I have been using an electric toothbrush for the last twenty five years or so, and wouldn’t be without one. A few days ago my latest model, an exorbitantly expensive Philips model just crashed. Lots of flashing lights but none of the buttons worked and none of the fourteen programmes worked. No extra care, super duper deep clean plus gum massage no “brush and go”, economy programme; nothing! It was no consolation that the really splendid sonic device which renders the brushes germ free continued to function.
Now, the whole family went into deep shock when I first came home with the device but frankly until a few days ago, I was most impressed with my purchase. I justified the outlay because I wanted to believe that this toothbrush would reduce my dental bills dramatically. Well, that was the unique selling point anyway.
Just two days outside the two year warranty period, disaster struck. This was a bit of a guess really because I couldn’t find the blooming receipt, but with any electrical equipment I purchase, this is usually the case.
So, with no real enthusiasm I phone the Customer Care Line, in the vain hope that they could tell me it wasn’t really terminal and there might have been something that I had overlooked. I’d tried rebooting the device and then recharging but that didn’t work.
Very nice person answered the phone, took my details and said she would transfer me to the appropriate Toothbrush Technical Support Team who would be delighted to help me with my problem. Technical Support Pleasant Person took the serial number and informed me that the warranty had run out. Oh, help! Not to worry she said sympathetically, as a gesture of goodwill, we will replace your device free of charge, and then proceeded to give me a Freepost address in order to make the whole thing pain free and by way of compensation for the dreadful inconvenience of my having to live without the benefits of one of their most wonderful toothbrushes.
Ferret and Bearsy are right. There is something frightening about this whole episode, combined with the unnerving experience related by Bearsy earlier, one is wondering what is happening to this wonderful country of ours.
Boadicea's Chariot 
Spooky!
I must away to my bed, but this is becoming seriously worrying. An outbreak of pleasantness. Is it contagious, infectious – or possible an STD? 😦
Yes, alarming it most certainly is, Bearsy! Night to you.
Hi Araminta – you seriously had to ‘reboot’ your toothbrush??!! You’ll be telling me you have to back it up, next 🙂
I had a sonic one once, but I didn’t have the patience to just hold it on my teeth. I couldn’t resist the brushing thing – which probably negated the whole effect. Whatever.
Hi Jan: well I tried everything including letting the batteries run down, switching it off at the mains and all that technical stuff, to no avail.
The lack of brushing technique is a bit odd at first but I really cannot cope with using an ordinary manual toothbrush any more; my teeth just don’t feel clean!
Afternoon, Araminta – May I suggest a simple fangbrush, so named by Bilby?
According to the Portuguese forecast, there is an absolutely mahoosive great storm heading this way with 90 mph winds and torrential rain (as if we needed any more 😦 ), so I’m hunkered down in The Cave with the juicy, roast leg of a lamb that wandered within range the other day and shall indulge myself watching the rugby internationals courtesy of Auntie Beeb, assuming aforesaid storm does not block the signal. Currently Italia 3,
OZ
Bolleaux – Currently Italia 3, Jockanese nil.
OZ
There’s no such thing as a simple fangbrush around here, OZ. Suddenly, from being a small bush creature, I was catapulted into the electronic age. Scary.
There you have the truth Oz: no we don’t do simple here! The trouble is, when the electronic versions go wrong, we are totally nonplussed and full of panic.
We have had fairly dire weather warnings here too, but being British, we just shrug it off 😉 Actually it has been slightly wet and not very windy here today which has probably lulled us into a totally false sense of security.
We’re having pig tonight. It’s OK to say that, isn’t it? Now the Great God Janus is Himself.
An STD, Bearsy – that would have to be Smile Transmitted Disease this time!
We were most impressed with the service when we were in England before Christmas. From shops to trains, pubs and hotels. It must be the recession making people really fear for their jobs, although certain shops like John Lewis and Waitrose have always been renowned for courtesy. Then there’s always the warning that “this call may be recorded for training purposes” meaning that anyone upsetting the customers can be confronted with their guilt. Long may it continue!
Sorry to puncture your balloon but generally when a manufacturer does this there is a design fault in the appliance and they have had so many come back this is one way of covering their tracks and not having a ‘Toyota’ like experince.
Nobody complains to consumer organisations when they have received a replacement.
No complaints = no product recalls = no destruction of commercial reputation.
Memo goes round head office thus. Buy the bloody widgets from Taiwan next time not W China, even if it costs tuppence more!
Puncture my balloon, Tina, I don’t think so! But think about it. There is nothing wrong with this approach and it is unfortunately quite unusual. Of course there was a problem with the appliance, hence their response. Not a bad policy really, if you care about your customer base. Cheaper toothbrushes have cost far less and lasted for years longer; it is to their credit that I didn’t have to point this out.
Did someone mention pig for dinner? I shall go and brush my fangs forthwith.
OZ
Yes, OZ, better to remove the lamb debris before embarking on the next course. How about a lemming sorbet before you lope on over?
