Comet - fridge/freezer broken after 15 months - Prestige PRT 325 FFCS

[hammersbaws]

We bought a Prestige PRT295FFCS from Comet 2 years 5months ago and did not take out the extended cover. The fridge stopped re-fridgerating last week and the temp rose to 15c which the freezer still worked. We paid £30 for a Comet engineer to come and have a look. Long story short, a little device at the back that alternates the cooling between the fridge and freezer was broken and that type of breakage was not a fault that Comet rectifies. Comet doesn’t repair this fault as they can only do a short term fix on it and your fridge is liable to break again in the future.

From reading consumer reviews this fault is does not appear to be uncommon. I asked the engineer about the alternating device thingy and was told that not all fridge freezers use this type of cooling mechanism but that Prestige was one brand that did (I do not know if this applied to ALL Prestige fridge freezers).

Anyway, I copied and pasted sections from the draft letters from this page and tailored them to my experience. I mentioned what the engineer told me about this fault and that it appeared to be the case that Comet doesn’t do this type of repair as it is likely to be a recurring problem. I also said that in my opinion a recurring problem that costs lots of money to fix each time indicates the item is not fit for purpose and did not last as long as what would be expected to be reasonable etc.

I got a phone call the next day from Comet to say that they will replace the fridge freezer, deliver it and pick up the old one free of charge. All we have to do is to go to Comet and pick a new fridge freezer. We are delighted and I’m so glad that I took the time to make my complaint, although I feel that we were lucky given the experience other consumers have had.

For sure, we will not be choosing a Prestige fridge freezer and also we’ll be asking what kind of cooling mechanism the fridge freezer has. I’ll also learn from my mistake and take out the extended cover after the warranty for peace of mind if nothing else. I really hope that others get a similar satisfactory outcome J

[Vinta]

Hi there.

 

My Prestige PRT325FFCS fridge freezer developed a fault last night and I found this site by googling about the problem.

 

I bought the appliance from Comet in October 2008 (18 months ago) and the fault is similar to the ones others have described: the freezer compartment still works, but the fridge won't cool below room temperature.

 

What's the best way to approach Comet? Should I phone their helpline and have them send out an engineer (doubtless at my expense) or should I just send them a letter drafted like the ones on this thread?

 

I have another fridge in the garage which I'm using so I can afford a protracted fight with Comet, if necessary!

[jelly.g]

I have th same problem as you all with the PRT295 and will also be using the letter above, hope thats ok. Why have these fridge/freezers not been recalled?!?!

[Vinta]

Just an update.

 

I called out the engineer at a cost of £30. He told me what I knew already - it was a faulty divert valve that switches the coolant between fridge and freezer compartments. He said (surprise!) that this was a common fault with prestige fridge-freezers.

 

The service dept called back with a quote £40 labour + £25 parts. I phoned customer services saying I wanted it done free of charge, and the £30 reimbursed, but no joy, so I have sent them "the letter", recorded delivery. Actually, I'm not sure if I want a repair as I have little confidence in the product. I'd prefer them to let me choose a replacement product altogether (and pay the difference if necessary).

 

Prestige, if not a Comet "own brand" seems only to be sold by Comet in the UK. Even on the Comet website they get atrocious reviews, and most of the faults look to be diverter valve problems. Wish I'd checked the reviews before I bought..

[dx100uk]

you need to start your ownthread

 

send a PM to this member

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/member.php?u=279608

 

dx

[jelly.g]

Update - sent 'the letter' with no helpful reply. I have to call an engineer (at my expense) and depending on their report they may discount the parts required!?!

[samspam10]

I have the same problem; the fridge froxe all of my food and the freezer virtually cooked everything. Mine broke down after 6 months then again at 14 months - typically just outside of warranty. I insured with another company luckily but it has still cost me the initial insurance policy (as the appliance was deemed uneconomical to repair), a second insurance policy on the new appliance, a minimum charge of £135 towards the cost of the new one (not by Prestige this time), and two lots of ruined food. I do not know how comet can get away with selling this appliance as it is faulty, a fact they are well aware of. I rang Prestige to complain the first time that it broke and they said that they do not sell the fridge freezers, they lease their name out to comet to put onto the fridge freezer; I do not know if that fact is of any use to anyone. My model number is PRT295FFCS. I am currently waiting for comet to get in touch with me as I have complained through email; I have threatened to take them to the small claims court, which I shall do if they do not offer me a suitable replacement. I refuse to claim through my insurance as this will have cost me the price of a replacement anyway. when we have paid around £400 for an appliance you expect it to last longer than 6 - 14 months. I am particularly annoyed as the Comet engineer that came out the first time said that this was a known, common fault and all he did was defrost the fan and move the temperature sensor over - as he did not replace any parts it subsequently broke down again. I now know that this was because it costs too much money for the faulty part to be replaced, and the 'repair' was in actual fact a quick fix measure. I will let you know how my case with comet progresses.

[dx100uk]

as in post #30

start your own thread and send a PM to comet response

from the link

 

dx

[Vinta]

I did PM comet reponse, as dx100uk said, but got no response.

 

An update: After sending the letter, I was eventually contacted by Comet to say that they would repair the fridge freezer for me, by replacing the diverter valve, for £7.58. Not sure how they arrived at that figure, but it was better than their first estimate of ~£100 so I agreed. Arranging the engineer to call was a nightmare in itself. Suffice to say that they came on the third attempt (last Monday). So the ordeal cost me £30.58 in total (£30 for the original call out).

