# Siemens customer service



## USER1999 (Aug 28, 2013)

Rant alert!

I have a Siemens washer dryer, it's just over two years old (so has just limped out of warranty). It comes up with an error code, E13 whenever it is turned on. It can be made to work by randomly turning it on and off, but this is extremely annoying. It cost upwards of Â£850 to buy.

I have called out a local guy, but he can't fix it, and says I need to get Siemens involved.

Great, it's Â£80 call out outside the m25, and Â£100 inside. I live a stones throw from the m25, but on the inside.

They can only book a 4 hour slot. This is ridiculous. We both work. I book 6 til 10, which means I will be very late for work, or have to take the morning off, but I have no holiday left. I got up at half five, and waited til 9.15, when the engineer calls, and says he will try to be there by 11.45. I cancel, as I'm already supposed to be in a meeting.

I can't re-book through the engineer, only customer services, who can only offer 4 hour windows. 6 til 10, 9 til 1, or 1 til 5. This is not going to work for me, but they are totally inflexible, despite messing me about this morning.

So, i have an Â£850 pile of scrap sat in my house. It doesn't work properly, I can't get it fixed, and they have no solution to offer, (a definite bookable time, an out of hours, a phone call when the engineer is half hour away, etc), zip.

I could order a new machine (not Siemens), but it'll probably have a 4 hour delivery slot, and I'd be writing off Â£850, plus the cost of the new machine.

There is no guarantee that the engineer can fix it either, so I could also be throwing away the Â£100 call out, and still have to buy a new machine.

Either way, I will never buy anything from them again. Their customer service is appalling. What is so hard about scheduling their engineers work so that he knows in advance where he will be? Why can't people who have been messed about with previously, and who already have the hump, not get preferential times, at the start of the window?


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## DCB (Aug 28, 2013)

Tried hitting the door release with a hammer yet ?


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## Foxholer (Aug 28, 2013)

http://www.justanswer.com/uk-applia...r-e13-washer-dryer-siemens-wk14d320gb-01.html


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## Wolfman (Aug 28, 2013)

Move house or buy a new washer dryer from Hopoint


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## chris661 (Aug 28, 2013)

Scheduling wise the engineer could have 8 jobs a day and the first 2 take 10 mins and the next two take two hours how can you plan that? 

I do agree it is pretty poor service though


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## forefortheday (Aug 28, 2013)

Have you tried Domestic & General?

They sorted our cooker when it blew cost Â£130 for a years cover and no call out charges or labour etc.

I know the parts cost more than that for me to buy to repair my cooker so it worked out great value.


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## USER1999 (Aug 28, 2013)

Foxholer said:



http://www.justanswer.com/uk-applia...r-e13-washer-dryer-siemens-wk14d320gb-01.html

Click to expand...

I shall be trying this out tonight when I get home. It couldn't be that easy, could it?


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## Foxholer (Aug 28, 2013)

murphthemog said:



			I shall be trying this out tonight when I get home. It couldn't be that easy, could it?
		
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Certainly worth trying before forking out Â£100 and taking half a day off!


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## Twire (Aug 28, 2013)

murphthemog said:



			I shall be trying this out tonight when I get home. It couldn't be that easy, could it?
		
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No they charge you..

Your better off googling the model number and trying to find a forum, and then someone with the same problem that's how I managed to fix ours.


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## Alex1975 (Aug 28, 2013)

murphthemog said:



			I shall be trying this out tonight when I get home. It couldn't be that easy, could it?
		
Click to expand...


I am praying this is the answer, while I feel your frustration and do not wish to make fun, if this works it will be AWESOME for you and us!


I am however shocked at the capital cost of the equipment, I had no idea you could spend that much on a washing machine... I would want a happy ending after ever wash!!


