Page 1 of My Oil Filled Radiator has just exploded !!!!!!!!

I bought a Challenge oil filled radiator (£30) from Argos 10 days ago.
When the timer switched it on at 715pm this evening there was a cracking then hissing sound as the oil began to spray out of the bottom of it, obviously a seal had opened up.
Oil went all over the carpet and walls and just missed me and my 6 month old baby who I was feeding on the bed about 5 ft from where the radiator was !!
The house now smells of oil and my bedroom carpet is damaged.

Could someone please tell me what I should do next because to me this radiator should be recalled by Challenge but I`m unsure whether to ring them or some other agency tomorrow ??

I don`t feel that I should have to claim on my house insurance when the product was to blame and it nearly caused me and my son injury from the warm oil.

Many thanks, Foxy.

PS. I have emailed Watchdog !!

My imediate response should be that you inform Trading Standards, the manufacturer & Argos (head office) of the event in that order, requesting information as to who is liable for damage caused by defective goods sold by one party on behalf of the other.

TMM Argos should refund the cost of the defective goods & the manufacturer the cost of replacing the damaged carpet & think themselves lucky they didn`t have a personal injury claim attached.

I would suggest that you do not take the device in for refund straight off as that might weaken the case for a product recall\compensation for damage if independent assessors cannot examine it.

This is general advice on what I would do in your circumstances, others may have better advice to give.



I quite like the Helpdesk people in a benevolent (as opposed to malevolent) way as they do some valuable work in preventing us being inundated by every halfwit who can work a phone.