[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by Aroy

For my 10+ year old IFB I have an annual contract, and they come immediately. May be they have a good service network in Delhi. Though the AMC is slightly steep ~1.5k, They have been extremely prompt in response and have replaced practically every thing except the body. The last replacement was the main drum. Motor has been done twice.

Two years back I thought of changing the machine, so did not renew the AMC, but after some problem crept up a couple of months ago, I decided to keep it and renewed the AMC. Though I have paid nearly the cost of new machine in AMC, I feel that the expense was worth it, as no one has to run around in case of problems and 10+ years of peace of mind is worth the cost.

In how many years were all the parts except the body replaced? In my case, everything except the body has been replaced withing 2 years of purchase That would show how the quality has been going down. I am replacing the machine the day it conks of after the extended warranty.

[AWD]

Same is the case with our IFB also. Almost all the parts & even the body, drum, motor, pump, thermostat, etc. ave been changed. Body is due for a change fro the 2nd time now. The shocker attachment points have given up to rust.

Service is below par & AMC is not honored in time. Overall its been an experience that I would want to repeat. Most of all the local IFB service execs. are corrupt, at times when I was away, they did not issue proper bills & fitted recycled/retreaded parts.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

In how many years were all the parts except the body replaced? In my case, everything except the body has been replaced withing 2 years of purchase That would show how the quality has been going down. I am replacing the machine the day it conks of after the extended warranty.

Well the replacement started fifth year onwards. The body is showing signs of rust now.

This is in contrast to my older Sumeet Brand (which was just Siemens rebranded), which gave much more trouble, and we replaced it with IFB. On the whole I would prefer a more reliable machine, but on the whole the VFM including AMC is quite good.

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by AWD

Same is the case with our IFB also.

Most of all the local IFB service execs. are corrupt, at times when I was away, they did not issue proper bills & fitted recycled/retreaded parts.

A page back i have mentioned about my experience where the excutive (?!) issued me a fake Extended Warranty. And now, their own colleagues refuse to honor it.

For a company which is destined to go down, i dont think complaining is going to help me, so didnt bother.

[hallik9]

Folks,
I have a Eureka forbes water purifier and have been using it for the last 2 years now.I also have an AMC which I purchased for 2 years till 2011 end.
Now that I have shifted to my new apartment(the water is pretty hard here),I've been thinking of changing to a RO based water purifier.
2 questions.
Will any showroom offer me an exchange for a new RO based purifier?
Which is the best purifier considering that the borewell water in my apartment is pretty hard?

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by AWD

Most of all the local IFB service execs. are corrupt, at times when I was away, they did not issue proper bills & fitted recycled/retreaded parts.

+1000

Originally Posted by Aroy

Well the replacement started fifth year onwards. The body is showing signs of rust now.

Alas, they don't make products that last that long these days.

Originally Posted by hallik9

Folks,
I have a Eureka forbes water purifier and have been using it for the last 2 years now.I also have an AMC which I purchased for 2 years till 2011 end.
Now that I have shifted to my new apartment(the water is pretty hard here),I've been thinking of changing to a RO based water purifier.
2 questions.
Will any showroom offer me an exchange for a new RO based purifier?
Which is the best purifier considering that the borewell water in my apartment is pretty hard?

There is a thread dedicated to water purifiers You can post there for better response.

[sgiitk]

@bensb25: I was similarly duped by Eureka Forbes. Their A$$ sold me a two year AMC for my water filter which the company claimed was fake. The local service centre also told me that the fellow had duped many. i wrote to their HQ as well but never got a reply. As a result I have moved service to an independent - cheaper, more professional, fast response and they come by themselves every three months. Seems that the independent provider are a bunch of ex Eureka Forbes guys.

[Gansan]

When I bought my Whirlpool in 1997, it came with a 5 year warranty. Then it was on AMC till 2007, after which they stopped AMC because the machine had completed 10 years. There were problems right from the first month of ownership and they were all addressed promptly, no issues with their customer care. But if a machine needs replacement of PCB in 4 months and motor in 15 months, it is not a sign of quality IMO - even though replaced free of cost. The appliance should remain bulletproof for at least 2 - 3 years, requiring no visits from technicians.

Does anyone know which washer brand offers the longest warranty/extended warranty nowadays? I need to buy a machine asap and would base my decision on that.

[iamswift]

Originally Posted by hallik9

Folks,
I have a Eureka forbes water purifier and have been using it for the last 2 years now.I also have an AMC which I purchased for 2 years till 2011 end.
Now that I have shifted to my new apartment(the water is pretty hard here),I've been thinking of changing to a RO based water purifier.
2 questions.
Will any showroom offer me an exchange for a new RO based purifier?
Which is the best purifier considering that the borewell water in my apartment is pretty hard?

Few days back, Eureka forbes reps approached me for exchange of old purifier to new one + excess. They themselves would buy back. Check their office / rep.
If the water is hard, why don't you try water softener instead of RO system. One advantage of water softener is that it wont take away all minerals in water. It preserves essential minerals. Whereas with RO, you will be drinking ~distilled water.
Water softener+UV based purifier would be best combo in my opinion.

