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Yes, definitely Breville. Sparkies have given up and told me last time to call Breville if it failed again, which it did the first time I turned it on. Will call Breville again tomorrow afternoon for an update. I think I have been too polite when talking to them, its just my nature.
I strongly suggest you remain polite. Assertive, but polite. Work out what you want to happen. Write down key points so you don't miss anything. Check it is reasonable. Call them and tell them. If person you speak to is not helpful, tell them you want to talk to their supervisor. Repeat process if supervisor not helpful. If nobody in their service dept is helpful, tell them you will be referring matter to ombudsman/fair trading. Note all details so you don't forget. Firm, persistent and polite works well. Don't get personal with the service staff, your issue is with the product and attempted repairs, not with a person - keeping that in mind helps when making any complaint. Another useful trick is not to ask them for updates, but to tell them when you require it back, or a replacement machine. If they offer an alternate solution, consider it on its merits. Do not leave them to set the pace - you have been patient and can tell them your patience has now run out.
I strongly suggest you remain polite. Assertive, but polite. Work out what you want to happen. Write down key points so you don't miss anything. Check it is reasonable. Call them and tell them. If person you speak to is not helpful, tell them you want to talk to their supervisor. Repeat process if supervisor not helpful. If nobody in their service dept is helpful, tell them you will be referring matter to ombudsman/fair trading. Note all details so you don't forget. Firm, persistent and polite works well. Don't get personal with the service staff, your issue is with the product and attempted repairs, not with a person - keeping that in mind helps when making any complaint. Another useful trick is not to ask them for updates, but to tell them when you require it back, or a replacement machine. If they offer an alternate solution, consider it on its merits. Do not leave them to set the pace - you have been patient and can tell them your patience has now run out.
OK, so my adventure has now been complete. Breville finally sent back my machine last Tuesday. It got lost in transit twice???? The box looked pretty knocked about as well but the original packing material was ok. I open it up and find fresh dents and scratches on it and polish residue was all over it where they tried to cover it up. So once again I ring Breville. They asked me to send photos of the damage so I did. They said they would get back to me next week with an answer. I decide to use the machine anyway and enjoy a nice coffee after 8 weeks in service centres. Great worked fine, FOR 2 DAYS!!! Then same old problem, gurgle gurgle, temp went up to 100 and no water from outlet. Ring Breville again and this time permission was obtained from the national service manager to have the machine replaced at the store I purchased it from. Wow that was hard.
Finally an end to the torture Man you have been really patient with Breville and the repair centres Hope the new BES900 performs to the designers specification and without issues Good coffee awaits KK
Finally an end to the torture Man you have been really patient with Breville and the repair centres Hope the new BES900 performs to the designers specification and without issues Good coffee awaits KK
+1 You know, I kinda think they should ave replaced it from the start. These are not inexpensive appliances?!? I'd demand it be replaced from the outset... With a Diadema Double Boiler!!! :rofl:
OK, so my adventure has now been complete. Breville finally sent back my machine last Tuesday. It got lost in transit twice???? The box looked pretty knocked about as well but the original packing material was ok. I open it up and find fresh dents and scratches on it and polish residue was all over it where they tried to cover it up. So once again I ring Breville. They asked me to send photos of the damage so I did. They said they would get back to me next week with an answer. I decide to use the machine anyway and enjoy a nice coffee after 8 weeks in service centres. Great worked fine, FOR 2 DAYS!!! Then same old problem, gurgle gurgle, temp went up to 100 and no water from outlet. Ring Breville again and this time permission was obtained from the national service manager to have the machine replaced at the store I purchased it from. Wow that was hard.
