On The Case
| 16:45 UK time, Monday, 19 March 2012
Reg and Louise Lacey
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Pensioners Reg and Louise Lacey, from Hengoed, rely on their family for many things – and not least, for their help in preparing home-cooked food.
Meals, specially prepared and placed in the couple’s freezer by relatives, are a lifeline especially because Louise is diabetic and has low blood pressure.
Reg said: “She (Louise) gets giddy and she'll fall over.Ìý So very rarely we leave the house.â€
When the Lacey’s freezer unexpectedly broke down after 18 months, they lost lots of much-needed food.
Reg said, “That's the only way I can get by. Regular frozen meals keeping Louise going you know.
“I went down one morning for a frozen meal and found the meals that were there were not frozen anymore and they had gone quite soft and obviously the food inside was of no use.â€
Reg got in touch with Comet, who supplied the freezer, and the company told him they could come out and repair it for £125.
He said the first engineer came along and the freezer was working briefly but the following morning it was back square one.
Reg told X-Ray that the freezer kept breaking down and the couple lost more food. Three months later Comet said it couldn't be fixed and they agreed to refund half the repair costs.
Reg said: “Well, we thought that was very poor recompense for all that we had experienced.Ìý Eighteen months is nothing for a freezer, surely.Ìý A working freezer would be the answer, surely?â€
Lucy got on the Case and found out the couple have a right to expect their freezer to last more than 18 months.
Comet said because the couple didn’t take out the warranty they won’t replace the freezer but they have apologised and given Reg and Louise £250, which covers the cost of the repair and leaves them with £190 to buy a new freezer.
Reg said: “I want to thank you for all that you have done on our behalf.Ìý Louise and I are forever grateful and Louise and I can go out and buy a new freezer.â€
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