thank you. by the way, the machine is AWESOME!

Donna Stone
210.844.1846

I’d agree it’s really easy to blast people on the internet but I was well aware of the separation between brand and ownership in this case.

And to a large degree that is my point I suppose.

As a consumer I didn’t buy a product by ALBA Group or even Breville UK – I bought a Breville.

It’s a brand.

The ownership behind the brand is irrelevant, that is of course a big part of the purpose of branding.

My annoyance is still well placed and irrespective of warranty, country of origin or brand ownership – it’s about service.

I asked simply enough for a part, a part for an item I knew was sold in the UK. But the response was one of unimaginative contempt for the brand which, in this case, ALBA Group sells.

To not maintain the illusion of brand credibility seems a curiously self-defeating approach if you ask me as surely ALBA Group had to pay hard cash (or some consideration) to distribute the Breville brand in the UK.

Since the emails, I have heard nothing of ALBA Group and a fine drill has taken care of the basket in the meantime.

Generally if you purchase products in one country you need to check that the warranty , parts etc is covered in different countries. IN most cases you are not covered. As for you filter Breville OZ would have replacements . If the filter is not damaged it is most likely still blocked, even if it looks 100% clean,coffee particales can get trapped between the filter layers. You will need to push a pin or the tool that came supplied through the centre hold in filter basket. Then soak filter basket in hot water and some dishwasher powder over night. Rinse and place filter in handle into machine without coffee. Run machine to flush water through with pressure. Do this a few times and on a regular basis.

Finally its very easy to blast people , companies on the net these days best to get some facts before we all do

What I have found so annoying is that with only a couple of minutes effort digging around that the model is indeed sold by them in the UK but under a different model name. So they do sell them and stock parts.

BUT since my last email pointing this out Breville UK have refused to talk to me.

Meantime I’ve bodged a fix with the basket.and decided that next time I buy a machine I will spend more money buying something from a company which makes their own stuff and has aftermarket spare parts.

This is what getsatisfaction.com is for though, you add them to the site, add your question/complaint and see if others respond with similar issues. It's more popular in the USA though, and Breville weren't on there yet.

You might want to try contacting breville AUS yourself, since they have more commitment to that particular model, they might be more willing to tell you how you can get hold of the part abroad.