Broken Electrolux vacuum cleaner

Hi,
I bought a bagless cylinder Electrolux vacuum cleaner from a major electrical retailer (don't know if I can mention the name?) last February.
A few weeks ago it started to make a funny noise when switched on and there was a burning smell coming from it. I brought it back to the shop where I bought it but they told me they couldn't refund me as fine dust had got into the motor and that it was basically my fault. It says in the Electrolux instructions that the two year guarantee is void if fine dust gets into the motor.
I brought the vacuum cleaner to the agent in Dublin to see if it could be fixed. He said it was beyond repair and that the shop who sold it to me should have refunded me.
I was wondering do I have any comeback with either the shop or Electrolux. Shouldn't Electrolux have something on the outside of the box to warn potential buyers of this problem? Also how are you to know how fine is fine dust?
I don't think this is good enough from either the shop in question or Electrolux as the vacuum cleaner was not fit for vacuuming and surely then I'm entitled to a refund?

Check your statutory rights on www.consumerconnect.ie. Basically you are entitled to a refund, replcement or repair from the retailer for faulty goods.

Check the small print of the non statutory warranty to see what it covers.

"guarantee is void if fine dust gets into the motor"

I'm beginning to wonder what vacuum cleaners are for. We used to collect dust with them!!!!!!!!!

Surely if the fine dust got into the motor either (1) there's a fault in the machine to allow the fine dust in there in the first place or (2) the machine has been abused. Maybe it's time that guarantee was rewritten or explained.

Either way your contract is with the shop where you purchased it and should be replaced (assuming that it has not been ill-treated)

Thanks for the replies.
Called Electrolux and they said once I paid under 130 euros for it (it was 110 euros) and is still under guarantee (well within that) then I should get a refund. They said to tell the shop that Electrolux said that and they didn't want to hear anymore about it.
I'll go back to the shop tomorrow and tell them that but not holding out much hope. I'll get onto the National Consumer Agency if I have no luck!
I certainly didn't abuse the machine. I sucked up dust with it and maybe some fine dust got in too! I would agree that Electrolux should review their fine dust notice in their instruction booklet. It really makes a farce of what a vacuum cleaner is supposed to do!

Hi Beefs, My friend was getting major renovation work done in a house, wrecked her brand new Dyson sucking up cement dust and had to buy a new one. Cement dust would be considered very fine and very hard on vacuum cleaners.

Unless you were doing this type of work, I presume you were doing normal household vacuuming. This should be covered by your guarantee. I would ask the retailers what they consider fine dust.

Hi Beefs

Intersting how the shop were able to jump to the cause of the problem so quickly, the sales assistants are not usually engineers, they should at the very least have sent it to the service agent and await his/her report, guess they just want to sell you another.

Ensure all the filters are fitted and resonably clean before you submit it for any independent checks.

regards
c22

Hi,
Thanks for the replies.
When I brought the vacuum back to retailer I had emptied the dustbox thing but that was all i.e. I didn't clean the filters. The first thing the retailer did was open the back and dust fell out which they said was plaster dust and was my fault that vacuum broke.
I've brought it to two other repair places but they say it's beyond repair and would cost me the price of it to put a new motor in it.
I'm not sure whether to go down the small claims court route - do I have a case?

Beefs said:

I'm not sure whether to go down the small claims court route - do I have a case?

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What did the National Consumer Agency have to say when you rang them?