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## Evesdad (Aug 28, 2013)

After fitting a new u bend on the sink and re attaching the washing machine I got an error message and the machine wouldn't drain. Checked all the details on line and thought the pump had gone! Could get one cheap enough from evilbay etc but would need to fit it etc.  suddenly had a eureka moment, unattached the washing machine to realise I'd left the bung in the washing machine pipe attachment thingy of the u bend! Donut! Took it out put hose back on bingo! Had me in a right cold sweat at the thought of buying a new one!


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## USER1999 (Aug 29, 2013)

No further forwards.

Mrs mog is going to speak to customer services, and see how she gets on.


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## chellie (Aug 29, 2013)

Could be worth looking at the forum on  http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/


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## USER1999 (Nov 30, 2013)

This gets better.

Machine now dead, so try customer services again. I book for Friday, 12 til 4, with the proviso that I need to be called 1/2 hour minimum before arrival, or I won't be there.

So I leave work at half one, and get a call 10 minutes later saying the engineer will be there in ten minutes. I drive a car, not a time machine.

I get home at two, and let the guy in. He explains that E13 could be one of three things, door lock, heating element, or mother board. Two of these are out of stock. Why turn up?

He has the door lock, so fits that. It's fairly common, apparently. Why?

He tries to run a wash programme, which works. Wow. Like its never done that before. He charges Â£136 and leaves. He has been there ten minutes. 

I go to put a load of washing on. Nope, E13, not going to work. Engineer has gone, but even if he was still there, he didn't have the required parts to fix it, or any way of diagnosing what the fault is without just randomly replacing parts, at my expense.

Back on the phone Monday then.

I also get a text asking for feed back on the efficiency of their service.

Ha!


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## sawtooth (Nov 30, 2013)

Whats the full model number of your rmachine Murph?


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## USER1999 (Nov 30, 2013)

ENR = WK14D 320GB/01
Serial No. 990060 347651001991
FD = 9006 000 199
Type 22058


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## medwayjon (Nov 30, 2013)

How about appealing to them via Twitter?

I made a complaint to a company on Twitter and because it is in the public domain, they literally bent over backwards to help, and to be seen to be offering good customer service was good PR for them.


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## USER1999 (Nov 30, 2013)

medwayjon said:



			How about appealing to them via Twitter?

I made a complaint to a company on Twitter and because it is in the public domain, they literally bent over backwards to help, and to be seen to be offering good customer service was good PR for them.
		
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Given the choice between joining twitter, or shelling out Â£900 for a new washing machine, I'm reaching for the cheque book!


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## HomerJSimpson (Nov 30, 2013)

I have been having real issues with Debenhams and some lights. Tried customer services for two weeks without any joy so put a factual but polite post on their Facebook page yesterday. Had someone contact me within ten minutes. Granted they then mucked me around all day until I put on there I was getting BBC Watchdog and Trading Standards involved. The wife had a call at 6.30 as promised and a full refund due to hit her credit card by Tuesday plus Â£20 in compensation for the cost of the calls. Found the same lights Â£100 cheaper on Amazon


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## DappaDonDave (Nov 30, 2013)

Karma for buying a stupidly expensive timepiece.

But

http://www.fixya.com/support/t10486544-unblock_pump_in


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## USER1999 (Nov 30, 2013)

DappaDonDave said:



			Karma for buying a stupidly expensive timepiece.

But

http://www.fixya.com/support/t10486544-unblock_pump_in

Click to expand...

Drain is fine, I checked that out early doors. on my model, I pop the lower panel off, and the thing just unscrews. Easy.

It's not that the machine is faulty that's bugging me, but the customer service, which is terrible. Not what I expected, but then what is these days?


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## Golfmmad (Nov 30, 2013)

Can't help with your present problem Murph, but if you go down the new washing machine route, don't get a washer dryer. According to my Brother-in-law, (WM engineer), they're not worth the extra money and are usually the first thing to go wrong. Get a separate dryer, clothes airer or peg it outside.


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## USER1999 (Nov 30, 2013)

Golfmmad said:



			Can't help with your present problem Murph, but if you go down the new washing machine route, don't get a washer dryer. According to my Brother-in-law, (WM engineer), they're not worth the extra money and are usually the first thing to go wrong. Get a separate dryer, clothes airer or peg it outside.
		