If it were me I would sell the brand new machine and get something else.
i'll help. just an update. got my bes900xl (i'm a yank), in nov '11. been fabulous since then. then in january this year, a pump would run quietly all the time and pump out the reservoir into the drip tray. breville sent me a new machine, (probably refurbished, but it looks perfectly new anyway). on the usa forums they have made a distinction between the bes900xl, and the bes900xl /B. we reckon the /B is like a microsoft windows "service pack".... a collection of updates in one package that breville has incorporated, both firmware and physical. one of the physical changes was to the group head. it has a much thicker and deeper outer rim. i had to grind a bit down into the handle on my naked portafilter, where the handle joins the rim, in order to keep the two from rubbing. otherwise, most of the changes are invisible to the user. makes the same great espresso as before. that's all. just filling space now. cheers. -peter
i'll help. just an update. got my bes900xl (i'm a yank), in nov '11. been fabulous since then. then in january this year, a pump would run quietly all the time and pump out the reservoir into the drip tray. breville sent me a new machine, (probably refurbished, but it looks perfectly new anyway). on the usa forums they have made a distinction between the bes900xl, and the bes900xl /B. we reckon the /B is like a microsoft windows "service pack".... a collection of updates in one package that breville has incorporated, both firmware and physical. one of the physical changes was to the group head. it has a much thicker and deeper outer rim. i had to grind a bit down into the handle on my naked portafilter, where the handle joins the rim, in order to keep the two from rubbing. otherwise, most of the changes are invisible to the user. makes the same great espresso as before. that's all. just filling space now. cheers. -peter
Great update and terrific first post! Welcome mate and thanks for the great contribution!
Well my Breville dual boiler not quite 2 years old is being sent back to Breville about 4 days ago the pre infusion would run for 25 secs and more of it would still do the clean cycle not then stopped that also. I will keep you up to date with how long it takes to get fixed replaced and if fixed how well it works on return. I have to keep in mind living in a remote area will take a week each way just in transport. Looks like plunger coffee for a while as the local coffee shops in town are clueless and seem happy to remain that way.
Well my Breville dual boiler not quite 2 years old is being sent back to Breville about 4 days ago the pre infusion would run for 25 secs and more of it would still do the clean cycle not then stopped that also. I will keep you up to date with how long it takes to get fixed replaced and if fixed how well it works on return. I have to keep in mind living in a remote area will take a week each way just in transport. Looks like plunger coffee for a while as the local coffee shops in town are clueless and seem happy to remain that way.
Sorry to hear this mate! Hopefully you're up and running again really soon!
slightly off topic but my sunbeam cafe series em6900 which I found in hard waste, and then replaced the collar, about 2 years ago, is working gang busters, and is still my 'go to' machine for a quick coffee at home before I head out the door! NOt sure how old that makes it but I maintain it well and its still going strong! ACg
slightly off topic but my sunbeam cafe series em6900 which I found in hard waste, and then replaced the collar, about 2 years ago, is working gang busters, and is still my 'go to' machine for a quick coffee at home before I head out the door! NOt sure how old that makes it but I maintain it well and its still going strong! ACg
That's great pat. How fantastic that you saved it!
Have had my BES 900 back for 3 weeks now and it is working like new. Very hard to get any info from expresso fix very limited English very hard to understand what they fixed, no info on return.
I did call Breville today. Just politely asked if they have received it and for some kind of ETA. The response was that it turned up today and no ETA could be given. I then expressed my disappointment in my repair service so far and hope they can put this a high priority as it has now been 5 weeks. Pretty much got brushed aside, don't think I'd buy another Breville product again. I'm a pretty reasonable and patient person but this is a bit much considering its there most expensive product by a long way!!
