FAULTY PRODUCT AND POOR SERVICE RESPONSE

The matter in question relates to Defy product purchased through Hirschs Homestore (Fourways).

My wife and I purchased a Defy oven and a Defy hob around October/November 2018 (ie about 16 months ago), although delivery was only taken some weeks later, and we have had a most disappointing experience and service ever since. Since installation, these products have been problematic with various faults occurring, some repeatedly. We have had to request various service callouts from Defy technicians, this having been requested through Hirschs (as per Hirschs instructions) who in turn liaised with Defy. Herewith a record of 3 callouts, with Defy's job/service reference numbers, which were required in less than 12 months from purchase: • 1st call out – ref no 997717 (this was to attend to the oven door which was creaking and apparently misaligned, and importantly, also to attend to a problem with the plates/burners on the hob); • 2nd call out – ref no *** (to attend to the oven's thermofan which was not operating properly, and to check the functionality of the top oven top element); • 3rd call out (15 Nov 2019) – ref no *** (to AGAIN to attend to the oven thermofan problem, which the technician apparently replaced, and to ensure the top oven top element was working correctly)

[We note that Defy at one stage - when the 3rd service request was made - claimed that they have had no record of the first 2 call-outs. This is simply ridiculous and most unprofessional. We are not sure under what number Defy has us on record, ie either mine *** or my wife's, ***, but either way it was unacceptable. Furthermore, as a long standing customer of Hirsch’s, we also could not believe that they did not have a record of logged customer issues and the action that was taken at the time. This has seemingly subsequently been rectified].

Two days ago, Monday 24 Feb (2020), we AGAIN needed to request, through Hirschs (Karishma Juggai, the Assistant Manager at Hirschs Fourways), for Defy to attend to our oven, as the thermofan, which was attended to and apparently replaced just over 3 months ago (on 15th November), is AGAIN not working! [We note that in those 3 months we were overseas and/or away from home for extended periods, so the oven was only used sparingly in that time].

Despite "logging" the situation as unacceptable and requesting urgent attention to the matter, it has taken over 2 days to receive any contact whatsoever from Defy to advise on when a technician would be attending to it, and this only after I have contacted Hirschs on several occasions over the last two days (via email and by phone) to try establish what action had been taken. Hirschs assured me that they had been emailing and calling Defy, and in this regard I am in receipt of a copy of one particular email between Karishma Juggai at Hirschs and a certain Jan van Zyl, who is apparently Defy's Field Service Manager for Gauteng South.

We also note that, despite the oven and the hob clearly having been faulty since they were purchase and installed, both Defy (and Hirschs) have refused to replace these products. Al-in-all the response has been shocking and simply totally unacceptable!