I wouldn't recommend this (Hotpoint Aquarius WD420)

Member Name: Mardicow

Product:	Hotpoint Aquarius WD420
Date:	12/06/08 (826 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A nice looking machine which is very easy to use

Disadvantages: Blockages are a very common problem due to no external filters, very poor customer services

Oh my goodness! I have honestly never experienced such an unreliable machine!

I bought my WD420 brand new, and had to call out an engineer within the first three weeks! Six weeks later, three more call outs, three new control panels, as it seems whatever goes wrong with the machine burns out the electrics, my machine was replaced. The handbook/instructions that you receive with the machine are incredibly vague, not even listing the most basic/common of fault codes.

The main problem with this machine is that it has no external filter, so if it gets clogged, as it often does, as it seems incapable of washing dirty clothes or woollens, so it begins flashing lights, refusing to empty, not drying etc...and you have to call out an engineer to clear the blockage and replace (again) the control panel.

The Hotpoint Customer Services Department leave a lot to be desired in their interpersonal skills. They are unhelpful and can even be rude if you disagree with them or make a comment that they take a dislike to. Whilst under warranty, though you don't have any changes incurred, it's an inconvenience to have to take time off work/out of your day to wait for an engineer. You can't pinpoint a specific time, and the numerous times I've had to wait for assistance "Between 8am and 2pm" is unbelievable.

Unless you pay a small fortune for their extended warranty the cost for an engineer to knock on your door is over £90, then the labour, parts, VAT etc is all on top.

My machine last broke down six weeks ago, less than a fortnight out of warranty. I ended up paying a private engineer to fix it, as he charged considerably less. Now, six weeks on though the machine is washing it isn't drying. The clothes come out after an hour wetter than they went in and very, very hot!

As far as ease of use goes it's quite a simple machine to operate-everything's set out on the dial and the letters/symbols of various cycles are all set out on the front, even my husband can manage to do a load! It has a variable spin dial, and other optional features, such as extra rinse, extra spin, drying high heat etc all set out on the front. A light panel lets you see how far along the wash is, though there's no separate dial/timer to allow you to see how much drying time is left. I find that the door needs an extra nudge to light up the 'door locked' button, and several times I have returned home from work to remove the clothes, assuming they're washed and dried to find that the door hasn't locked properly and everything is still dirty!

It's a nice looking machine and easy to use, but I wouldn't recommend it to a 'high traffic' family such as us, I was even told by an ex Hotpoint engineer that if you have pets forget it, it just won't cope.

Summary: I really don't feel that this is at all suitable for the average family.

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