Mower recall, transport costs?

[poo at Paul's]

HI,
Bought a new (brand new) tractor mower on 7th May from my local dealer, just an update to the old one, we change them every 5-8 years. Same model, just slightly updated.
Basically, I call them at start of year, tell them I am changing, they ask for photo of old one, give me a px cost to change, deliver out new one on wagon and take old one away, simple. It is my 3rd now in 15 years.

We got a letter at weekend about a safety recall from the manufacturer, and warning to stop using immediately, contact dealer for recall.
So I call them, apparently parts are not in yet, but I am on the list for contact, so fine, just wait to hear.
But they then said I had to get the machine into them once the parts are in. I pointed out it is a big bit of kit and they always deliver, for servicing they collect and return etc, but they say that the recall parts and labour are covered, but I have to either deliver it to them or pay £30 (which isn't bad as they are 15 miles away) for collection (not sure if that includes delivery back). .
Tried calling manufacturer who's letter I have but no one taking calls, just left message.

For a safety recall like this, and bearinig in mind its age, should the manufacturer cover such costs? I presume their liability is limited to parts and labour only, but for a large machine like this, there are practical implications to such a recall, and it is only 5 weeks old!
But I presume I need to either try for goodwill from dealer or suck it up and pay it?

Annoying really, I have a van but it is off the road at the moment, and wont be back til August, so only option is to use them I think.

[Djtemeka]

At £30 I wouldn’t even bother. I’d just pay it to get it collected. It’s not the shops fault. I doubt the manufacturer would even bother replying to you if you asked. I’d certainly expect a much larger collection bill. £30 doesn’t really cover costs

[leyorkie]

Have you got two trips to consider to the dealer then back home after the fix.
I would be more concerned about keeping the grass cut if you can’t use your ride on.
Have they sold your old one? Can you get it back on loan

We had a Dyson heater recalled they supplied all the packaging and arranged courier.
So I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect some support.

Edited by leyorkie on Monday 17th June 10:52

[poo at Paul's]

Yeah, it is both ways it seems, so is £60, sadly, otherwise for £30 I am inclined to agree it is cheap.
There's no option for them to do it in the field either.
Just a bit of a shame that it comes up now, I have only used the thing twice in 5 weeks and one of them was just to try it out for the sake of it!

[Durzel]

On the basis you have a property/properties large enough to actually utilise a tractor mower much less one that is changed every 5-8 years (are innovations in tractor mowers that awe-inspiring that it merits upgrading?) then I'd have assumed £60 is chicken feed for a stress free collection and return.

Yes I know the whole "I didn't get rich from spending frivolously" but as said £30 each way wouldn't cover costs if you were to try and get it transported yourself via Shiply or whatever. For the sake of £60 and then picking it up and dropping it back off to you fixed, is it worth the aggro trying to make alternative arrangements?

Perhaps argue £60 off the next one / uplift on your P/X and consider yourself having broken even?

[megaphone]

I'd expect the dealer to do this for nothing as you are a good customer etc. That's why you buy from a dealer, for support.

[KungFuPanda]

If it was a car in for recall, you’d expect to have to take it to the garage yourself.

I’d just pay the collection and drop off charge.

[Rude-boy]

megaphone said:

I'd expect the dealer to do this for nothing as you are a good customer etc. That's why you buy from a dealer, for support.

I tend to agree with this. The dealer then taking it up with the manufacturer as to cost recovery for sorting.

Having up graded the house this year i now have 1 ride on mower and one old one with no cutting deck to tow the garden trailer about. First one is a Snapper rear engine job, second hand bought from the mower man for £450.

The tractor was £50 and spotted with a flat battery and front tire in the back of an old boy's shed when we were picking up a stair gate on freecycle (have a few toddlers and parents coming over for a long weekend soon and our house is less child friendly than a smelting works). Mower man collected (about 15 miles from his base) took back, fixed tires and battery, gave it full service, welded on a tow point and delivered back to me for £80.

I've also had a second hand FS40 strimmer off him in the last month as it was rude not to at £75 fully refurbished compared to £120 for some half crank pos that will die in a couple of years and be harder to use and less effective before it does)

The last time i needed him was in about 2005 when i sold my last big gardened house.

If I get that sort of service from a one man band i deal with irregularly with cut price second hand kit (100% mechanically, you can always respray yourself if you need shiny as well as works well) then i would be sorely pissed off in the OP's shoes.

