We live in a world where almost every gadget is smart—fridges talk back, doorbells stream video to your phone, and yes, even dishwashers can place online orders.
But as one reader found out, smart doesn’t always mean flawless.
J.C. from Ware, Herts was enjoying the convenience of her internet-connected dishwasher, which automatically tracks tablet usage and reorders them through the Finish app when supplies run low.
Sounds brilliant, right? That is, until her doorstep turned into a delivery zone.
The Case of the Never-Ending Tablets
When J.C. hit the point where the app should’ve sent just one box of dishwasher tablets, it sent four… on four separate days.
She ended up with a mountain of detergent and a £45 charge to match.
Despite her complaints, she heard nothing back for two months.
Finish initially claimed she must’ve manually placed those orders—an idea she laughed off.
Why would anyone intentionally buy three years’ worth of dishwasher tablets in a week?
When Tech Gets Too Smart
The auto-ordering feature, known as SmartFinish, is meant to be convenient.
It’s designed to work with Wi-Fi-enabled dishwashers, tracking how often you run cycles and predicting when you’ll run out. It’s a great idea—when it works.
But in J.C.’s case, the system glitched.
Finish blamed a technical issue with the app, which has since been resolved. After further complaints, and a bit of extra nudging from this column, the company refunded her £45 and let her keep the excess tablets.
Unsurprisingly, J.C. declined to continue the subscription.
Consumer Rights Tip
Scott Dixon of Complaints Resolver suggested that in such cases, quoting Section 25 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 is powerful.
It makes it clear that businesses must collect and refund any items sent in error—without putting the burden on the customer.
Caught in a Car Hire Mix-Up
Next up is J.R. from Hampshire, who ran into a costly blunder while booking a rental car.
After scheduling a flight to Edinburgh for May 14, he accidentally reserved a car for May 13.
Realizing the mistake in time, he contacted Drivalia to fix it—but things still went downhill.
Double Charges and a Surprise Fine
When J.R. arrived at the rental desk, he was charged £375 for a second booking without being refunded the first.
To make matters worse, he was also fined £115 for a parking violation that happened the day before he even arrived in Edinburgh.
Clearly, something was off.
Despite his efforts, Drivalia wasn’t budging—until we stepped in.
The Right People Got Involved
Emails to Drivalia’s leadership didn’t lead anywhere, but when the case reached EasyJet (since the car was booked through their website), progress finally happened.
EasyJet clarified that car bookings go through a third-party partner called CarTrawler.
Thankfully, CarTrawler stepped up and refunded both bookings—£446 in total.
While the original mistake was J.R.’s, the quick resolution and empathy from CarTrawler were a refreshing change.
Quick Bites of Consumer Help
Dripping Tap Drama
J.W. in Lincolnshire has a policy with HomeServe, which supposedly covers dripping taps.
But when a shower tap started leaking, they refused to help because it was “in a shower.”
While technically within their exclusions, it highlights the importance of reading the small print.
HomeServe has since apologized and reminded customers that shower controls aren’t covered.
A Lost Pension Payment
S.G. from Hampshire retired in July 2024, but a final £2,268 contribution vanished into the system at Aegon.
A year later, it still hadn’t been added to their pension account.
After intervention, Aegon finally credited the money and sent an additional £300 goodwill payment on top of an earlier £250 apology. A win, albeit a delayed one.
Overpriced In-Flight Water
E.V. from Leeds noticed that buying food on a plane ended up costing more than expected—even when paying in euros.
The culprit? Flights to the UK from Spain were charging in pounds by default, applying the airline’s exchange rate.
This caused her Spanish bank to reconvert the payment, costing her extra.
The lesson? Always double-check the payment currency on board.
Scam Watch: Beware of “Free Emergency Kit” Emails
A sneaky scam is making the rounds in the form of an email claiming to be from Admiral Insurance.
It offers a chance to win a free car emergency kit—but only if you click a link and answer a few questions.
It’s a phishing scam designed to steal personal and financial info.
Don’t click the link. Instead, forward the message to report@phishing.gov.uk to alert the authorities.
Got a Consumer Headache?
If you’ve been burned by a dodgy deal, a tech fail, or just need help fighting a corporate wall of silence, reach out.
Write to Sally Hamilton at Sally Sorts It, Money Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email sally@dailymail.co.uk.
Be sure to include your contact info and a note giving permission for Sally to speak to the company involved.