When she discovered black, grease-like marks staining her newly washed clothes, Tina, from Chester-le-Street, County Durham, was confident her four-year Domestic and General extended warranty would not let her down.

"My daughter Mia is three and the washing machine always seems to be on with her things. I paid for extra insurance so
I would never be caught like this, or so I thought, " says Tina. "But the customer service I've received has been lousy and my complaints to Ariston and the insurers do not seem to have been treated seriously." With no solution in sight, Tina was forced to hire another machine.

She continues: "That helped me cope but led to a further complication. Each time before the repair man was due, I had to get the hire company to disconnect their machine so Ariston could reconnect and test my one. The hire and callouts alone have set me back more than £100."

But Tina's predicament was swiftly resolved when Crusader flagged up the poor treatment to Indesit, manufacturer of the Ariston brand. Just a few days later, a brand new appliance was installed in Tina's kitchen and she received a further £75 in compensation.

"Mrs Bowden did experience inconvenience with her machine, " an Indesit spokeswoman confirmed, "and this has now been replaced by the warranty supplier Domestic and General. We have also sent her £75 as a goodwill gesture."

"I'm amazed how things changed once I contacted Crusader, " says Tina. "I had forgotten just how easy life was before it broke. Even Mia is pleased - she has got her happy mum back."