[NGee]

KungFuPanda said:

If it was a car in for recall, you’d expect to have to take it to the garage yourself.

Yes, that's because you can drive your car there, you can't drive a ride on lawn mower to the local dealer!

Manufacturer fked up (hence why it needs a recall), manufacturer pays.

[Cold]

Just fifteen miles, you say?

[poo at Paul's]

Durzel said:

On the basis you have a property/properties large enough to actually utilise a tractor mower much less one that is changed every 5-8 years (are innovations in tractor mowers that awe-inspiring that it merits upgrading?) then I'd have assumed £60 is chicken feed for a stress free collection and return.

I know what you mean, but £60 is £60, to you, me and everyone else!
I bought a brand new mower in good faith and 5 weeks in it is costing £60 to send it back to have it fixed. Had they called up the day before delivery and suddenly stuck £60 on the price, should I have just paid it? Of course I would not have. So 5 weeks in, should I just pay it?

Surely it is important the fact it is a safety recall, and the letter says I must not use it until fixed. AND of course, the parts are not yet available anyway. So I am without a mower at present and it seems like it cannot wait til the machine is over there anyway, eg at a service etc? Does that have any bearing on who should bear the costs?

[Durzel]

poo at Paul's said:

Durzel said:

On the basis you have a property/properties large enough to actually utilise a tractor mower much less one that is changed every 5-8 years (are innovations in tractor mowers that awe-inspiring that it merits upgrading?) then I'd have assumed £60 is chicken feed for a stress free collection and return.

I know what you mean, but £60 is £60, to you, me and everyone else!
I bought a brand new mower in good faith and 5 weeks in it is costing £60 to send it back to have it fixed. Had they called up the day before delivery and suddenly stuck £60 on the price, should I have just paid it? Of course I would not have. So 5 weeks in, should I just pay it?

Surely it is important the fact it is a safety recall, and the letter says I must not use it until fixed. AND of course, the parts are not yet available anyway. So I am without a mower at present and it seems like it cannot wait til the machine is over there anyway, eg at a service etc? Does that have any bearing on who should bear the costs?

I guess the problem, as mentioned before, is that it's not the fault of the place you bought the mower from that it has a safety recall, it's the "fault" of the manufacturer. Your contract is with the dealer, not the manufacturer, so basically either you end up paying it or the dealer absorbs the cost.

That said I'm quite surprised that they aren't willing to take the £60 hit themselves given they must do pretty well out of you.

I was a bit flippant in my original reply, as you rightly point out few people would seek to lose £60 if they could help it.

[Sheepshanks]

Rude-boy said:

Mower man collected (about 15 miles from his base) took back, fixed tires and battery, gave it full service, welded on a tow point and delivered back to me for £80.

That's not a 'business' price though, that's someone doing stuff as a hobby.

[Alucidnation]

KungFuPanda said:

If it was a car in for recall, you’d expect to have to take it to the garage yourself.

I’d just pay the collection and drop off charge.

Quite.

[So]

KungFuPanda said:

If it was a car in for recall, you’d expect to have to take it to the garage yourself.

I’d just pay the collection and drop off charge.

I wouldn't. It's the dealer's problem to sort out.

[ElectricPics]

Alucidnation said:

KungFuPanda said:

If it was a car in for recall, you’d expect to have to take it to the garage yourself.

I’d just pay the collection and drop off charge.

Quite.

But it's not a car, it's machinery that needs to be transported at a much higher cost than anyone would usually incur driving to a dealer. I'd be well miffed being out of pocket due to a manufacturing defect. When I've taken cars in for recalls the dealers have always offered a modest discount off the next service or a proper valeting to cover the inconvenience, even a decent bottle of whisky once.

[Centurion07]

Not only that but if the dealer called and said you had to stop driving your car immediately due to the recall, what would you expect to happen then?

[Matt_E_Mulsion]

Get the recall work done when it next goes in for service.

And if it blows itself to bits in the meantime - it's under warranty...

[poo at Paul's]

Matt_E_Mulsion said:

Get the recall work done when it next goes in for service.

And if it blows itself to bits in the meantime - it's under warranty...

Sadly, it's not an engine issue, it is to do with the cutting system not just cutting the grass!!

[anonymous-user]

I would expect the guarantee to be effective at the point of supply, which in your case I would argue was your house, if you had a separate agreement for paid delivery then it would be the shop