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. 9892443220
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