I bought a Hotpoint/Creda double oven cooker in October 2009. On the morning of 25th April 2010 while cooking breakfast, I momentarily moved away from the cooker and there was an almighty bang. The grill had exploded shooting sparks and debris across the kitchen. Lucky I or another member of the family was not standing infront of the appliance. I telephoned Hotpoint the next day and gave them the model number, serial number and explained exactly what had happened. They were very apologetic and would send an engineer out that Thursday. The engineer arrived, took one look and said "You need a new grill". Bowl me over, I never realised that I said, and he just said that he would have to order one and return when he had it. The following Thursday (11 days without the grill), he arrived (hooray), 2 hours late and put in the new grill. I asked him about the automatic timer on the main oven and he tried to get this to work, but had problems and said that he would have to order a part for this and booked me a slot, which I was happy with, now that I had a working grill and could cook decent food. Bye to the engineer. Cooker switch on, grill not working. I phoned customer service and they tried to contact him but he was not answering his phone. They said that they could only book him in for the 13 May (18 days without a grill). I take the day off work, to be here when he arrived and recieve a phone call from Hotpoint to say that he wont be coming as the part he has is not functional and they could only book me in for the following Thursday, totalling 25 days until this is resolved. HOTPOINT ARE A SHAM, THEY SHOULD GET THEIR STAFF RE-TRAINED AND NOT FOB PEOPLE OFF WITH A 3 DAY CALL OUT WHEN THEY DONT HAVE PARTS.

I bought my new home under 2 and a hlaf years ago...brand new, with 5 brand new hotpoint kitchen appliances...being an oven, hob, frdge freezer, dish washer and washer/dryer. Needless to say, the fridge freezer is the only item that ever functioned correctly and still works. I paid for all my warranties etc etc, for the last 2 and a half years. In that time, they have failed to fix my hob that does not light correctly, my oven which has broken functions, and as for the washer/dryer and dish washer...well, here begins the saga...

* Washer/dryer...broke down regularly...they never once came to repair it because I did not have the extended warranty number...why!!!...because they never sent the documentation that i reminded them they need to send, about a dozen times. So I married, and my wife and I spend 500 pounds on a new john lewis washer dryer...which by the way, is brilliant. So thats 500 pounds on my list so far, plus 100 pounds worth of warranty down the toilet.

* Next...the dish washer : never worked in the first place. Had to get repairmen in the week it was bought with the newly built home. 1 day fo work missed. 2 months later, the machine breaks down. a month passes, an engineer comes and gets it running. Day 2 of work missed.

3 months later, breaks down again. This time, repairman comes 2 months later. Day 3 missed.

a year passes, the machine breaks AGAIN. Dishwasher goes 3 months out of action. Tally of non-use now at 6 months, at 50 quid a year warranty...100 quids worth flushed. 2 months later, machine breaks down again. 2 months pas, day 4 of work missed. Machine lasts 3 months. Machine breaks AGAIN. This time, it takes 4 months for a repair man to arrive, he doesn't have the parts...needs new motor and heater...at least, and day 5 of work missed. Appointment 3 weeks later...he comes on the wrong day and I am not home. New apointment 2 weeks later...he gets the wrong day AGAIN. A week later, would you believe, hotpoint's idiot engineer fails to show a 3rd time. I have wasted 3 more days of work, I am furious...8 days work now missed. 4th time...he turns up, leaves, I switch ont he machine and it leaks in the ciruitry and blows all the fuses in my flat. Following week...he fails to show AGAIN...another missed day of work.

I go nuts at the services guy on the phone, he gets a different engineer to come that evening. He orders anpother new part, and a new appointment...today...I get a phone call at 10:30 saying he is not coming again...same twat as before. I am utterly furious. 5 missed appointments...10 days of work missed, and machine inoperable now for 7 and a half months.

In all that time, hotpoint are refusing to replace machines as per the contract, because they have to be written-off as irrepairable by the engineer...is that some sort of sick joke ??? I have argued that 7 and a half months of NO use, and 2 and a half years of breakdowns, and the manufacturers themselves completely fail to get the damn thing working...what constitutes as irrepairable ?!?! The engineers state that they are not actually allowed to write-off a machine nad hoptpoint will not replace any. I record them on my cctv system stating that fact. I am now taking Hotpoint to small claims court :

* 10 missed work days : 2000
* Warranties for 5 machines for 2 and a half years, all of which contracts have been broken by hotpoint : 750
* New washer/dryer : 500
* New dishwasher : 300
* Court costs 150

***TOTAL sued for : 3700 pounds.
I will NEVER EVER EVER buy a hotpoint appliance ever again, and quite frankly, I want to do very bad things that bunch of utter ****s.

I would steer clear of this Hotpoint BF41 because of the low energy rating and high water use. Door seals leak. Very difficult to get parts, even so, very expensive.