Vax Ltd - www.vax.co.uk

I’m a single parent on a very tight budget and researched carefully before purchasing a VAX U85-AS-Pme Air stretch petmax at £99.99 in January 2020.

I was amazed by how great it was for the price and even recommended it to friends and family two of my friends bought one off the back of my recommendation.

After around 6 weeks of using it there was a burning smell when I hoovered my daughters room. I assumed it was from the brush bar as it collected lots of her very long hair. I regularly cut off the hair from around the bar and cleaned the filters etc... after a while I just turned the brushes off in her room as the smell continued.

During lockdown the VAX started to smell of burning on other carpets (in my very small 2 bed bungalow) so I turned the brush bars off each time and continued to ‘half clean’ my carpets.

After lockdown ended and we returned back to school/work I decided to get in contact with VAX about it.

I spent several very frustrating hours trying to use the VAX ‘chat’ facility to no avail. I explained in great detail the issues then the ‘chat function’ stopped replying so I had to start several times over. I got so stressed out about it my friend said he would deal with it for me.

He finally managed to get someone to agree to send me a letter about it.

I received a letter telling me about VAX’s ‘easy returns policy’ so they could repair it! Oh the relief - I practically skipped for joy!!! Sadly that’s where the joy ends!

It took me 10 days to find a box big enough to return their vacuum via UPS (as bags were not permitted). I taped the parts securely together and placed bubble wrap over the top of the handle before placing it in a box and taking it to my local UPS drop off point.

Today I received an email to say they’re sending me back my faulty machine because the cable has ‘damage to it’ - therefore they won’t repair the brush bar fault!!! So basically the warranty is not valid unless I pay a qualified electrician to fix it (and prove it with a receipt / certificate).

I must admit I sat and wept.

The lady at the end of the customer service phone line confirmed that the damage to the cable means that their repairers won’t even look at it.

So now I’m left with a faulty VAX that’s on its way back to me and no money to either repair the cable (by a qualified electrician) as per their request or the mental capacity to deal with the fact that I am out of pocket by £100 and have no working vacuum cleaner.

I don’t know any company that treats customers in this way.

Faulty machine, less than 8 months old, should equal replacement!

I have the receipt. (dated 25/1/2020)

I have no vacuum cleaner.

I have no money to repair or replace.

I’m absolutely astounded by the lack of compassion shown in this situation.

Seriously - what is £100 to a multi million pound company!!! Safe to say I’ll never buy a VAX or recommend them again.

Utterly exhausted by their lack of morals on this one! Shame on you VAX.

UPDATE:

I received a ridiculous response from VAX:

Hello

Thank you for your review. I am very sorry to read of your experience and that we were not able to assist you with your product on this occasion. The cable is not something that we support, however you can use a service engineer to complete the replacement of the cable. Once we have repair confirmation we can update our records and can provide you further support under the guarantee. Kind regards,

So my response is this….

Thank you too for your utterly useless reply. I clearly stated that I cannot afford a service engineer / electrician. What an utterly ridiculous response that proves you cannot read or understand my complaint as well as don’t care about your customers!!

The Saga continued….

After a call from a customer service manager, and after I told him the woeful tale of my VAX nightmare, we came to the agreement that VAX would send me a replacement brush-bar that I could fit myself. I did ask where my machine was at that precise moment in time… he couldn’t tell me! He asked ‘Are you not in possession of the machine currently’. Errrr NOPE!!! I then received an email on Friday to tell me that the machine was being dispatched imminently. I even received a tracking number (which didn’t actually work!)

So today, on the doorstep was a very battered box. It appears I have received my unrepaired machine back via Yodel. I opened the box and to my dismay there was no evidence of careful packaging of the machine, no bubble wrap, no tape securing the handle etc… Nope it was in several pieces, simply chucked into the box and therefore it’s been broken in transit.

I was careful to tape my machine together and bubble wrap it to send it. No such care was taken with the return. Now the handle mount has been broken and I can no longer use it. So after a very stressful two weeks I am now still without a working machine!!!!

I wonder what the next chapter in the VAX saga will hold for me. Who is responsible for the state of the machine now? VAX? YODEL? I’m damned sure it isn’t me! I look forward to my Vax response this time!

I fell for the advertising and ordered the Vax Blade and Vax Platinum Bundle, at considerable expense. The bundle includes the Vax Power Platinum Carpet Cleaner, Vax Blade 2 40V Cordless Vacuum Cleaner and the free gift, Vax Steam Glide Steam Cleaner.

First the positives. The steam cleaner works like a dream. Ironically the gadget Vax give away for free is their best product. It cleans into corners and underneath kitchen cabinets. It leaves the floors dry and even does wooden floors without damaging them. It loses heat very quickly upon being unplugged, so expect a short wait between rooms, or plug it into a long extension before you get started.

The Vax Blade 2 40V Cordless Vacuum Cleaner is fine too, although with some design flaws. It is heavy, with most of the weight up by the handle, making it unwieldy. It is quite easy to accidentally switch it off when using, as the on/off button is sensitive and close to the handle. A full charge does not last long when on full blast, but it charges back up fairly quickly. It has good sucking power and does get into those corner and behind bookcases, sofas etc.

