When we purchased our washer and dryer combo, we were asked about purchasing an additional 10 year warranty for pennies on the dollar which we did. Have you checked if this is available in your area, Mindblower!

I’m on both sides. I’ve had faulty devices that needed replacement. Yet, I also venture into some hardware reddits where people abuse their hardware (overclockin, or modifying their devices) and if something breaks, they ask to find ways to get it replaced. The hard part is knowing if it was someone tinkering or it was default defective, bad apples ruin it for the bunch.

And in AU, there is a way to get after warranty help if you push the ACCC. I’ve helped many people get their items repaired after the 12 months. Items included things such as appliances, where the expectation of something like a washing machine is obviously longer than 12mths. It generally goes to price, with higher cost items having a better chance at getting it fixed/replaced/money back.

First problem was finding the official repair manual. Very difficult to trace, but I finally got it. Then you have to dismantle the thing. You’d think : turn a few screws, and voilà. Big mistake. It can be dismantled, and the manual purports to show how, but it’s devilishly difficult. It almost seems designed to discourage repair, as opposed to easing functionality or even fabrication. Buying the parts off the Internet was easy. Putting them in was difficult, but doable and done. Unfortunately, my printer still does not lift paper off the tray…

And the alternative ? Compared to present-day Brother models, my printer seems to be made out of cast iron. The equivalent I could buy today seems to be made out of cardboard, with a horrible type of bendy plastic which shouts : I’ll be broken tomorrow.

Hi Clas – Things are a lot different here (in Australia). Just to get a repairer to the door here costs anything between $80 to $120, that’s before they even take a look at whatever’s broken.

Our washing machine broke recently, quotes from repairers over the phone amounted to around $200, including the first hour’s labor. By the time we included an approximate for parts, it all added up to more than half the price of a brand new machine.

Good point Neville. Thanks for your input.