Check for presence of serial numbers
Having had our kitchen refurbished, I decided we would fit a Quooker boiling water tap. Having searched high and low, the best price we found was from this company at £1026 (RRP was £1300). Delivery was prompt but I immediately noticed that the box was damaged and the tap tank was missing a serial number sticker. I queried this with KS&T and was informed that this was not a problem and the box had simply been opened to check the contents and all was fine. I took their explanation, but I did ask for confirmation that the item was genuine and was covered under the manufacturer’s warranty and was told it was. A few days later, I tried to register the Quooker using the serial code on a hanging tag provided in the box. The code did not work so I simultaneously sent emails to both Quooker themselves and KS&T. I was messaged by KS&T and they told me that they would check with their supplier. Quooker contacted me and informed me that I should seek a refund from KS&T as they were not an approved stockist and they asked me to check if the serial number was on the box (no), tank (no) or braided tap hose (no) and they said that as these identifiers were missing (removed) the item was not able to be registered so if there was a fault with it I would not be covered. I don’t want to get into details about subsequent conversations but the UK MD of Quooker rang me following my message to them and confirmed I should seek a return and refund from KS&T and they were very helpful in providing me with a tap direct from them at a substantial discount (Quooker themselves were a great company to deal with). I emailed KS&T and asked for an immediate refund. Courtney was prompt and helpful in arranging a collection and full refund so I cannot fault them for this. So, service from Courtney was good but I was deeply concerned by the serial number issues and had I not challenged it (or had I delayed registering) I may have found myself with an expensive tap which was not covered under warranty. My advice is to always check the presence and validity of serial numbers for an item as expensive as this.
November 7, 2022
Unprompted review