The white goods industry’s unwavering insistence that every home should register their appliances, gets a boost today in the wake of the January sales. On January 21, Register My Appliance Day, millions of citizens are receiving a safety message from their favourite brands, reminding them, as they register any bargains they picked up in the sales, to take a moment to check around their kitchens and register their older, trusty machines.
Thousands of consumers are still missing out on product safety warnings as they fail to register appliances such as fridges, freezers and washing machines, according to the most recent research. Product Safety Minister Anna Soubry is encouraging more people to take this important precaution and use Register my appliance. This message is supported by consumer and safety organisations nationwide.
Appliance recalls are rare but we have over 100 million large appliances helping us to handle the daily chores, according to the Office for National Statistics. We keep them a very long time and less than half (47%) of us registered the last product we bought. Unlike cars, this leaves the vast majority untraceable if a safety action becomes necessary.
Usually a simple, free, in-home fix by a qualified technician is all that is needed to put the product back on track for a long, safe life. But manufacturers need to identify and contact owners swiftly to organise a repair.
Register my appliance is the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliance’s (AMDEA) safety initiative. It is unique to the sector, AMDEA adds, which is committing thousands to keep all householders in the loop on product safety and ensure no appliance owner is left off the radar.
The Register my appliance portal – whose growing number of supporters includes the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS), the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), Age UK, Citizens Advice, Electrical Safety First (ESF) and local Fire and Rescue Services – provides quick access to the registration pages of 62 leading brands, representing over 90% of the large white goods sold in the UK.
AMDEA chief executive Douglas Herbison said: “Everyone should take this opportunity to register their new and old domestic appliances in the interests of the safety of their homes and families. Even though product recalls in our sector are relatively rare (around seven recalls a year), if a free safety modification does become necessary, it’s imperative that manufacturers have an efficient way of tracking down relevant owners so that the household remains safe.”
Manufacturers are keen to make the public aware that this online safety initiative allows owners to register many products that are up to 12 years old. They want to appeal to those people who may be harbouring old, unregistered appliances in their homes which, in constant use, could suffer some unforeseen and potentially dangerous wear and tear.
Product Safety Minister Anna Soubry added: “Register my appliance ensures consumers never miss out on any important product safety messages. Good ownership data is key to getting safety information to the people that need it and I encourage everyone to invest a little time to register their products.”
The Register my appliance portal also provides advice on correct maintenance, safe usage and installation, product standards and testing, guarantees and warranties, consumer rights, a product recall listing and the AMDEA Code of Practice on Product Safety.
