Smeg Hirsch Oven rusting

I have the same problem as many other complainants around the world. I purchased a Smeg gas stove and electric oven in 2022. I had one before, however I did not buy it, it was in the house we bought and the space was specially built to accommodate it. It worked well but we thought it was old and had not been looked after by previous owners as it was rusting particularly around the *****s that hold the fan cover on as well as that hold up the element. Eventually we had to use wire to hold the element up. I decided to buy a new one which I knew I would take better care of and I gave the old one to a young man that wanted it and he stripped it to repair it himself. He said everything inside was rusted as well. Just over 2 years into my new one I happened to notice bubbles in the enamel by the drip tray (where the oven door opens and closes and not an easy place to clean at all). On further inspection, the protective fan cover was loose because all the *****s had rusted and where they ***** into had rusted as well so they had nowhere to hold onto anymore. There was rust on the fan blades and rust powder everywhere that would be blowing into our food. same as the former one it replaced. Similar to Carmi another complainant, Smeg, to my surprise sent me a quote to replace all the rusted areas approx R4500. At that point I had not pulled the oven out to find the corrosion on the black panel and the *****s as well as the back right leg. I also found corrosion and rust on the drawer door as well as inside the drawer which is never used. The bottom of the oven enamel only where we put water to vape clean as instructed is flaking off and rusting. Smeg uk say that vinegar and salt left in the oven can damage the surface and cause rust. who doesn't cook with salt! and when you steam the oven, that salt will turn into vapour and go everywhere in the oven..........we can only wipe areas we can get to, not behind *****s and fan covers where it is rusting most. Smeg told me it is due to how I am cleaning it and after 6 months they are sticking to this. When the technicians came, they didn't even look at the oven. The first thing they asked was, how do I clean it, so I told them with the steam/ vape cleaning function. I eventually opened it to show them the problem. They were in and out in 10 minutes. i did not realise the significance of the question until I received their quote, as it is still under warranty, and their justification behind not covering the problem.

I bought my oven from Hirsch and whilst they are trying to assist, Smeg have told them the same and I mostly dealing with Smeg.

Bottom line: paid top money for premium brand and two years later, they offered me a "trade-in" They will take the old one and I must pay R6100 for a new one. This is a gesture of goodwill by the way as per Rudolph Pieterse the General Manager of customer services SA. I am not sure if they understood that my GP has medical records of complaints going back to and that only started in 2021 when we moved into our new house of symptoms attributed to rust poisoning. This will be my third Smeg. What if it rusts again, they will blame me and I will be in the same position as this one and even worse, the metal/ rust poisoning can cause cancer. Incidentally, they provide no proof or evidence that it is rusting due to cleaning products. Its based on a pure assumption.

I would think hundreds of times before paying so much money for a Smeg, consider cheaper alternatives that look as nice, maybe hi sense even as it is half the price, looks nice and at least if you have a problem 2 years in, you have only lost R10000. Also incidentally Siemens oven inside looks the same as Smeg. Also Vape clean. so where to from here...I always thought when you pay premium you get premium service, but sadly Smeg are doing the dirty on all their unassuming trusting clients. I think Carte Blanche would get great air time reviewing this matter as well as Carmi's and other references I provided Smeg with, who have had the same complaint. Consumer protection act requires that the product must be of adequate quality and design to suit the purpose for which it is used. If salt and vinegar can cause rust as per Smeg UK then it is not meeting the requirements of the CPA, and there is a problem as we all cook with that and we all using vape cleaning function....