MarkG

@4b4 If you're willing to push an extra £100, you should look at the Wild Goose. Comes with deflector, divide and conquer system. However, do be warned that issues are NOT limited to these Aldi ones, it just appears the nature of ceramic BBQ's in general, and a whole lot of luck. I've had two Wild Goose's delivered, both came with damage also (along with my damaged Aldi one). They are supposed to be delivering another one today, however looks like they have forgot. I'm on the verge of giving up on ceramic BBQs as getting one has been an absolute nightmare.

@liam Yeah it's not ideal if you're going to be nervous about the damage. Mine is going back because Aldi wont give a partial refund now after La Hacienda have been in contact with them. It's also my first BBQ, so I didn't want to spend the big money until I knew it was for me. The Weber seems like an option for me at the moment, and then keep an out out on off-season sales.

Update:

Aldi no longer offering the partial refund as they are advised by La Hacienda to collect any damaged ones. Mines going back.

I don't know if the person who posted this on the FB group is on here, but this is a recent update from Aldi that I thought is worth sharing:

 

Quote

Just a heads up on any damaged ones if you have yet to receive or not reported it,aldi are no longer offering partial refunds if you keep the AK after reporting any damage how ever minor. Their manufacturer have now advised them from a health and safety point of view to collect any damaged ones and they will offer a full refund as there is no stock left to replace.

I've not accepted the £75 the offered me yet, I wanted to test the Kamado first. So it may be a good idea for those who have accepted still have their 3 year warranty in tact. I'm going to call them later today to see if I'll still be able to get what they offered with the warranty, if not, then I will be returning it.

@liam I got mine built yesterday, hoping to have a go with it later today. Curious to why you are having second thoughts?

29 minutes ago, Toucs said:

Turned up yesterday, rushed home with a mixture of excitement/trepidation.  

'Just' the two marks from what I can see. The worst being above the ash box opening. Looks very much like @MarkG pic. Back to customer services I go!

Thanks for all the updates, handy to know what positions have been agreed. I'll let you know how I get on.

  

 

 

Yep, that looks exactly like mine, and a lot of others by the looks of it. Definitely appears more a manufacturing issue than anything else.

Little update...

I've pushed them to £75 off. Covering the crack with ceramic paint will not affect warranty. They said it's all in my notes so it's all in writing. I can also use it for 60 days with a no-quibble refund if I have a change of mind, that's standard apparently, so anyone with damaged ones can test it out. I said I'll let them know next week if I'll keep it.

I did try get £100 since @Airtime0007 mentioned they had offered that, but they wouldn't budge.

1 hour ago, Justin said:

Assuming they honour their commitment and do not say the crack is not down to the chip but wear and tear use heat conditioning etc. 1 year is a very limited guarantee. It should last decades with care and maintenance.

Yeah I think I need to ring again and get them to confirm that too. At first it seemed great, but now it seems iffy without further clarification.

40 minutes ago, Justin said:

I am not going near one of these, i do not get it., My Weber kettle has lasted some 15 years plus  and is still going strong. Such a versatile piece of kit too..  Why are these ceramic ones so short term on guarantees?

I did look a Kettles, but it seemed like the Kamado was better for the low and slow 8-12 cook, without need for much intervention. I guess the short term ones are due to using cheaper materials, so eventually they will give up, unlike the KJ and BGE with their lifetime warranties.

42 minutes ago, liam said:

@MarkG sounds good mark but what do you think they will say if it cracks ? 

I fired mine up last night to about 200 celsius to see if the crack on the inside changed, am going to give the warranty team a call today and actually ask them what they cover as if the ceramic isn't covered what is the frame and side shelves !!  

Also the outside of my ceramic got pretty hot i thought they didn't get that hot on the outside.??  

Am new so could be wrong just thought i read they didnt. 

If it cracks because of that issue then they will refund the rest of the cost, so if in 1 year it breaks, I'll get my money back. I don't know how they'd determine it was from the arrival damage, but it just seems like a no-question refund right now because the damage as been logged on my order.

