Inquiry into 'planned obsolescence' in household appliances

Federal consumer affairs minister Kris Peeters has called for an inquiry into whether manufacturers of household appliances, including computers, deliberately build their products with a limited life-span. If so, he said, he intends to look into what measures can be taken to stop the practice.

The anecdotal evidence is all around us: a refrigerator or a washing machine used to be good for 30 years of service, and if something went wrong, someone would come round and fix it. Now, repair services more often than not advise that a repair would cost as much as a new appliance.

Test-Achats recently tested 24 washing machines – one cheaper version and one expensive version from each of 12 brands. The stress test found four machines malfunctioning before the end of the test. Another 19 showed signs of damage. Only one machine, the cheapest in the entire test, came through. The brand was LG, a Korean manufacturer.

“When we called up for a repair, it often turned out that only a small component was broken,” said Simon November of Test-Achats. “But that small component was part of a larger component that also had to be replaced. Usually, we were better off buying a new machine. But that can’t be justified when you consider that a washing machine should last for 20 years, given the effect on the environment of making one.”

The legal two-year guarantee, he said, turns out to be valid only for about six months. Sellers are willing to accept responsibility for faults in the first six months, but the onus of proof is on the buyer after that, and manufacturer liability can only be proved by employing an expensive expert.

“What we are asking from minister Peeters is a real guarantee of two years,” November said. “That would encourage both manufacturer and seller to produce more sustainable machines.”

Photo: Ingimage