Whirlpool mounts £1m product recall campaign amid defective tumble dryer storm
Household appliance manufacturer Whirlpool is to launch a £1m UK advertising campaign highlighting the recall of an estimated half a million tumble dryers considered to be a fire risk, amid worries that the true number could be as high as 800,000.
The belated measure was mandated by the UK government
The belated measure was mandated by the UK government and comes four years after the fault was first uncovered, since which there has been a spate of house fires linked to the defective units.
In an escalating PR crisis, the US manufacturer will kick-start a fresh product recall of affected Hotpoint, Indesit, Creda, Swan and Proline models to raise consumer awareness of the issue and demonstrate that it has a handle on the issue.
Whirlpool vice-president Jeff Noel said: “People’s safety is our top priority, which is why we are expanding this important campaign. We are committed to doing the right thing for our consumers and will continue to take every action possible to resolve this issue. The crucial message is to contact us immediately if you still own one of these tumble dryers and haven’t already had it modified or replaced by us.”
People with an affected model are being instructed to unplug the device until it has been repaired or replaced to resolve an issue which first came to light in 2014.