee.com/magister-es30-automatic-espress…), it's essentially a clone of the Rancilio Sylvia, but has significantly more heft to it than the current model Sylvia's.
            I also looked at the Lelit PL41TEMD. The Syvia and Lelit are much easier to find locally than the Magister, I'd never heard of Magister until walking into the shop, but the salesman offered a deal that was too good and I liked the extra weight.

  • misterpotatomato on 12/06/2019 - 16:27

    Weird, my BES920 also died after 2 years of use. I got the extended warranty through TGG. TGG are hopeless to deal with - sent the machine away with the wrong "solvup" case number, got to repairer, they repaired the wrong thing, sent it back, we queried this on the same day, but the machine had already been sent. So it was sent back down to NSW to get looked at again.

    On ours the power was tripping and the steam wand was leaking.

    EDIT: I still don't have it back :( One of these comments mentioned a pourover…. might take a look.

    • Lummo on 12/06/2019 - 18:30

      Sorry to hear about your experience. Sounds like extended warranties don't necessary make it easier :(

  • nqg777 on 01/04/2020 - 10:21

    Reviving this thread as my machine after 5 years has been playing up. If I leave it turned on at the wall socket and turn it on in the morning, the temperature display starts at 70 degrees and rises past the set temperate (93 degrees). I turned it off when it hit 100. If I turn it off at the wall socket after making my morning coffee and turn it back on the next morning, it's fine. I also had a problem yesterday when steaming the milk where it tripped a fuse in my apartment. Turning off at the power socket was the only way I could flick the fuse back on.
    I want to upgrade to a new machine and want to offload the Breville. Was hoping to sell it super cheap on Gumtree or something with full disclosure of the issues. Think I'll have any takers? What do you all think is a reasonable price for a faulty coffee machine + functioning grinder? (Breville BES920)

    • vr0ssi46 on 04/05/2021 - 14:55

      Same issue here. Happened to me about 3 years back after which I had 80% of the unit effectively replaced. Just last week having the same issue again - don't think I will bother getting it repaired again. Did yours end up failing, I assume the on/off trick would only work for so long.

    • bluntman on 01/06/2021 - 20:19

      I had a similar issue with mine and managed to repair it. if you are in Melbourne i would be interested in purchasing from you to either repair or use as parts. Message me if interested

  • Rkel403 on 29/04/2020 - 11:27

    @Lummo interested to know what your outcome was here? Did Breville cover the cost of repair eventually? I am in a similar situation, BES920 bought through TGG 3.5 years ago (did not buy extended warranty). Got repaired under Warranty just before 2 year mark (steam wand and O-ring replacement). Now at 3.5 years it is breaking down again (Dripping steam wand, steam boiler heating indefinitely even in standby so has to be plugged out from power). Running diagnostics and troubleshooting the issues on coffee forums basically looking at replacing Triac PCB board, NTC Sensor, Steam wand and Orings. To be clear I have operated and maintained the machine to the letter of the manual; replacing filters, running cleaning cycles and descaling when directed to. From here and coffee forums it is clear that this particular model is prone to major breakdown between the 2-4 year mark.
    Emailed both TGG and Breville about the issues. Both are avoiding responding by email correspondence, assuming this is to avoid leaving any concrete evidence of not complying to the letter of ACL? TGG called back reasonably quick and said they cannot do anything directly because it is out of warranty and I didn't buy extended warranty, referred me to Breville. After two weeks, when I eventually got talking to Breville they offered to pay for an "inspection service only" through their service provider. When I pressed for details on potential outcomes pending results of inspection the tone of the conversation got quite abrupt and dismissive adn got no answers. I am yet to drop the unit off for inspection but just looking for some advice or precedence before I do so. The skeptical side of me see's Breville directing their agent to a predetermined result - to diagnose major faults due to general wear and tear, refusing to cover costs and leaving me with a $500+ repair bill

    From ACCC consumer guarntees "A reasonable consumer would expect to get more
    than two years’ use from a $1800 television. Under
    the consumer guarantees, the consumer therefore
    has a statutory right to a remedy on the basis that the
    television is not of acceptable quality. The supplier must
    provide a remedy free of charge."
    One would assume the same would apply to a $1300 coffee machine?

  • a1ring23 on 28/12/2020 - 23:41

    @Lummo @Rkel403 interested to find what what the outcome was in both your cases?

    • Rkel403 on 04/01/2021 - 14:36

      @a1ring23 - After a bit of back and forth they agreed to pay for parts provided I pay for labour. I ended up $180 out of pocket and they covered $600 in parts.
      Not ideal but better than having to buy a new machine

      • a1ring23 on 05/01/2021 - 00:27

        @Rkel403 Can you enable your PMs? I want to get some more info re: the repair process. Thanks

        • Rkel403 on 05/01/2021 - 09:08

          My pms should already be enabled. Not much more to tell anyway. Get in contact with breville through [email protected]. They will get back to you with a case/ work order number, based on where you live they will send you to one of their authorised servicing agents to do an inspection service. In my case the agent rang to confirm the extent of damage (all as per my original comment above) and said that breville would pay parts if I would pay labour for repair. All up it took 2 weeks

  • canberrascooter on 14/10/2021 - 22:52

    my breville 920 started leaking, it is exact 2.5 years as well.

    I bought it from Bing Lee, what should I do?

  • maddoglee on 09/08/2022 - 21:37

    Change the o-rings if it starts leaking… there are lots of youtube channels..
    I had a problem with the triac board and changes the triacs… my boiler would heat even when the machine was switched off. I had to turn it off at the wall.
    that repair job took a fair bit more research to get right but I fixed it all! :)
    It seems to be working well now! (its 7 years old)

  • kiitos on 19/09/2022 - 15:14

    Came across this post having bought a dual boiler in August from TGG, thinking now I should have taken the extended warranty.

    Is it a case of waiting until symptoms arise, like leaking wand, uncontrolled temps etc? Or is there proactive checks that can be done?

    • Lummo on 19/09/2022 - 16:08
      +1

      I ended up buying an Italian machine so I wouldn't give any more money to Breville. From my understanding you want to put in the best quality water you can to limit issues with scale in the machine. Any leaks or steam try and sort it out ASAP to prevent further damage to the electronics.

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