Regal Warranty Replacement Denied Due to Stock, Only Low Refund Offered
I have been using a Regal NFK 54020 E Kombi No Frost refrigerator, which I purchased on 08/07/2023 and which is still under Regal’s 3‑year warranty. On 30/06/2026, the refrigerator compartment suddenly stopped cooling. I contacted the Regal/Vestal authorized service through the Regal Online service request system, and they directed the nearest authorized service team in Ortaca, Muğla to my home. The service team examined the product and confirmed that the problem was most likely caused by a gas leak. Since the product was under warranty, they told me that it would be replaced with a new one. Three days later, they contacted me again and confirmed that the product could not be repaired and would indeed be replaced with a new one. I also requested a temporary replacement product, and they provided it the next day. On both visits, the service team was excellent and behaved very professionally. However, today I received a message from them containing a “company explanation” stating that the product is out of stock and that they can only offer a refund. They calculated the “depreciated” refund amount as ₺27,634, which is far below the current market value. Based on my research, the current market value of an equivalent refrigerator is between ₺39,989 and ₺44,816, and I used the lowest figure in my calculations. I originally paid ₺13,999 for this refrigerator, and I do not find it fair that I should be forced to accept a significantly lower amount than the current replacement cost while my product is still under warranty. In addition, they told me that if I do not accept the refund, they will “inform the company” and cancel my record, although they did not clearly explain what this means. I responded that they can of course inform the company, and that I will also inform the relevant authorities and apply to the Consumer Arbitration Committee if necessary. The final response and the options they offered are as I described above, and I do not agree with these options. There are many Regal/Vestel products in my home, and I have been recommending this brand to my neighbours and friends. It is very disappointing for me that this refrigerator became non-repairable in less than three years, which is far too short compared to the expected service life of around ten years, and that the solution offered does not cover the real loss I will suffer. I request that my refrigerator, which is confirmed as non‑repairable while under warranty, be replaced with an equivalent new product or, if this is truly impossible due to stock issues, that I be paid a refund in line with the current market value of an equivalent refrigerator rather than a depreciated and insufficient amount. I kindly ask you to review my case, taking into account the service records with reference numbers 8119335083 and 8119405931, and to provide a fair and satisfactory solution as soon as possible.
I received further messages from the Vestel authorized service center threatening to cancel my service case if I do not accept one of their offers within 3 days! On 14/07/2026, they offered me a smaller replacement product that had just come into stock in exchange for a payment of ₺16,200! They repeatedly insisted that my product was out of warranty and that I had to pay. I disagreed and told them that my warranty was still valid. For more than an hour, they argued with me and insisted that I show them my invoice. I had already provided the invoice to the service team and had also sent it to the Resolution Center, and all the dates were correct in the service records. They later claimed that I had registered the service call with 2022 as the warranty start date. Since I disagreed with this, they sent me a copy of the service record, but it was not my record! I pointed this out to them, and they said, "We apologize," explaining that they had mixed up the names. Now I do not know whether the offers they made were intended for me or for this other person! After insisting for more than an hour that I was right, they went silent! Today, they contacted me and said that the company's final response was either to refund the invoice amount, which is less than what was initially offered (although they did not confirm the refund amount), or to wait until the product is back in stock. Since they were trying to persuade me to accept a smaller model, I asked them to confirm the product number they would send. They said they could not tell me the product number or when they expected it to be back in stock until it was available, and that it could take 1–2 months. I find this brand's attempts to resolve complaints extremely strange. Now that it is clearly evident that this model is no longer suitable for sale, I am wondering whether I really want another one of their products. I hope they have improved their durability over the last 2.5 years! Otherwise, we will be in the same situation again in 2028! My first preference is a refund based on the current market value; if they do not accept this, I could reluctantly accept a replacement for my original product that is the same size or larger and has the same or higher specifications, as I was initially promised.
The replacement product has been delivered. Although I had to put in some effort to resolve this, I did not give up, and they sent me a brand-new product under the warranty.