Hmmmm. Mine's been back 3 times, with very lengthy delays each time too. It is still working (6 months since last repair) but my experience doesn't make me particularly hopeful. It's been absolutely impossible to get any hint of what's gone wrong each time, but what-ever it is it's the same thing each time. I reckon it has to be either the OPV or the pressure pump (or both). Swift Appliances in Perth refuse to talk to me about it, and it returned this time with a drip tray and group handle which look like they've done 7 years in a busy cafe. They sure as heck weren't the ones I sent back. The main unit was mine, but the ancillary pieces were well beaten up old stuff. I've had my fill of Breville and I sure won't be buying another Breville machine. I've directed 2 people away from Breville espresso machines so far. ... and another thing, the OPV is now set at barely 8 bar
Another new reliability issue has popped up on mine, just posting in case anyone else has had the same or similar. Now and then, the machine will short-shot the brewing, so with a consistently filled and tamped basket, extracted at 9bar, sometimes the double shot program will just cut the shot off at 15-16 secs. It started doing this very occasionally, but now that I'm over the 12 month warranty threshold, it's started to become much more regular. As you can imagine, the growing incidence of "sink-shots" has become annoying and expensive
Yes, you just reminded me; I no longer use the programmed shots as they're purely random for single or double shots. Have been since I got it back this time. I really have had my fill of my BES900. It did make a nice brew for short periods when it worked.
That is not good news for a machine in this price bracket. You have my sympathies Dinsdale!
Like many things it also comes back to numbers.... From my understanding there are a lot out there; but there are a few that seem to have more issues than others AND then there is the issue of who does the SERVICING and how much they understand... I know from first hand experience, that many of the Service centers do not understand coffee or the machine... They just follow advice from Breville and shotgun with parts.... As labour to find the root cause is expensive and Breville do not pay for that service... It is only when machines may get sent to Breville and or they have a number of machines with the same fault that a full investigation takes place. That being said, the Quality of the local service / support centre will make a big difference to long term reliability..
Yep! I'm hearing you. It's easy to forget that they've sold zillions of these presumably hassle-free units but that's cold comfort for the consumers with issues! Surely QM a well designed and executed unit doesn't need a specialist quality service-repairer. :stir Just regular maintenance.... :pan
Yep! I'm hearing you. It's easy to forget that they've sold zillions of these presumably hassle-free units but that's cold comfort for the consumers with issues! Surely QM a well designed and executed unit doesn't need a specialist quality service-repairer. :stir Just regular maintenance.... :pan
Even if you may only need a service; if it is performed by a monkey, then the outcome is going to be under a cloud or two. Many of these service places may be good a fixing irons and other electrical gear; but a coffee machine is a tad more involved and you have other variables that need to be understood. If I have an F1 racing car, do I let the local fork lift mechanic loose on it for a service... NOPE.
will someone please point me at the thread describing how to alter the brewing pressure in the BES 900. I know it's somewhere but I can't find it. Mine won't go above 8bar with a blind filter on.
will someone please point me at the thread describing how to alter the brewing pressure in the BES 900. I know it's somewhere but I can't find it. Mine won't go above 8bar with a blind filter on.
Hi mate, I've had a quick search without luck. I remember the thread... The posts and pics were by a lovely and very clever member who is currently seemingly in absenta. I'll keep looking...
Hi mate, I've had a quick search without luck. I remember the thread... The posts and pics were by a lovely and very clever member who is currently seemingly in absenta. I'll keep looking...
A pleasure mate! Take pictures and update the thread if you'd be so kind! There's so many negative stories around these machines it'd be great to hear some more of the positives. Problem with positives is that most don't take the time to write them as they're too busy enjoying the goodness! It's only when things go sour that folks jump on the Internet and post their experiences. You could be the equaliser!! :thumb:
A pleasure mate! Take pictures and update the thread if you'd be so kind! There's so many negative stories around these machines it'd be great to hear some more of the positives. Problem with positives is that most don't take the time to write them as they're too busy enjoying the goodness! It's only when things go sour that folks jump on the Internet and post their experiences. You could be the equaliser!! :thumb:
Sorry to have to say it, but you won't hear anything +ve from me wrt the BES900. Mine's spent half its life back at the service centre - 450Km away I might add - and this last time it came back with more problems that it had when I sent it away. Now it's just an ordinary all manual machine that won't make 8bar.
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