Siemens Home India — Washing Machine repair Charges

Address:Mumbai City, Maharashtra

Dear Sir, This relates to my Siemens washing machine - Model #WM 12E 360IN/01. We have been loyal Siemens white goods customers for the past 16 years but recent events have made us seriously question our loyalty and shaken our faith in the Siemens brand. Being satisfied with the performance and durability of the Siemens machine that we owned and used for almost 14 years, we reposed our faith in your brand once more and purchased a second Siemens washing machine on 13 Sept. 2010. In December 2014, the machine began stopping barely 10 minutes after of putting it on with "F:17" appearing on the panel. I complained and a service technician was sent to resolve the problem. His inspection of the machine clearly suggested that the problem was because of a blockage of the filter. However, to my amazement, he informed us that the shock absorbers of the machine had to be changed as they were worn out and that this would cost an incredible Rs 6, 000. This seemed preposterous for a product from a reputed brand that is barely four years old and claims technological superiority and German engineering! We find it difficult to understand how a new digitalised modern machine with a larger capacity machine (7 kgs) would have weaker shock absorbers than our older machine which was only 5 kgs and whose shock absorbers lasted 14 years! Since we have always only washed home clothes and have been careful to follow all the company's instructions (weight etc), the sole plausible explanation is that Siemens product quality has been compromised and we have been sold an inferior or defective product rather than a more advanced, higher quality product that we had expected. Furthermore, a visit fee of Rs. 800 was levied on us and our request for a waiver of this amount was dismissed by your executive. Finally, we were left without any choice but to shell out Rs. 6, 900 or be stranded with a non-functioning machine which would have left us terribly inconvenienced, The service engineer was - Mr. Xavier D'Souza - mobile no. [protected] In the light of the above, we are sure you will agree that a refund of the exorbitant payment that was extracted from us almost at "gun point", so to speak, is definitely in order and we request you to expedite the same so that some of our faith in the Siemens brand is restored. In the interest of loyal customers, we would also like to request you to reconsider your pricing of spare parts, if indeed Rs. 6, 000 is the actual cost of the absorbers and not an inflated cost to boost profitability. Your will appreciate that this experience has eroded our trust in Siemens but we hope that your prompt action will go a long way towards us believing in it again and looking forward to hearing from you on a priority basis. Neil White [protected]
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To,
Shoaib Shaikh,
Branch Service Mgr,
BSH Household Appliances,
Mumbai


Dear Shoaib

This relates to my Siemens Washing Machine - Model #WM 12E 360IN/01 and is further to my complaint sent to Siemens India on January 15, 2015. What transpired post my complaint clearly indicates just how callously a supposed to be "reputed" company like Siemens takes its loyal customers - I had bought a Siemens washing machine 18+ years ago and, based on my experience, had decided to repose faith in your brand four years back by purchasing the washing machine currently in question but it is a decision that I am beginning to regret.

Subsequent to my complaint of January 15, a technician was sent to inspect the washing machine quite obviously without bothering to read/being briefed on our complaint. I had specifically written to Siemens regarding the exorbitant cost of Rs. 6, 900 that I had to pay for replacing a part that should not have had to be replaced in a machine that was barely three years old including visiting charges of Rs. 900. It was something that I had to pay as I was told that my machine would otherwise not work.

I had asked Siemens to justify billing me such an exorbitant amount for replacing shock absorbers when the machine only had a blocked drainage problem. In response, a technician was sent to re-check the machine but he only re-confirmed what had been done, There was no response to the subject of my complaint which was why had parts to be changed so early in the life of the machine and, if they had to be, it was obviously because they were faulty or sub-standard, in which case why had I been penalised for a manufacturing glitch.

My earlier machine served me well for 14 years which is why I have been led to believe that the parts in the current machine are obviously sub-standard or faulty as the company has had me replace a significant part like shock absorbers in barely three years.

In this light, I am sure you will agree that it is grossly unfair and a travesty of justice to penalise me - the customer - for something that is not related to usage and hence, for something which I am not responsible. Instead, the company should graciously accept responsibility for the glitch and rectify it with due regrets at no cost to me i.e. by refunding what I had needlessly been made to pay.

I am dismayed that Siemens has chosen to gloss over the subject of my complaint rather than furnishing me with a satisfactory response and setting right a wrong. That is how brand loyalty is sustained and customer faith restored. It is unfortunate that a reputed international brand like yours chooses to ignore these basic precepts of customer service.

I look forward to a relevant response to my complaint i.e. why I was billed for faulty/sub-standard parts. Given how Siemens has reacted so far, I am not optimistic but I hope that an opportunity to set things right is not squandered and a loyal customer lost on account of a disdainful approach to resolving customer complaints.


Best Regards,
Neil White

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