Karcher Window Vac WV6 Plus N-Faulty product & terrible customer service

A friend recommended a Karcher window vac so I bought the top model WV6 plus which cost £90, at the time.

After ordering, Karcher failed to send a conformation email of my purchase, I had to chase them to confirm the order had been place.

The window vac arrived and I found the suction nozzle came loose after 3-4 passes on my French windows. This kept happening so I contacted Karcher and asked them to replace it. They arranged DPD courier to collect and also deliver the replacement Vac at the same time. But DPD did not show up they took a photo of the wrong house and said no one was home (even though both my wife and I work from home).

The following day the exchange did happen but the "New" Karcher WV6 plus was worse than the first!

Not only did the suction nozzle fall off like the first one but there seem to be a leak of air around the water tank so the suction power was less than the first window vac I was sent.

So for the last few days I have been trying to get this sent back so I can get a refund. At first Karcher customer service tried to dissuade me from insisting on a refund, but then they reluctantly agreed to pick it up Monday Nov27th (today). Of course DPD told lies again because they failed to show up they took a photo of a shop? Rather than my house.

I believe the design is a good one, spoilt by very poor quality control in the manufacturing.

If Karcher insist on having their products made in Italy rather than Germany they need to be laser focused to ensure the product is consistent.

The customer service was very polite yet ineffectual.

Not able to offer a real solution.

Trust Pilot (December 2023)

I was shocked when I found that Karcher currently has a 2.6 rating on Trust Pilot out of 2,142 reviews.   42 % of the reviews were 1 star reviews.

I'd always believed they made quality products?  Companies can have a quality control problem from time to time but the problems in their customer service seem to be endemic.

No one from Karcher, at any point of this sorry saga, has been motivated to fix the sitution and retrieve their damaged reputation.

Update November 30th 2023

My 2nd Karcher WV6 N plus was finally picked up by Parcel Force, just a few minutes ago. This was after 2 more failed attempts for DPD to pick up the window Vac. It really galls me when DPD lies about attempt to pick up the VAC saying things like we were not in when we were. Finally yesterday I insisted that Karcher use a different courier as they wanted to use DPD yet again. I also find Karcher's reply to my review on Trust Pilot disingenuous, they have had ample time to sort this out and have failed at every attempt, no wonder their phone lines are busy.

Second Update December 16th 2023

I have photographic proof from Parcel Force that Karcher received the 2nd faulty Karcher WV6 N plus in their warehouse on December 4th but on Friday 16th December I am still chasing for my refund. If I could give Karcher NO star review I would. How are they still in business?

Third Update Monday December 18th, 2023

I telephoned Karcher head offic in Banbury arounfd 3.30pm after checking that my refund has still not been sent to my bank account.

I ask to speak to a manager and spoke with Sonia (Customer Care Team Leader). She promised to find out why my refund has not been processed and call me back. Heather their Customer Care Manager called around 4.30 pm and explained that no one booked in my returned Window Vac and this is why I have not yet been issued a refund . heather also told me that all refunds need to autorised by the German part of the comapny but she would do her best to get this expedited.