Whirlpool tumble dryer recall update

Whirlpool has been regularly updating the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) on the progress of its tumble dryer recall programme following an intervention by OPSS in June 2019. The latest data, as of the end of 6 October 2020, is published below. This is based on Whirlpool’s management information and has not been independently verified by OPSS.

Under the recall, consumers with an unmodified, affected tumble dryer are entitled to a new replacement machine. This will be delivered and installed, with the old one removed, all at no cost to the consumer.

Whirlpool agreed to undertake a number of actions including:

delivering a significant new consumer outreach campaign with wide ranging publicity of the product recall aimed at reaching affected consumers and driving up awareness

guaranteeing no charges for delivery, installation or removal of machines

improving identification of, and outreach to, vulnerable consumers

providing OPSS with timely reporting of progress made in the product recall

The reported status of the tumble dryer recall programme is as follows:

1) 124,220 new customers have come forward since 12 June 2019 following the Consumer Minister announcing the intention to serve a recall notice in the House of Commons on 11 June 2019.

2) 784,705 visits have been made to Whirlpool’s new designated website.

3) The average time taken from a customer making a decision to each resolution type is as follows:

15.2 days for a product exchange

15.4 days for a refund

7.7 days for a modification

4) 108,980 cases have been fully resolved, of which:

77,210 machines have been replaced (free of charge)

18,867 machines have been part exchanged (upgraded)

5,460 machines have been collected and refunded

7,443 machines have been modified

Approximately 5,706 machines have been identified as needing no further action, due to the customer no longer owning the machine or it being previously modified.

5) The average time taken from a customer registration to resolution is 40 days.

All figures are those reported for 11 July 2019 to 6 October 2020 unless stated otherwise.

Further information on the recall campaign