The bad: The Vax Power Platinum Carpet Cleaner is a waste of a lot of money. I tackled a beige carpet with a variety of dark stains with it. Not a single one of the stains was removed, not one. The carpet around the stains looks a little lighter, but that is it. I pre-treated the stains, left the carpet cleaner rumbling over them for an extended period of time, Nada; I still have a stained carpet.

Add to that the cleaner intermittently deposits grey, soggy, unsavoury carpet fluff back onto the carpet, which has to be picked up by hand.

I contacted Vax, who were unfailingly prompt and courteous in their responses, but who would not help as the return period was long past. I was foolish enough not to use the carpet cleaner for months after purchase, assuming it would work when I did, so there was no need to test it. Who wants to clean their carpets in October after all?

Vax offered to send some complimentary cleaning fluid, but as I had also ordered extra within my original order, spending an additional £33 on it, I felt this was a hollow gesture, demonstrating a lack of awareness as to the content of my original order.

I have always hired a Rug Doctor in the past and naively thought all carpet cleaners were as efficient. I have since worked out that I could hire the Rug Doctor 10 times for the price of this allegedly 'Platinum' Vax cleaner.

In the Vax advert the water poured out of the Platinum carpet cleaner after the carpets have been cleaned is black, to demonstrate just how much dirt this amazing cleaner will remove from your carpets. The water I poured out after cleaning my carpets with the Vax was barely dirty at all. Whereas the water I pour out after using a Rug Doctor is as black as that depicted by Vax in their advertisement. You do the math.

I work in customer service myself so am not one for unfair or wanton reviews. I gave the machine a chance to clean my carpets and Vax a chance to offer more than a bottle of cleaner as compensation. They chose not to. I will be donating my Platinum carpet cleaner to the Tip and sticking with the Rug Doctor from now on.

My vax Hoover stopped working after 2 years. I had registered guarantee online but was told unless I had receipt it was no good. I pointed out they had date and place of purchase and price on guarantee I filled in and I had the certificate but they still weren't interested in helping. After arguing back and forth got a phone call saying it was validated and they would send a replacement. Guarantee just transfers over. It was worth persevering.

My machine broke down after a few years and I had to contact customer service on two issues. In both cases the person I spoke to could not have been more helpful and their support is 5Star - I highly recommend this supplier.

Their products have a long guarantee and they keep to it with no quibbles.

I may be converted for life to VAX.

I bought a Vax steam cleaner and carpet cleaner in April, before I moved to Southern Ireland as I wanted to have quality products without worrying about repairs - What a mistake...

The steam cleaner stopped working for no apparent reason after a month and the handle broke on the carpet cleaner the first time I used it. I contacted Vax and got a short email saying that they don't cover products in the republic of Ireland, and that was all I got from them, despite me trying to get some further response from them.

Appalling customer service to add to faulty products. I have since bought a cheaper steam cleaner on-line and have had no problems at all with it. Don't waste your money on these products, they really are not worth it.

My vax carpet cleaner developed a fault after 18 months. I contacted customer service and explained what was wrong They told me to try a couple of things but it still didn't work. They then told me that a brand new machine would be delivered. I just had to wrap my faulty machine up and they arranged to pick it up. My new machine was delivered shortly after that. Great customer service. I will now purchase a vax vacuum cleaner and recommend vax to my friends.

I have a Vax steerable Air 3 upright vacuum cleaner which was almost a year old and the brush bar stopped working one day so I contacted Vax as I have a 6 year warranty on the Hoover they told me they will replace the Hoover head for me but it's not in stock at the moment and I will be notified when it is back in stock they said around 5-7 days so I was fine with this then a week later I receive a email saying as the part I need still isn't available they will be sending me a brand new vacuum cleaner free of charge. I was very pleased they didn't leave me with out a vacuum cleaner as I have a toddler and need to clean every day. I am very pleased with the customer service they are very easy to talk to and easy to sort my problems out

Have had a great upright so decided to buy canister for stairs. First the power head fell apart. Then the wheel seized up. Shamei it's a piece of rubbish.

Half price with 6 year guarantee.Bargain we thought. Guaranteed to what though?? Break?

We bought the C84-AW-PFe model, pet super hooverupper. It broke within 2 months of purchase from our local Currys store.

They asked for £3.99 to send a new one. We refused after just spending the money to buy it just 2 months ago. They waived the fee and we have to print something out and send it back recorded delivery.

Why do I have a bad feeling about this

I bought this hoover four months ago. The design means using any of the attachments is very difficult. The hose comes out easily so you end up holding the hoover in the air if you want to vaccuum anything above floor height. Washing the filters etc. every few weeks is a pain and is very dirty.

At 4 months hoover lost suction and they think a valve is stuck. Suction performance is OK. I have a sebo that is years old - much better. I would not recommend this product to anyone.