Haier Fridge Failed Just after 2 Year - How Should I Handle It?

Lrandome on 09/02/2022 - 19:29
Last edited 09/02/2022 - 19:37 by 1 other user

TLDR

The Haier fridge has completely failed and the freezer will sometimes start working for a while after rebooting the fridge. Should we fight for a refund?

Full story

The fridge is only 2 years 4 months old and the sticker warranty is 2 years. From my understanding we can push for a refund from the retailer (Appliances Online) under Australian Consumer Law as it is a major failure.

Here is the industry guide from ACCC that outlines this

I have ordered a new Mitsubishi Electric fridge from the same retailer (Appliances Online) that is due to arrive in a month (shipping delays) and rented a fridge in the meantime. After this crappy experience we wanted to get a fridge from a "reliable" brand and they have a 5 year sticker warranty.

We just had our first baby a few months ago and we need to store expressed breast milk. Expressed breast milk is like gold and we are lucky we noticed the issues before any of it spoiled. We don't trust the fridge being repaired and want a refund. Ready to go to NSW NCAT if needed.

Even though Australian Consumer Law means that we should be able to get a refund for a major failure, I doubt the retailer will go along with it unless we go to NCAT. They have already tried referring it to Haier and a service company just tried to get in contact for a "goodwill" repair.

Anyone been in a similar situation with Appliances Online or any other retailer? How did you handle it to get a refund?

Thank you!

For more details on the issues

Haier 450L Bottom Mount Fridge HBM450SA1

  1. From day one, the led control panel on the front of the fridge would cut out and reboot every time you opened the fridge door. As of January 2021, it would occasionally fail to turn back on after closing the door. This has progressively gotten worse and as of September 2021 it would not turn on at all.

  2. As of December 2021 we noticed that the fridge would occasionally stop working for a few hours at a time. We realised this was occurring as there was a large amount of condensation that would build in the fridge over a couple of hours that would then disappear. As of yesterday the fridge completely stopped working.

  3. As of 4th Feb, the freezer stopped working for at least a few hours. We noticed as the ice had melted. Restarting the fridge (power off and on) started the freezer again. However we are concerned it will randomly stop working again and there is no certainly that restarting the fridge will resolve the freezer issue again.

Electrical & Electronics Haier Refrigerator

Comments

  • spackbace on 09/02/2022 - 19:43
    +9

    Refund? No, but push them for a repair

    They have already tried referring it to Haier and a service company just tried to get in contact for a "goodwill" repair.

    Seems like the right thing to do after you've had it 2+ years

    • upended on 09/02/2022 - 19:51
      -5

      I think OP should push for a refund. There is no guarantee that the fridge will continue to function as intended after it is repaired. If it breaks down again, OP will be further away from the 2 years warranty and ACL may not apply.

      OP, did you reach out to the retailer after you first noticed issues early on?

      • Drakesy on 09/02/2022 - 20:02
        +8

        The OP has had it for 2 years….
        Repair is very fair in this case.

        • randome on 09/02/2022 - 20:14

          This is what I am not sure about regarding a refund, reading the industry guide from ACCC it seems that goods must be of Acceptable quality

          The guide indicates that a fridge is covered under ACL as it should last much longer then 2 years 4 months.

          Also, as there is a major failure we are within our rights to ask for a refund.

          On a side note, if I wasn't worried about the breast milk I would be happy with the repair, managing a newborn is hard enough without worrying that the breast milk stockpile is at risk as the fridge might need a few repair rounds.

          • Drakesy on 10/02/2022 - 00:44
            +1

            @randome: Yes it should last more than 2 years
            But
            Haier isn't exactly a top of the range brand lets not forget
            The cases where people have successfully argued warranty extensions were middle to top of the range goods.
            Let them repair it, if they can then you can push for a refund/new item
            I just am amazed though at the people who think they'll automatically get a refund for a 2 year old item.

            I guess you can try though

            • Brian McGee on 10/02/2022 - 09:25

              @Drakesy: Haier is part of the fisher and paykel group, so they are of equal quality, just maybe not the most modern or chic of design, or missing a tv/tablet, but priced accordingly.