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 Shortly after buying this, we bought a heated clothes rack, which we use all the time (except in summer!), and have used the dryer twice. Don't really need it, but writing off a Â£900 machine irks me a tad. Good advice for any one thinking of buying a washer dryer though!


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## Evesdad (Nov 30, 2013)

We have the heated airer works a treat thoroughly recommend one. As for washer dryers we've had a zanussi one for nearly 8 years with no problems. That's given it the kiss of death!


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## sawtooth (Dec 1, 2013)

Murph I've done a bit of work on machines that I have owned (2 consecutive Bosch washing machines). In my experience only the usual things have gone wrong and I have changed these all myself. What I would call normal wear and tear items, door seals, motor brushes and drain pumps.  Although in your case brushes would not failed in only 2 years.

After googling there's some suggestion that drainage could be related to the problem. Fortunately it is a cheap trial and error exercise to change the water pump - only a tenner part and easy enough to install. Check below.

http://www.espares.co.uk/search/mo1434470/washing-machines/siemens/wk14d320gb/01

At the same time it would be worth checking the drainage pipe out and make sure that where the drainage pipe enters the house plumbing that its clear and not furred up. This will clog over time and maybe your machine is sensing that residual water cannot drain fast enough. I did find at least one thread online that supports this theory with E13 and someone here mentioned it as well.

I think most machines start by doing a drain cycle , I know my bosch does. Does the error show up straight away?

I don't know how much you are prepared to do yourself but maybe worth pulling the machine out and temporarily place the drain pipe into the sink to see if you can see water running away nicely. Of course you would need to get the machine to do a rinse and/or drain cycle if you can.


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## USER1999 (Dec 1, 2013)

Thanks sawtooth, I might try that a bit later on. The error comes up pretty much straight away.


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## Foxholer (Dec 1, 2013)

Golfmmad said:



			Can't help with your present problem Murph, but if you go down the new washing machine route, don't get a washer dryer. According to my Brother-in-law, (WM engineer), they're not worth the extra money and are usually the first thing to go wrong. Get a separate dryer, clothes airer or peg it outside.
		
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Have to agree with this! Combo machines compromise both functions, so should be avoided wherever possible. That advice was from an engineer who, while admitting he disliked working on them, made a higher percentage of his income from repairing combo machines!


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## USER1999 (Dec 1, 2013)

Well I've pulled the drain plug out of it, and it's not full of water. I've tried running it on different programmes etc, about 20 times through the morning, with no luck, and then it has suddenly burst into life, so at least we'll have some clean clothes! It's odd how it runs sometimes, and but not often. Intermittent faults, aren't they the best!


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## DappaDonDave (Dec 1, 2013)

Foxholer said:



			Have to agree with this! Combo machines compromise both functions, so should be avoided wherever possible. That advice was from an engineer who, while admitting he disliked working on them, made a higher percentage of his income from repairing combo machines!
		
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I agree. When I first moved out of my parents home with my now wife, we bought a Beko Fridge Freezer, Beko Washing Machine and Indesit Dryer. We bought the washing machine because it matched the fridge in colour (silver) and because it was cheap. The sales assistant told us she'd had multiple units returned recently within days/weeks of purchase because they were faulty, we didn't listen, what 19 year old would? ITS SILVER who cares if it breaks.

Anyway, 5 years on, multiple loads and overloads of washing and the machine is going strong. No servicing, no warranty, just clean clothes. I think it was about Â£180.

Our dryer packed up about 6 months ago and we replaced it with a beko dryer WHICH IS EPIC, its about 30 mins to dry a normal load of clothes. The fridge is also still going strong.

MY POINT IS...don't bother spending Â£900 on a washing machine thats all digital and shiny. Keep it simple, I don't need 1500 settings, just 1...WASH.

Hope you get the problem sorted though, alternatively, go and buy a beko for the price of your repair.


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