Dryer broken? Call Sallies says F&P

Photo / Glenn Jeffrey

If your Fisher & Paykel wall-mounted dryer needs repair, try calling the Salvation Army - safety rules prevent F&P technicians from lifting them.

This unusual advice, offered by the appliance maker's call centre, has come as a surprise to the Salvation Army, consumer advocates and independent repairmen.

F&P's call centre staff say its technicians cannot take the machines off walls because of occupational safety concerns. Customers are told they must first take the dryers down themselves or get help from a community group.

Consumer New Zealand adviser Maggie Edwards said the policy could become a problem for New Zealand's ageing population, who would struggle with the task.

"You would expect a supplier to be able to install a unit - and therefore take them down again for servicing."

Ms Edwards said the guidelines must be new because her organisation had not yet received any complaints about them.

F&P spokesman Matt Orr said taking down wall-mounted dryers was too dangerous for a single technician. So customers ringing the call centre should be advised they could have a second technician sent in - at up to double the cost - or they should get a second person to help, possibly from a community group like the Salvation Army.

It was also not recommended that customers try to do it themselves, Mr Orr said.

But when the Herald phoned the company's call centre, the staff member said only that the dryer had to be taken down before F&P could service it.

Salvation Army spokesman Jon Hoyle said he had never heard of staff taking down dryers, though they would try to help if asked.

But there is a much simpler repair solution - call independent servicemen.

In Auckland, All Whiteware Repairs and Axial Appliance Servicing said they would happily take down wall-mounted dryers for anyone needing them serviced. Axial's owner, Roger Blincoe, said the job needed two people because balancing the dryers could be tricky.

The Herald understands some F&P franchisee servicemen are self-employed and rarely work in teams.