Defective and life-threatening Ryobi Lawnmower from Makro Germiston

On 21 November 2018, we purchase a RYOBI 2000W Electric Lawnmower at R1990.00 at Makro Germiston, Serial Number: ***; during Black Friday. The lawnmower was bought for residential and private purpose only. It worked for few days, and it became difficult to start the engine; if it could start it abruptly stopped & smoked. I took it back to the store and I was also advised that I should also warm the engine for about 10 minutes without running it. I did exactly that but the problem recurred! By this time I had taken the machine to the store on two or more occasions. At the store, I was told that the lawnmower would be booked for observation at the manufacturer location. Since buying the machine, I had returned it more than three times but for the same results.

Results from the manufacturer came back and demanded the payment of R517.90 because the blade was worn and it was replaced, including other things. I never had a problem with the blade. The machine could start smoking and I would quickly stopped it. I demanded a new machine or refund, but all fell on deaf ears! I paid the money on 1 March 2020.

The most part of 2019, there was no grass to cut in my yard because it was a very dry season till the beginning of November 2020. On 8 November 2020, I took it out from the garage to start cutting the grass after some summer rainfall. The machine did the same thing of not functioning, and if it could overcome its erratic action, it would be releasing smoke. Once this problem emerged, I would be forced to switch it off as it was posing a life-threatening risk to me and my family. Within a minute, the lawnmower was on fire, and I quickly ran to the tap to extinguish the blaze. It was a scary moment of our lives, and imagined that had I hastened to take it back to the garage, the worst could have happened like catching fire in the garage and burning our house down! And I wonder if Makro or the manufacturer could have accepted responsibility? I doubt that.

On 9 November 2020, I took the remains of the lawnmower to Makro. I was told of the same process of taking it to the manufacturer for investigation. On 13 November 2020, I got a call from the shop demanding about R3000.00. The new lawnmower (same size, and brand) was simultaneously at approximately R3000.00. We could not pay for the ever defective and life threatening machine . We felt so disappointed at this bad treatment. We are between a rock and a hard place as our matter was at the hands of Makro and the manufacturer in Midrand. Who will assist us in this case? I used to cut the grass in my yard in my free time but now I am forced to hire people to clean the yard on weekly basis. Very sad and disappointed indeed.