Having an issue with your Beko appliance?
Maybe your washing machine is leaking, or your fridge doesn’t keep things cool, perhaps your dishwasher doesn’t wash your dishes and your oven exploded!? (Exploded, wow!)
Whatever your issue is we’ve got you covered. We are going to walk you through the exact steps you need to take in order to get your issue satisfactorily resolved by Beko.
Plan Your Complaint To Beko
“Why do I need your help? Can’t I just ring them up and get them to sort the issue out?”
In an ideal world that would be all it would take. If you were dealing with a reputable company with decent customer service then that would probably do the job.
But as Beko have proven time and time again their Customer Service agents ARE NOT THERE TO SERVICE CUSTOMERS. Their entire function is to obfuscate, delay and stifle your concerns until such a time that you get weary and just drop your complaint.
Or if Twitter is not your jam, then what about these reviews from TrustPilot
Washing Machine has a consistent leak from the detergent drawer that has seeped through and destroyed floorboards.
BEKO Customer Service has not been helpful at all. The customer service agent told me that they do not consider this to be an issue with the machine.
– They first tried to blame us for not cleaning the detergent tray, even though we had previously told them we do not use the tray we use those pods that go in with the wash.
– Then they tried to say the issue would be fixed if we performed regular ‘maintenance washes’. The issue was not fixed by this.
– Then they sent us a new detergent drawer, which again did not fix the issue.
3 engineers came out to view the machine and each one of them told me that it was a known issue with the machine and to perform maintenance washes regularly but if it persists there is nothing they can do.
BEKO continues to accept no liability even in the face of the above.
Dangerous products awful customer service
Truly awful company and truly dangerous products. Bought a Beko washing machine, fridge and freezer less than 3 years ago. Had to hand back the washing machine within less than a month and buy a different brand, because it was faulty. The fridge was doing fine until the door started disintegrating. Unfortunately, the warranty ran out last November, so when the hinge disintegrated and the door came off in my hands (luckily not on top of my 3-year-old, or that would have been a wrongful death lawsuit!), the company refused to replace the door for free or even get it repaired free of charge. Shoddy products and awful customer service. Beko should be ashamed!
A very disappointing experience
Unfortunately our fridge freezer that was bought in 2019 has broken and cannot be fixed. I have had a very unsatisfactory experience with customer services where I was told that the warranty of the product is the lifespan of the product. I wanted to complain but instead I was hung up on. A very disappointing experience of the product and the customer service – a brand I will never buy from again.
Check out their Twitter Feed or their TrustPilot reviews if you need more convincing
What You Need To Prepare Before Complaining
Before you even think about filing your complaint you need to make sure you have everything you are going to need to make your complaint a success. This includes:
- Your receipt (or bank records showing when it was purchased)
- Any warranty information you were given at the time of sale
- Creating a timeline of what happened and when
- Photos of the issue and any secondary damage caused (e.g. if you’re fridge stopped working what food was spoiled?)
- The make, model and serial number of the appliance in question (google how to find these for your appliance)
Making Your Complaint
This is the easy part. Go to the Beko website and fill in their contact form (Alternatively you can go to the free Resolver complaints service and make your complaint direct to Beko.)
Make sure you fully describe the issue you have faced and tell them what you expect them to do about it. Include all of the information you prepared in the previous section and submit it.
Using the Resolver service is good as it produces a clear audit trail should the complaint need to be escalated. However it is difficult to add other parties to the email chain should you need later to on when following up and escalating.
If anyone calls you about your complaint either record the call (using an app) or tell them you require a response in writing and disconnect the call.
You should also initiate a complaint with the retailer of your product. To do so Google – Retailer + Complaints Process. For example if you bought from Curry’s you would find this site. The retailer will likely not be liable for issues with the appliance however it is worth exploring all of your options.
If Beko respond to your complaint and provide restitution that is agreeable to you then fantastic.
Following Up On Your Complaint
Based on past customer experiences Beko will take a long time to respond to your complaint. I feel it is fair to give them a week before following up. Once this happens you want to send a follow up asking for their response. Just short and sweet:
Dear Beko,
Please advise on the latest regarding my below issue. I am still without [home appliance] and the costs incurred due to this issue not being resolved are increasing by the day
Regards
Now is also the time to mobilise your social media accounts. Unfortunately Customer Service at some firms only extends as far as their public image. A lot of firms are happy to screw you over behind closed doors, but when you come at them in public they are quick to make amends.
Send off a short status update @ or Mentioning the Beko account. Do not Direct Message as you want this to be public. Quickly describe your issue and mention how you have raised the issue already (quote your reference number) and are yet to hear back.
Head on over to TrustPilot and file a 1 star review saying the same thing. Also file complaints on any customer review sites you frequent.