In fact, Araminta, the warranty is just so much paper.
Under various Consumer Acts (my mother would be able to tell you!) all goods have to be ‘fit for purpose’, and what that ‘fit for purpose’ actually means is that if you have paid two pounds for an electric toothbrush you shouldn’t really complain if it crashes one day after the year warranty is up. However, if you’ve paid £100 pounds for said item then it is reasonable (and the law says so) that it should last beyond the two year warranty they have ‘so kindly’ given you.
The whole ‘buy extra warranty’ bit is a scam…
The same laws apply here in Queensland (don’t know about the rest of Oz but probably) and go back to the late 1800s.
Your mother has it right, Boadicea, and had I chosen to make a fuss, I’m sure they would have caved in. I certainly had the law on my side, and didn’t have to fight at all. Interestingly enough, although they could identify when the brush was manufactured, I bought it from my dentist. Now I doubt that they sell more than half a dozen a year, so in all probability, had they cut up rough, I could have asked my dentist for a receipt and has a warranty replacement. Despite the tongue in cheek tone of my post, I felt a bit like Bearsy; prepared to fight but they caved in straight away. All credit to them, I feel.
I have often wondered about the “lifetime” warranty. Does this mean that when the item is dead, the warranty is invalid?
I think it’s supposed to be 25 years, Bilby. But, I’m not sure that Myers will replace the saucepans that are showing wear after about ten years!
Hello Ara; I have just seen you on t’other side…this site hopping is getting stranger by the day…but I can sympathise. Our dishwasher, hoover and oven have packed up in last few days. I can just about cope with oven and dishwasher, but hoover…? Sad, really!
Hello Claire: yes, I couldn’t resist it, popping over that is. I sympathise with your plight, I am hopeless when it comes to these sort of failures. Most of my electrical appliances are giving up the ghost simultaneously. Frankly, they are just not worth fixing most of the time, but how blooming inconvenient, not to mention expensive.
Bilby – Fangs brushed and all traces of lamb removed. I could do an avatar for Cheech right now, but I passed on the lemming entrée thank you all the same as small, warm furry things on the menu seemed a little gauche in present company. Now, about that pig….?
OZ
Thanks, Boa. I’m sure there’s always a get-out clause. They hope for weak will, apathy, old age, senility, loss of paperwork, death, etc etc. We bought some (ever-sharp) knives in a weak moment some years ago which had one of those warranties. They are not blunt exactly, but …
Most worryingly, when I looked, the company was called “Twin Towers”.
You are the epitome of lupine delicacy, OZ.
Unfortunately, the pig is no more. You spent too much time on the fang polish. Smiley porcine thing. 🙂
Hi Ara; I thought I’d pop back to chill for a bit…our fridge keeps conking out every now and again as well; we have resorted to storing yoghurt in the porch. Next to the tyres sprouting cabbages on the driveway. But all this recession business is just an excuse for my other half to not get things fixed. Honestly,sometimes I feel like Felicity Kendal..
It’s not easy Claire, working and small children. It does get better, I think 🙂 One has to improvise, but there is a limit.
Will someone find me something small, warm and furry?
OZ
Er Oz: Eff spring to mind but you may not want to ………OK, silly idea. Is this a snack, possibly?
Ara; I’m turning into the site whiner, I think! It’s nothing to do with the kids though; my hubby is something of a self styled eco warrior. BUt at least the cabbages are no longer sprouting on the roof…;)
OZ; do you want my son’s Winnie the Pooh? 😉
You have to catch it yourself, OZ 🙂 Night night, sweet dreams.
I was summoned down to the local post office in the 70’s to identify a throbbing parcel addressed to me. My daughter had left her battery operated tooth brush at her aunt’s house, who had posted it back without removing the batteries. Oh the shame of it.
😦
Oh, Tocino, I hadn’t thought about that angle. I hope my poor innocent postman doesn’t have to deliver a throbbing toothbrush chez Araminta. Perhaps I should warn him of the possibility; just to avoid any embarrassment 🙂 I’m not quite sure how to broach the subject though.
claire2. There is absolutely nothing wrong with whining. It’s what keeps me going. There is nothing better than moaning about the most trivial things for an extended period of time.
I have to correct an earlier stsement here. ‘Lifetime’, as in guarantee, refers to you, not the product. 😉 The older you are, the lower the potential cost of failure, to the maker, that is.
As for toothbrushes, I stand by my trust wolf-bristle medium.
CB; thanks honey; don’t encourage me though, or I’ll start whinging all the time. I suspect a nasty little pull-yerself-together comment is actually what’s needed where I’m concerned 😉
I wasn’t awfully sure what i was going to find here. Could have been a bit dodgy.
I am awed by the description of a toothbrush with fourteen programmes. What on earth are they? Does it have a cleaning round the taps option or something?
My electric toothbrush just has off and on, cost less than £10 (though the replacement brush heads are about a fiver) and my dentist gave me 10/10 for cleaning my teeth last check up. 🙂