Has a company treated you unfairly? Our consumer champion, Katie Morley, is here to help. For how to contact her click here.
Dear Katie,
I am a mum of four, a vicar’s wife, and a keen baker. Until recently I had coped with a hand-held mixer, but I saved up for my first kMix stand mixer as a Christmas present to myself this year. At first I was delighted with it, but the second time I used it the glass bowl got stuck in the stand.
After a prolonged wait and eventually having to go through Resolver, a complaints service, the mixer was repaired and returned. However on return the mixer was making a grinding sound, so I arranged another repair.
When it was returned this time it was still making the sound and one of the covers for the attachment ports was broken. Since November I have used the machine twice, and the rest of the time has been spent trying to contact customer services, waiting for responses or having inadequate repairs.
I lost patience and couldn’t bear to send it off for another repair, so requested a replacement machine. Nearly six weeks has passed with no response and my mixer is sitting in a cardboard box.
Kenwood’s customer service does not seem to be up to scratch, and is letting down a great British brand. My baking dreams have been shelved.
NL, Suffolk
Dear NL,
With four young children to look after I can imagine you have your hands full and cannot afford to spend any more time chasing Kenwood over this apparently defunct mixer.
Kenwood carried out two repairs of your kMix, but when you received the product after the second repair you still weren’t happy. You emailed the customer services team on April 24 and got no reply.
‘My baking dreams were ruined by a faulty Kenwood mixer’
Dear Katie,
I am a mum of four, a vicar’s wife, and a keen baker. Until recently I had coped with a hand-held mixer, but I saved up for my first kMix stand mixer as a Christmas present to myself this year. At first I was delighted with it, but the second time I used it the glass bowl got stuck in the stand.
After a prolonged wait and eventually having to go through Resolver, a complaints service, the mixer was repaired and returned. However on return the mixer was making a grinding sound, so I arranged another repair.
When it was returned this time it was still making the sound and one of the covers for the attachment ports was broken. Since November I have used the machine twice, and the rest of the time has been spent trying to contact customer services, waiting for responses or having inadequate repairs.
I lost patience and couldn’t bear to send it off for another repair, so requested a replacement machine. Nearly six weeks has passed with no response and my mixer is sitting in a cardboard box.
Kenwood’s customer service does not seem to be up to scratch, and is letting down a great British brand. My baking dreams have been shelved.
NL, Suffolk
Dear NL,
With four young children to look after I can imagine you have your hands full and cannot afford to spend any more time chasing Kenwood over this apparently defunct mixer.
Kenwood carried out two repairs of your kMix, but when you received the product after the second repair you still weren’t happy. You emailed the customer services team on April 24 and got no reply.
This is because your email was unfortunately missed, De’Longhi – the Italian firm which now owns Kenwood – has admitted.
To understand how this happened and to ensure it doesn’t happen to future customers, Kenwood is conducting an internal investigation.
A spokesman said it takes all consumer issues very seriously, and by way of apology for letting you down, you have now received a brand-new kMix worth £419.99 to replace the old one.
As an extra gesture Kenwood has also given you two free kMix attachments worth £140, and thrown in a Mary Berry recipe book for good measure.
Your recent email telling me about the cookies, banana cake and bread you’ve been baking using your mixer made me smile. I think it’s fair to say your faith in the company has been successfully restored.
The full Katie Morley Investigates column will appear in print every Saturday and Sunday. You can get an early taste every Friday at 1200.
For the week's most important personal finance news, analysis and expert advice, from pensions and property to investment ideas and savings tips, sign up to our weekly newsletter.
Money latest
The £160,000 reason why your children will vote Labour in today's election
PremiumInsurers can now talk to cars in policy launch for Tesla drivers
Five stocks to buy if Labour win the election
PremiumFive stocks to buy if the Tories win the election
PremiumQuestor: this trust has three highly experienced managers – but how long will they stay?
PremiumWhy now is the best time to buy your first home since the 2007 crisis – but act fast
PremiumAdvert offering 'life insurance to die for' banned for trivialising suicide
The Help to Buy Isas that leave you trapped – and the ones that don't
PremiumFive alternatives to M&G UK Property that won't be suspended
PremiumWoodford protégé Mark Barnett fired from £1.3bn investment trust
PremiumDaughter whose inheritance was cut from £10,000 to £100 loses High Court battle
PremiumTV licence bill tops £6,500 for 75-year-olds
PremiumHow I retired early: 'A lucky escape from doomed Equitable Life meant I quit work at 50'
PremiumMoral Money: 'Should I pay my apathetic son to vote in the election?'
PremiumRenewable energy on course to be 2020's most popular investment – here's how to buy
PremiumIs insurance racist? How being born abroad can raise your motor cover by £850
PremiumQuestor: H&T has endured four months of ups and downs. What should investors do?
PremiumBoris Johnson has hinted at scrapping the licence fee, but there are loopholes that make TV cheaper already
PremiumInvestors reacted positively to Tesco's £9bn Asian deal – but which supermarket offers the best growth?
Savers pour pension money into high-risk schemes after Government slashes lifetime cap
PremiumHMRC enters fewer 'get out of jail' deals with taxpayers
Premium