Just had this from Aldi: They just told me I can test the Kamado, and if there are no issues, I can continue using it with a partial refund of £50. If there is an issue because of it within those 3 years, they will refund the rest to the full amount.

I'm now tempted to keep the Kamdo at the value of £300, if it breaks within 3 years, full collection and refund. This appears a win-win situation?

Who knew buying a Kamado could be so stressful.

5 minutes ago, Airtime0007 said:

Do they break? Anyone had one break? How do they fail? Other than obviously dropping things which wouldn’t be covered?

Be curious to know also, and if it is worth that bit extra. I've read about fireboxes cracking, which they replace. I knwo this puts it 2.5x the price of the Aldi one, so it is a big jump, given that probably a lot of people (including myself) wanted it to get started in the Kamado world, before dropping a large amount of money on it.

I've seen a KJ classic, with the D&C system and newer firebox for £869. ~ £300 more you get the lifetime KJ warranty, over the 1 year with the Goose. Tough decision now!

16 minutes ago, Airtime0007 said:

I’ve only just realised what they offered you. They offered me 10% off. Once I stopped laughing, I said I would want at least £100 she disappeared off spoke to a manager who agreed to £100. I still went for a replacement. If this ones damaged I’m going to return it and buy a wild goose, which looks to be pretty much identical to a Kamado Joe classic. 

They offered me £50 first time, they spoke to management first. I asked if they can do more and she said no, I was considering it but after further inspection, it's a no go.They'd have to offer me £200 to keep it as it is 😂 It's on the right hand side of the lid on mine.

I'm almost certain mine is not damaged by the courier, as it was wrapped up well without damage.

I think I'll go Wild Goose too, only downside is it's a 1 year warranty. Anything to worry about there?

Just now, Justin said:

That looks like a bodge on the manufacturing process. Done on the cheap by the manufacturer? Worrying. Refund?

I think I'll take the refund over keeping it for £50, it looks more concerning than first appeared.

@Justin That's what my worry is, a crack that's not possible to see, but could very well surface after a few goes. La Hacienda already told me they don't have a replacement part for the dome so if it breaks, it's a goner, nothing Aldi could do about it. Doubtful Aldi would refund if it did break, especially when it's logged on my order as I've contacted them.

I took a better inspection of mine, attached a better pic of the crack. It almost looks like it's been damaged, filled in, and covered up. Anyone have any thoughts?

I'm going to re-check the damage on mine to see if I can figure out if there's more damage than it looks before deciding on keeping it. It will definitely need sealing, like @Smokin Monkey said. Really frustrating.

Update from Aldi, they said they'll arrange a refund, and I mentioned a good will gesture, which they came back with £50, so £300 for a chipped Kamado. It is cheap (well, for a Kamado), but is it worth the risk of the chip? 🤔

This is the response I got from La Hacienda:

Quote

Hi,

Thank you for your email and apologies you are experiencing a problem with a La Hacienda product.
Unfortunately we would be unable to comment on how the product will react being used over time, as there are too many variables to factor in such as fuel levels used, external temperature, storage and length of use.
It will be down to you if you choose to continue to use the unit, but we would recommend that the product should only be used if it is in sound condition.
We would advise taking this back to the retailer where your purchased the item and they should resolve for you in line with their customer service policy.

Thank you.

Not very reassuring. I don't know if it is in "sound" condition or not. I mean, it looks it, but I don't know whatever caused that damage has any underlying issue that's not visible at the moment. With no more stock, a new one wouldn't be possible so it's either live with the chip and hope for the best, or find a different one. 

Waiting on a response from Aldi still.

Hi all,

Just another damaged Aldi Kamado coming through! Looks very similar to others posted in this thread. Looks superficial, but still, it still shouldn't be arriving damaged. Can't get anyone on the phone right now so will try again in the morning.

@liam What number did you ring? I tried about 15 mins ago and just got cut off.