              A reasonable person would expect somewhere between 5-10 years of trouble free operation for a fridge. I certainly wouldn't buy a fridge that only lasted 2 years. After that 5 year mark I would accept a goodwill repair.

        • spackbace on 09/02/2022 - 20:18

          I feel sorry for OP but a refund is the most likely recourse.

          OP likely has a sleep-deprived partner having a go at him for not getting it sorted, or not getting it sorted, or for picking that brand, or for all sorts of things.

          • randome on 09/02/2022 - 20:28
            +2

            @spackbace: LOL, yep, that's a good summary of what is happening….

    • abb on 09/02/2022 - 20:00
      +4

      IMO a free repair is entirely fair in this circumstance, especially given the ongoing (minor) fault that sounds like it wasn't reported earlier.

      • spackbace on 09/02/2022 - 20:12
        +1

        If the ongoing issue was reported to the manufacturer then it could be a chance, but suddenly going "oh and yeah forgot to tell you about this other issue" doesn't help the OP's case

        • randome on 09/02/2022 - 20:16

          To clarify, the minor fault that I noticed in Jan 2021 was something I was willing to live with. Getting a repairer out because the led panel would sometime not switch on did not seem worth it.

          • spackbace on 09/02/2022 - 20:17
            +3

            @randome:

            was something I was willing to live with

            So don't mention it here?

            Tho going to the manufacturer to report it would've gone a long way towards proving the whole unit was a dud

          • abb on 14/02/2022 - 10:15

            @randome:

            Getting a repairer out because the led panel would sometime not switch on did not seem worth it.

            Right, but you're essentially saying the controller had a fault, and over time the fault got worse. That's generally what happens. I've never heard of broken electronics repairing themselves over time.

  • Kib33 on 09/02/2022 - 19:53
    +1

    What makes Mitsubishi Electric a “reliable” brand in your eyes?

    Have you had the fridge inspected by Haier each time it failed? If so, you have a better chance of getting a refund. If not, why do you expect a refund and not a repair?

    • pantsparty on 09/02/2022 - 20:00

      5 year warranty, gives much more peace of mind.

    • randome on 09/02/2022 - 20:08

      Mitsubishi Electric
      1. Top rated fridge brand on choice https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-living/kitchen/fridges/ar…
      2. Only fridge brand with a sticker warranty of 5 years that I found
      3. Voted by ozbargain community https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/626769

      Get where you are coming from re fridge inspected by Haier each time it failed. It was only minor issues with the led control panel cutting out till (which I could live with) recently. The fridge randomly stopping working was only something we noticed in hindsight. It has only clearly stopped working in the last week.

      Dealing with wife in third trimester then first new born was all consuming. Also thought the led control panel rebooting every time the door was opened was by design until it stopped turning back on.

      Regarding refund, from my understanding if the product is not of Acceptable quality as a major failure has occurred, then the consumer is withing their rights to choose a refund under ACL. Please read the industry guide from ACCC and let me know if I am misinterpreting it.

      • spackbace on 09/02/2022 - 20:15
        +4

        Regarding refund, from my understanding if the product is not of Acceptable quality as a major failure has occurred, then the consumer is withing their rights to choose a refund under ACL. Please read the industry guide from ACCC and let me know if I am misinterpreting it.

        Bear in mind that most companies deem it that if it's repairable, it gets repaired. If it can be repaired for cheaper than the cost of a new fridge, they'd say it's a minor issue, not major.

        If your car died one day, yet could be fixed, you wouldn't be able to ask for a refund. Same same

        • randome on 09/02/2022 - 20:20

          This is from page 4 of the guide under the title Major failures

          When there is a major failure, the consumer can
          choose to:

          reject the product and choose a refund or an
          identical replacement (or one of similar value if
          reasonably available), or

          keep the product and ask for compensation for
          any drop in its value caused by the problem, and

          seek compensation for any other reasonably
          foreseeable loss or damage.