 

I won't be shopping at Comet again...

[jelly.g]

I have now written to MD of comet and still nothing so have reported it on Watchdog website please all do the same and they might follow it up.

[dx100uk]

i think there was a period whereby comet response was p'haps not responding.

however i notice they have been very active of recent

 

so might be worth a try.

 

dx

[Pinkfizz2]

Well now I have the same problem and found this site yesterday. My Fridge/Freezer is PRT295FFCS and is just over 2 years old. The fridge has been freezing up and freezing the food and the freezer dropped to 0 oC

We switched it off to remove all the defrosting food and now nothing at all is working. I have phoned Comet this morning and they insist I have to pay the £30 call out and then £45 plus parts for any repair. I have arranged for an engineer and reluctantly paid £30 so will see what he says. I have used the same letter and sent it out today so I will not agree to any repairs until I have had a response from Comet.

[samspam10]

I reported comet to watchdog yesterday too; they must not be allowed to get away with this. If you want to make a difference and make comet answerable for their faulty goods, please make a case with watchdog - it's time the people fought back against these commercial giants!

[AtlantisZPM]

A problem with cheap products can be they are popular and many people will buy them. This means more of them could go wrong. I wonder what the failure rate of these were in comparison to a brand like Hotpoint.

[starman101]

Dear Prestige 295 owners, just an update for everyone! My 295ff is coming up to 1 year old and has performed fautlesley so far, and rightly so! I expect it to continue for many years to do the job its been designed for!

 

Perhaps I might make a suggestion to help keep your 295's working :-

 

1. Make sure f/f has rested after delivery at least 8 hours before you plug into the mains. (lets the gas/oil to settle out)

 

2. Keep the back wall of the fridge free from ALL food stuff's touching it, if you don't it will quickly start to build ice giving the micro-chip that controls the temperature false information, resulting in freezing/chilling problems.

 

3. Make sure the f/f is kept out of direct sunlight, and that it has a minimum of 2" gap at the back to allow the radiator to get rid of the heat.

 

4. Keep the interior of both fridge and freezer clean, and wipe away debris and spills that occur on a regular basis.

 

I bought my Prestige 295 because of its low price, and good looks, I especially like the LED temp display, and have been impressed with its accuracy in keeping my foodstuffs in excellent condition, and HOPE it will give many years of faithful service!

I also have read the many comments on this site and realise that I might yet have purchased a complete 'turkey', but so far, so good!

Regards, Starman101.

[Vinta]

I hope your fridge freezer continues to perform well. I, too, was happy with mine until it failed at 18 months old, despite having been well looked after.

 

There's an implication (maybe not intended) in your post that the problems with the Prestige fridge freezers are a result of not following your (very sensible) suggestions. However, this doesn't explain the atrocious ratings these products get on the review websites, compared to similar products from other manufacturers. Also the freezing/chilling problems are generally due to a stuck diverter valve. As I understand it, most other fridge freezers have separate coolant circuits for the fridge and freezer compartments, so there is no diverter valve to go wrong.

 

A note about waiting 8 hours before you plug it in. It says you should do this in the user manual. However, when the Comet delivery guys deliver the product, what's the first thing they do? Yes, they PLUG IT IN to check that it works! That's before you've even had a chance to read the manual!

[Pinkfizz2]

Well I must say that I was very happy with my fridge/freezer and looked after it with care.... that is until last week... when it all went downhill... Anyway an update from me... The engineer came today and condemed it and gave us a code for a replacement so it worth effort to challenge them as I expected it to last a lot longer than this. I didn't get the 30 pound callout charge back but am very happy with the outcome.

[Guest Comet Response]

I have now written to MD of comet and still nothing so have reported it on Watchdog website please all do the same and they might follow it up.

 

Hi jelly.g,

 

My name’s Matt and I’m from Comet.

 

It was disappointing to learn of the problems that you are experiencing with your Prestige fridge freezer, and that you have not had a response to your previous correspondence.

 

Therefore as I would like to take ownership of this issue, please email me your purchase details using the link below so that I can investigate further.

 

https://comet.custhelp.com

 

You will need to register a few details with us to be able to send your e-mail in.

 

 

Thanks

 

Matt

[Surfer01]

Matt there is an EU directive regarding the Sale of Goods which states that all goods sold within a member state of the EU will have a 2 year warranty. Britain is a member of the EU therefore why is it that retail stores continue to deny customers the right of repair, exchange or refund after 12 months? These stores are obviously not complying with the directive.

[dx100uk]

doesn't really need to apply in the UK

 

SOGA says 'resonable period'

 

that can be anything upto 6yrs depending upon the product.

2yrs for a F/F is not resonable SOGA applies

 

comet resp....sorry i did not alert you.

i did not realise someone else had jumped up on this thread with the same problem.

 

dx

[31052305]

I bought my Prestige in may 2008 and now I have the same problem as you all with the PRT295 and will also be using the letter above, hope thats ok. Very nice looking, but rubbish!

[sharon howard]

I too have a Prestige PRT 325 FFCS which is just 2 years old and has developed the same problem whereby the freezer has stopped working and the fridge freezes everything. I am amazed that there are so many others with the same problem. I have arranged for an engineer from a local firm to call to look at the freezer but may now cancel that and contact comet first. I am going to register problem on the Watchdog website too. I will ring Comet and will use "the letter" if no joy........

Edited August 29, 2010 by sharon howard