From Smeg to Zero

On 24 December 2019 one of the three bowls of our Smeg kitchen sink started leaking after modest use over the past five years; it had been installed in 2014. The parts were no longer serviceable and had to be replaced. Our very reliable plumber who is available 24/7 arrived within an hour of my phone call. Eager to resolve the issue before Christmas day, he went hunting for a replacement part and arrived with a generic fitting that could not be installed by the wildest stretches of any imagination.

Repeat above times four; no luck. The last and final option (attempt number 5) on 17 January 2020 was to actually buy a small single Smeg kitchen sink at great cost simply to get hold of the made-for-purpose part that needed to be replaced. No retailer that carries Smeg kitchen sinks had any replacement parts and categorically stated that they are simply not available.

I am now looking with different eyes at the Smeg gas hop that we had installed. And a Smeg oven. And a Smeg extractor fan. None gave us any trouble whatsoever, but goodness knows what it is going to cost if any part needs to be replaced and the only solutions is to buy the entire appliance if one wants a serviceable unit again.

Smeg South Africa, my message to you is simple and short. Stick to your appliances and make sure that any parts that might become unserviceable are readily available. As for your kitchen sinks, send your entire current consignment back to Italy. If you cannot provide accessories that might have to be replaced, it is ethically indefensible to sell equipment that you cannot service cost effectively.

If there had been a lower than one star rating option, that is what you deserve in this instance.