          • Edeena on 09/02/2022 - 21:07
            +4

            @randome: You need to have it inspected and if the repairer says yes, this is a major fault, cannot be repaired and sent a report to say this to the manufacturer, only then they would give you the option of refund or replacement. They don't give refund/replacement without actually trying to repair the fridge first.

  • KaTst3R on 09/02/2022 - 20:03
    +3

    Got a feeling OP is gonna end up with 2 fridges at home.

    • randome on 09/02/2022 - 20:23

      Yep, thats what I am thinking too…..

  • Stopback on 09/02/2022 - 20:05

    Expressed breast milk is like gold and we are lucky we noticed the issues before any of it spoiled.

    I'd suggest you find a backup solution.

    Get a Bluetooth temp for your fridge and a Esky with ice as backup.

    Or talk to your neighbours ex

    • randome on 09/02/2022 - 20:25

      Thanks for the suggestion!

      Got it in a neighbors fridge now and have a rental fridge on the way to cover us till the new fridge arrives or we work out what we are doing with the faulty fridge.

  • wjb on 09/02/2022 - 20:30
    +1

    If it’s a known design flaw then try refund?

    • randome on 09/02/2022 - 21:32

      I can only hope they would admit it….

      • wjb on 09/02/2022 - 23:31

        That’s probably why they offer for repair.
        Try google for common problems

  • AndyC1 on 09/02/2022 - 21:01
    +3

    So fridge had problems and Op did not even try to get it fixed….

    Haier is the cheap brand and as such I think you will struggle to get anything done as it is cheap for a reason.

  • GordonD on 09/02/2022 - 21:28

    I bought a Haier washing machine.

    It failed a bit after the warranty ended. I called them to fix it. It was a major repair. The electronics board had to be replaced. With the cost of labour is a pretty large proportion of the purchase cost. I paid it.

    I then contacted Haier and pointed out the statutory warranty provisions of Australian consumer law and asked them whether they thought of one of their products only just reaching the end of its manufacturers warranty, then a major component failing, was reasonable. They responded by refunding me the cost of the repair.

    • randome on 09/02/2022 - 21:34

      Thanks, if I get it repaired and they try to charge me at least I know to push back

  • JimmyF on 09/02/2022 - 21:35

    They have already tried referring it to Haier and a service company just tried to get in contact for a "goodwill" repair.

    This is all you'll get, based on its age, warranty and purchase price.

    From my understanding we can push for a refund from the retailer (Appliances Online) under Australian Consumer Law as it is a major failure.

    Its 2.5 year old, cheap fridge that has failed outside the warranty period, there is no 'major' failure here. Take the repair, sell the fridge if you don't want it.

  • iamherenow on 09/02/2022 - 21:56

    You have used it for two years. They have offered to repair it. Seems reasonable. Pushing for refund does not.

  • randomusername2017 on 09/02/2022 - 22:29

    Respectful burial or cremation
    Perhaps a family memorial plaque where the fridge once was…

  • bobbified on 09/02/2022 - 22:33
    +1

    When was the first time you reported the issues? From my understanding of what you've written, it seems like you've had issues for quite some time but haven't said anything until now. And now that the whole thing has failed, you suddenly have a list of issues. If I was the retailer or manufacturer, it would sound like you're making shit up to try get a refund.

  • Heaps for Cheaps on 10/02/2022 - 08:02

    Share your thoughts!

  • Dejaar on 10/02/2022 - 08:42

    For something as expensive as a fridge it should last longer than 2yr 4mths. In nsw u can contact fairtrading who will 'word you up' so u can approach them about avreplacement. There are expectations of quality and longevity a a fridge price point.

  • solidussnake on 10/02/2022 - 09:20

    OP only pushing for a refund because he bought a new one.. they're willing to fix it for free for an out of warranty pretty cheap brand.. I would use it as a spare or sell it second hand.

    Depends how much time its worth trying to get a refund with a newborn and lack of sleep.

  • fozzie on 18/03/2022 - 19:34

    Op what happed in the end?

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