How long do you expect products to last?

surrey jim · Jun 12, 2014

I purchased a Flymo strimmer last March. Over last summer and from April this year, I use it most weekends when mowing the grass to go around the edges. At the end of each use it gets cleaned up, and put away and stored in a dry garage.

I came to use it last weekend and it wouldn’t work. Have tried changing fuse, tried different plugs but the item is dead as a do-do. I called up Flymo customer services who took the product number and serial number, only to advise me that the warranty is only for one year. I asked the lady on phone where it could be taken to be repaired. Her reply was that it’s not worth repairing and just to throw it and get another one. I questioned this as it is only 18 months old and she told me that they wont last forever.

Whilst I agree it wont last forever, I would expect it to last at least 5 years. It wasn’t the basic 'cheap as chips' model I purchased (IIRC I paid around £70 at the time).

How long would you expect products like this to last? Am I being unreasonable that it would last more than 18 months?

seagullsovergrimsby · Jun 12, 2014

surrey jim said:
I purchased a Flymo strimmer last March. Over last summer and from April this year, I use it most weekends when mowing the grass to go around the edges. At the end of each use it gets cleaned up, and put away and stored in a dry garage.

I came to use it last weekend and it wouldn’t work. Have tried changing fuse, tried different plugs but the item is dead as a do-do. I called up Flymo customer services who took the product number and serial number, only to advise me that the warranty is only for one year. I asked the lady on phone where it could be taken to be repaired. Her reply was that it’s not worth repairing and just to throw it and get another one. I questioned this as it is only 18 months old and she told me that they wont last forever.

Whilst I agree it wont last forever, I would expect it to last at least 5 years. It wasn’t the basic 'cheap as chips' model I purchased (IIRC I paid around £70 at the time).

How long would you expect products like this to last? Am I being unreasonable that it would last more than 18 months?

It should have lasted a couple of years , although you paid £70 there is probably a 300% mark up between leaving the factory and being displayed for sale.

severnside gull · Jun 12, 2014

Think their customer service people are suggesting that next time you buy a B&Q own brand (or similar) for £9.99 as it is as useful and will last as long...........

........sounds a good idea!

seagullsovergrimsby · Jun 12, 2014

severnside gull said:
Think their customer service people are suggesting that next time you buy a B&Q own brand (or similar) for £9.99 as it is as useful and will last as long...........

........sounds a good idea!

Same applies to vacuum cleaners , why buy a Dyson for £300 when another make does the same job for a quarter of the price.

skipper734 · Jun 12, 2014

She just told you not to bother with Flymo products.......... I used to cut grass for a living, my dilemma was, should I buy proper expensive kit, or cheaper kit at a third of the cost of the expensive kit. The thinking behind this is, you can buy three cheaper bits of kit for one expensive. On average I used two cheap models for each tool over the twenty years of looking after lawns.......... or grass as I never got to work on a lawn. So on average I was better of with the own brands.

virtual22 · Jun 12, 2014

I would state that the item was not fit for purpose and start kicking off with the retailer personally. I don't believe that an item such as this should last for that short a time. Have a look on a european site and see if the two year warranty applies to this item (assuming they sell it abroad). Then go to town with the sale of goods act.

Retailers hide behind the one year warranty way too much imo and once you write to them with the facts and mention the small claims court it's amazing how often they suddenly change their mind from wanting nothing to do with it to wanting to sort it out

beorhthelm · Jun 12, 2014

severnside gull said:
Think their customer service people are suggesting that next time you buy a B&Q own brand (or similar) for £9.99 as it is as useful and will last as long...........

I would defiantly present that point to the company, as what they are saying is their product isnt going to last more than 12 mths. brought a brand for the quality, if that quality is evident dont bother again.

ignore the warranty period, I'd certainly expect a Fly-mo to last more than a year - what 30-40 occasions (with rain and cold and simply not growing over the winter)? that's not fit for purpose.

spongy · Jun 12, 2014

And seeing as it wasn't being used over winter at all I would expect it to last. That's only 9 months (ish) of use.