Escalating Your Complaint
If you followed the advice in the previous section you will have definitely had some contact from Beko, usually within a few days. If Beko have provided some kind of final decision that you are unhappy with OR if they have still not yet responded it is time to escalate the issue.
You should still be conversing via email for the audit trail. If you have been contacted outside of the Resolver system ensure that you CC the Resolver email into every reply.
Reply ALL within the email and send to the below additional emails:
- executivecustomer.care@beko.co.uk – Executive Customer Care Team At Beko
- teresa.arbuckle@beko.co.uk – MD of BekoUK
- hakan.bulgurlu@arcelik.com – CEO of BekoUK’s parent company
- PR@beko.co.uk
- The email address of the retailer’s Customer Service department + CEO/MD (for example if you bought from AO.com you would include customerservices@ao.com & jr@ao.com)
Politely but firmly repeat your initial complaint points and explain that the customer service department in their organisation is failing to meet your needs and ask them to please escalate your issue to the relevant team for immediate action.
After you send this email do another round of social media posts (do not reply to the previous threads, create a new one) and post comments in Beko’s most recent post on each social site. Repeat in public that Beko are not accepting responsibility for their product’s shortcomings and invite the respective team to escalate the matter. Do this after every email interaction you have with Beko until a resolution is provided.
Similarly create a new review in TrustPilot after every encounter. You are reviewing your experience with the company so it is not a duplicate review.
The aim is to provide as much external pressure on Beko to admit responsibility for their product’s shortcomings and provide restitution.
How To Respond To A Beko Engineer Visit
As part of the Beko investigation they may ask if they can send out an engineer to inspect the fault. Allow the request and arrange for someone to be home during the visit.
If there is no flexibility with the booking ensure you make a note of any expenses incurred (taking time off work or paying for a house minder etc.).
When the engineer is approaching take out your phone and start an audio recording.
When the engineer enters your property tell them that you have recording devices in the property, Ring Spotlights and Nanny cams, that type of thing. It is generally legal to record in your own home.
Once the engineer has left transcribe the voice recording and keep it with the rest of your notes about the case. This could prove invaluable later when the customer service team contradicts what the engineer told you.
Escalating Your Complaint To 3rd Parties
Unfortunately Beko are a stubborn company. They have likely done the calculations and realise that it is worth it to reject most complaints and deal with the fallout than it is to provide actual good customer service and rectify the problems with their products. Like the time they neglected to tell trading standards that their appliances had caused multiple deaths.
If you are still emailing with Beko, including all the additional parties mentioned earlier. If you are still posting messages across all of their social media and review pages, and you are still not getting anywhere, just going round and round on the same point.
If you are still doing all of these things and getting nowhere then it is time to progress to the next stage.
Beko want you to get frustrated with not getting anywhere and just give up. But we have a few more channels to explore first.
Before progressing to this stage you need to ensure that all of your documentation is together and easy to navigate. Have a cover page as a summary of the issues and then all of the supporting evidence linked and catalogued. This will be submitted to each of the 3rd parties.
1) Do a chargeback on your Credit Card
If you paid with cash this won’t be an option for you. if you paid with a debit card, credit card or via an online payment processor then file a complaint directly with your bank/card provider/processor.
Provide all of the details you have collated and ask them to reverse the transaction.
If you paid by a credit card you may be able to claim on Section 75 or via the chargeback mechanism. It is worth doing some advance reading on this and then calling your bank to proceed.
2) Report Beko To Trading Standards
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/get-more-help/report-to-trading-standards/
All reports to trading standards pass through Citizens Advice first who will be able to provide further guidance on your complaint.
Provide them with your summary sheet and comprehensive complaint file when requested.
If your issue is with a faulty product that is potentially dangerous (e.g. dodgy wiring or exploding glass) then ensure this is highlighted.
3) Report Beko To Your Member of Parliament
MPs are supposed to represent their constituents. So contact your MP and see if they will represent you. When you write to your MP ensure you highlight how you have been impacted by this issue and how it is affecting your day-to-day life. MPs will be extra sympathetic to additional costs hitting their constituents in this time of increased living costs. If you have kids that are also suffering or any other vulnerable members of society in your household ensure this is highlighted in your message.
Contact your MP – https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp/
Write to them – https://www.writetothem.com/
4) Make A Court Claim Against Beko For Restitution
If you are able to prove damages as a result of the poor quality of Beko’s products then you may be entitled to compensation through the courts.
Small Claims Courts – https://www.gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money
I am purposely leaving this section short as I am not a qualified solicitor or legal professional and do not want any of my advice to be construed as legal advice. Your situation will be unique and you need to decide whether pursuing legal action is right for you.
Life After Your Beko Complaint
Hopefully your Beko complaint was successful and you got everything you wanted out of the process.
Regardless of how things went make sure that you tell your friends and family about your experience to prevent anyone going through the same ordeal that you did.
We would love to hear about your experience. Please think about sharing your issue in the comments below.
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