[hallik9]

Originally Posted by iamswift

Few days back, Eureka forbes reps approached me for exchange of old purifier to new one + excess. They themselves would buy back. Check their office / rep.
If the water is hard, why don't you try water softener instead of RO system. One advantage of water softener is that it wont take away all minerals in water. It preserves essential minerals. Whereas with RO, you will be drinking ~distilled water.
Water softener+UV based purifier would be best combo in my opinion.

Thanks friend.
I've no clue on this topic.Can the water softener be installed on the existing Eureka forbes purifier?

[tj123]

Originally Posted by iamswift

One advantage of water softener is that it wont take away all minerals in water. It preserves essential minerals. Whereas with RO, you will be drinking ~distilled water.

RO does not remove all the mineral traces , generally RO treated water will have a TDS of <50 ppm. If the input water is very hard say 750 + TDS then the RO filter will have a higher TDS output say around 10% of the input TDS roughly 70 ppm.

Sodium chloride based water softener water has generally higher residual sodium component in water , this is not at all good for people on low-sodium diet.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

@bensb25: I was similarly duped by Eureka Forbes. Their A$$ sold me a two year AMC for my water filter which the company claimed was fake. The local service centre also told me that the fellow had duped many. i wrote to their HQ as well but never got a reply. As a result I have moved service to an independent - cheaper, more professional, fast response and they come by themselves every three months. Seems that the independent provider are a bunch of ex Eureka Forbes guys.

In Delhi, there are at least 10 of them. They must have access to the buyers data base, as just before the warranty/AMC is nearing its end, they would ring up stating that it is due for renewal, claiming to be Eureka Forbes. We got duped the first time, but now we specifically ask them which company they are from. As you said they are a bunch of either ex employees or self employed persons. Eureka Forbes also has a service department. So if you renew then get the facts cleared before signing the cheque!
In case you have AMC with Eureka Forbes, they adjust the residual AMC amount against a new purchase. This is over and above the exchange price for the old model.

Originally Posted by Gansan

Does anyone know which washer brand offers the longest warranty/extended warranty nowadays? I need to buy a machine asap and would base my decision on that.

I would prefer a cheaper machine with good service back up, as you never know when the supplier will pack up and you are left high and dry with a non enforceable warranty!

Originally Posted by tj123

RO does not remove all the mineral traces , generally RO treated water will have a TDS of <50 ppm. If the input water is very hard say 750 + TDS then the RO filter will have a higher TDS output say around 10% of the input TDS roughly 70 ppm.

Sodium chloride based water softener water has generally higher residual sodium component in water , this is not at all good for people on low-sodium diet.

RO wastes a lot of water (upto 69%). If you have hard water, get in touch with a water softener company (Ion Exchange is one of the bigger ones) and get a home solution. You can use a UV based device after it has been soften.

[anku94]

Hi team

Our family of three is looking for a replacement for our 15 year old Videocon semi-automatic washing machine (Same model as in the Rocket Singh movie ).

We're looking at top-loading automatics primarily. Need is to have a machine that can do as much as possible, since my mom got fed up of the maid and fired her, and she can't do much work owing to job and health problems.

My mom wanted a capacity of ~5 kg, considering our low requirements, but when I looked at websites, I saw almost no choice below 5.8 kg capacity, and those that offered products, they seemed to be have minimal features. It'd be great if someone could give me some advice on the following.

1. Which brands ? As a rule of thumb, we'll be considering LG and Samsung. Not inclined towards IFB coz of their poor after sales.

2. What features to look for ? As I said, the smallest capacity machines looked bare, although I wonder if what's attracting me is useless gimmicks.

3. What would be the advantages of a front loader, and what price can we expect to pay for a very small, yet decent front loaders ?

4. Any other experiences with washing machines you think will help us in making a decision, or any other suggestion, it'd be great.

Thanks.

PS : Are the mainstream brands 'not-so-flimsy' and 'not-so-sturdy' ? If yes, what are the premium brands that make top-loaders ?

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by Aroy

I would prefer a cheaper machine with good service back up, as you never know when the supplier will pack up and you are left high and dry with a non enforceable warranty!

Ah, of course! What I failed to mention was that I am considering only Whirlpool (my outgoing machine is of this brand), Samsung, LG and IFB, in that order. And only fully automatic top loaders aroundd 6.5 KG. AFAIK only whirlpool offers built in hot water option in this category.

Originally Posted by anku94

3. What would be the advantages of a front loader, and what price can we expect to pay for a very small, yet decent front loaders ?

In general, front loaders will consume less water and detergent, but take more time for the wash. Top loaders will consume more of the former and take less time! They will also be considerably cheaper (~ 6k) than front loaders. They will also allow you to add a garment or two even after the wash cycle has commenced, while the front loaders will not.

Front loaders of around 5 KG, of the brands I have mentioned above will start from around 18.5k.

[anku94]

Originally Posted by Gansan

Ah, of course! What I failed to mention was that I am considering only Whirlpool ......

.....Front loaders of around 5 KG, of the brands I have mentioned above will start from around 18.5k.

Thanks. And your requirements look more or less same as ours. It'd be great if you could post short pros and cons of the models you consider during your pre-purchase planning.