Bozza · Jun 12, 2014

The Sale of Goods Act offers protects consumers beyond the length of the warranty offered by manufacturers. It says that a product must last for a reasonable time, where 'reasonable' can be anything up to 6 years.

If you can be bothered to push you would almost certainly win, but you'd need to go to the small claims court.

Read up on the Sale of Goods Act and then try again.

EU law may help too - http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/ecc/consumer_topics/buying_goods_services_en.htm

spring hall convert · Jun 12, 2014

If you've got the time, you should take them to small claims. A manufacturer's warranty lasts a year but both the sales of goods act and European law suggest that they should last a "reasonable time" (or someting vaugue like that.) Just over a year for a strimmer is not reasonable IMHO.

It is time consuming though so unless you are retired, you might just want to buy an other.

Norman Baker suck my lozenge · Jun 12, 2014

Just got rid of a candy washing machine that lasted 14 years,very impressed with that.

surrey jim · Jun 12, 2014

Thanks to all for the advice,

I have written to Flymo in relation to the points raised and citing the 2year warranty in Europe. Wait to see what they say.

Have just read up briefly on the small claims court. It appears to cost £25+ to register. May just be worth buying a cheap £20 trimmer rather than the hassle of going through there.

One peice of advice for anyone, I wouldnt bother with a Flymo product again. Poor quality and non existant customer service.

Vegas Seagull · Jun 12, 2014

There was a clue in the company name...Mowers are their (only?) game & I wouldn't go near them for one of em that are designed NOT to give Wembley stripes

spring hall convert · Jun 12, 2014

surrey jim said:
I have written to Flymo in relation to the points raised and citing the 2year warranty in Europe. Wait to see what they say.

I'd be interested to know what they say. I suspect they'll fob you off but you may well be rewarded for persistence.

strings · Jun 12, 2014

Interestingly, whilst studying for her design degree my partner was taught that her products should be designed to fail. This was because if they lasted too long there would be no repeat business.

Worrying stuff really.

Bozza · Jun 12, 2014

surrey jim said:
Thanks to all for the advice,

I have written to Flymo in relation to the points raised and citing the 2year warranty in Europe. Wait to see what they say.

Have just read up briefly on the small claims court. It appears to cost £25+ to register. May just be worth buying a cheap £20 trimmer rather than the hassle of going through there.

One peice of advice for anyone, I wouldnt bother with a Flymo product again. Poor quality and non existant customer service.

Take it to the small claims court - it doesn't take long to do and you will win. The company will cave in before it reaches court and you will get your costs back.

Herr Tubthumper · Jun 12, 2014

Bozza said:
EU law may help too - http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/ecc/consumer_topics/buying_goods_services_en.htm

Nice bit of promotion for the EU [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION]. Thanks.

Herr Tubthumper · Jun 12, 2014

seagullsovergrimsby said:
Same applies to vacuum cleaners , why buy a Dyson for £300 when another make does the same job for a quarter of the price.

By cheap, by twice. I still have a DC02 from around 15-16 years ago and it still works fine. Mind you, until the Frau moved in it was more ornament than function.

GingerBeerMan · Jun 12, 2014

seagullsovergrimsby said:
Same applies to vacuum cleaners , why buy a Dyson for £300 when another make does the same job for a quarter of the price.

My Dyson must be about ten years old now, still works like new. Also have a fly-mo which is also about ten years old and thats works well, although it's only used 7 -8 times a year.

Triggaaar · Jun 12, 2014

surrey jim said:
How long do you expect products to last?

Trading standards mean that your products should be covered to some extent for up to 6 years, depending on the typical life of that type of product. Manufacturers giving 1 year's warranty is an added extra, and doesn't effect your statutory rights. Lawnmowers should last more than 15 months. We've had our electric Bosch for 8 years, and not cleaned it once, and it's going great (just walked in from doing the lawn, which is 60' x 20').

So no, you're not being unreasonable. Check how long lawnmowers should last, and write to them stating it, and quoting trading standards. Tell them what you expect them to do (eg, offer them the choice of sending an engineer at their cost, or replacing it).

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