Dyson Vacuum Cleaners

mrochester

mrochester

mrochester

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Blaydon on Tyne
Hi I have a question about consumer law!

In November 2002 my parents purchased a Dyson DC08 vacuum cleaner under the belief that it was the cleaner that wouldn't lose suction. Over the years however, the machine has lost a significant amount of suction, and barely picks up pet hairs from the carpet anymore. My dad has followed all of the maintenance requirements for the machine (cleaning the dust filters, wiping away excess dirt from the cyclone mechanism etc), but all in vain. Even though the machine was bought nearly 4 years ago and the warranty expired some 2 years ago, does he have any cause for complaint? Is there any action he can take to force Dyson to rectify the problem (it's essentially false advertising since the cleaner *does* eventually lose suction, albeit over a long period of time)?

BTW, not sure if it'll make a difference, but the Dyson was bought in person from a high street store rather than online.

TIA for any help and advice,

Michael.

EDIT - I've just remembered that the motor in the machine was replaced after it burnt out. This was done outside of the warranty period.
 
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i used to work for dyson tech support. unfortunately i left before the dc08 even came out so i'm not familiar with that model. also i left some 5 years ago so this info is probably well out of date..... :p

but their way of thinking was this - there is nothing an engineer can do that the end user cannot - except replace the motor and the main base. all parts are completely replaceable/cleanable by the end user. i used to talk people through how to do this over the phone and they couldn't believe the difference it made. maybe the manual isn't thorough enough. try ringing the helpline..... :eek: /runs
 
As far as consumer law is concerned, I'd say it's a very grey area.

Technically, you can take action for up to six years, but much will depend on what reasonable expectations of the device in question are, and very much on what claims the manufacturer or retailer made.

It's certainly possible that you could win such a case after four years of ownership, but I don't think I'd want to be the one that tried it over a vacuum cleaner.
 
Dunno about yours but my DC001 is still going strong.

Keep filters clean and remove any blockages and 100% suction is yours. ;)
 
Well, if the motor is still going strong and its not sucking properly, then you've either got a blockage or an suction leak.
 
Bug One said:
Well, if the motor is still going strong and its not sucking properly, then you've either got a blockage or an suction leak.
Click to expand...

Well we've checked everything we can possibly think of and there are no blockages. I thought about a suction leak too, but placing my hand around the path the air takes and I can't feel anything obvious. We've even just taken the brush head to bits and given it a thorough clean out, but that hasn't made any difference either. The strange thing to me is that the amount of air being expelled from the cleaner feels like the same amount that comes out of my own DC08 (which hasn't lost any suction). The problem is, the amount of air being expelled from the vacuum seems to be much greater than the amount that is being sucked in at the end of the hose!
 
Does the hose suck better than the base?

For some reason the brushes on our dyson arent working correctly so it's pretty useless unless you use the hose to vacuum.
 
Joobs said:
Does the hose suck better than the base?

For some reason the brushes on our dyson arent working correctly so it's pretty useless unless you use the hose to vacuum.
Click to expand...

There is no base, there's only a hose. It's a cylinder vacuum, not an upright.
 
"no loss of suction" doesn't relate to a vacuum cleaner losing its sucking power over time. It means that other vacuum cleaners lose suction (all the time) due to their design, where as a dyson does not.

You have had the product for 4 years, it has probably served you well. Just buy a new one if its that bad tbh.
 
We had a problem with ours, it lost almost all suction.

Turned out the rubber belt underneath the brushes had snapped and a fiver spent in "high street electrical store" soon sorted the problem out.

100% suction back again.

That was an upright dyson though, dont know if the belt is in the other ones.
 
I had the same problem with suction - where the hose has a lot more suction than that base , if you get what I mean.

Mine was still under warranty, so the engineer came out. Opened up the bottom of the brush thing on the base, and found a big ball of fluff, which was stopping it hoovering properly.

R

Mehul
 
Well it looks like the best place for it is the bin sadly. I think a new vacuum is called for, and I very much doubt it'll be a Dyson this time round. I've heard good things about Miele, so I might point my dad towards them.
 
marc2003 said:
but their way of thinking was this - there is nothing an engineer can do that the end user cannot - except replace the motor and the main base. all parts are completely replaceable/cleanable by the end user. i used to talk people through how to do this over the phone and they couldn't believe the difference it made. maybe the manual isn't thorough enough. try ringing the helpline..... :eek: /runs
Click to expand...

I managed to replace the motor in our DC04. It only cost me about £20 for the replacement, which makes me wonder why it cost £150 or something in the first place since the rest of it is just a load of molded plastic :confused:
 
marc2003 said:
i used to work for dyson tech support. unfortunately i left before the dc08 even came out so i'm not familiar with that model. also i left some 5 years ago so this info is probably well out of date..... :p

but their way of thinking was this - there is nothing an engineer can do that the end user cannot - except replace the motor and the main base. all parts are completely replaceable/cleanable by the end user. i used to talk people through how to do this over the phone and they couldn't believe the difference it made. maybe the manual isn't thorough enough. try ringing the helpline..... :eek: /runs
Click to expand...

Sorry I didn't see your post as you posted at exactly the same time I replied to the one above!

Anyway, we have cleaned everything bar the part where the cyclones are actually located. The manual states specifically not to wash this in water (even though it is crammed with filth). From what I could see however, none of the cyclones were actually blocked.
 
Do a google for 'DIY projector screen'
The bloke on the top site has an article and tips on cleaning a DC07 which looks like the same internals.
 
I actually spoke to the CAB recently regarding a tv developing a fault.

The basic gist is this after being given the correct people to speak to (Not the CAB):

You are protected by the Saleof goods act.

How long should it reasonably last? for a vacuum cleaner letssay 6 years
How much use have you had? 2 years or so
Cost of repair/replacement? this is pretty ambiguous

I was told that the retailer had to be advised in writing of your grievance and what you expect them to do. In this case, a gesture of about half or slighly more than half the incurred cost is reasonable on their behalf.
I was told to do it all in writing to keep things official and if the retailer refuses, take it further. The appropriate people will open a case file for you and help you obtain damages.
 
I'll see if I can dig up the phone number, but I'm sure they were regionally based. I called the CAB and they put me through. I know some people think it doesn't sound right, but a faulty £3000 tv after a year and a half of use with a 1 year warranty is not good enough. At least that's what the government says.
 
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