Up to 800,000 unsafe Whirlpool tumble dryers still in use, says report
The white-goods manufacturer is also drawing criticism for its treatment of affected customers
White-goods brand Whirlpool has come under fire from the UK government after it was revealed that up to 800,000 faulty Hotpoint tumble dryers could still be in use by members of the public. The machines in question were labelled a serious hazard due to a design flaw that allowed lint and fluff to fall into the heating element and catch fire.
In 2015, Whirlpool revealed that millions of tumble dryers from the Hotpoint, Proline, Indesit, Creda and Swan lines – products sold over the space of 11 years – were at risk of suffering from this fault. Initially, the firm decided to repair affected products: this sparked fresh concerns, however, after BBC Watchdog reported that many of the supposedly fixed tumble dryers had still caught fire.
Industry regulators took action in July of this year, and Whirlpool began a full product recall. At the time, it was estimated that as many as 800,000 potentially faulty tumble dryers were still being used by customers across the UK.
To make matters worse, the Commons business committee responsible for kick-starting the recall process reported that on 24 separate occasions, Whirlpool asked customers who reported a faulty tumble dryer to sign non-disclosure agreements.
“Whirlpool’s response to fixing safety flaws in its tumble dryers,” said committee chair Rachel Reeves, “has too often owed more to PR management than to taking the practical steps to make its machines safe for customers”.
If you own a Whirlpool tumble dryer from any one of the brands listed above and are concerned that it may be faulty, call 0800 151 0905 or visit https://dryerrecall.whirlpool.co.uk to check whether your machine is affected.
If your product is on the list, unplug it immediately. On the reimbursement form, you have four options:
- A free replacement for your faulty product;
- A free repair;
- A discounted upgrade to a newer Whirlpool tumble dryer;
- A partial refund of up to £150.
Whirlpool reports that it has resolved the issue for around 1.7 million customers so far; on average, the process apparently takes up to ten days.