TODO, Panatech, and me – 0/5
Sometimes life sends you lemons, and you can’t make lemonade. What then? Give in without a fight? Or dig your heels in and prove that you’re right?
I dug my heels in.
The following is the [condensed] story of my fight with Panatec about the TODO Espresso Coffee Machine Maker Automatic Touch Control 20 Bar Pump 1.5L. The full version would include 40 emails and counting. You’re welcome.
So, I bought the TODO coffee maker via Woolworths Everyday Market [think 3rd party vendors on Amazon]. The TODO was delivered on May 23, 2025.
The Offspring and I tried out the milk frother part of the TODO twice. After the second attempt, the metal sleeve around the frother nozzle came away as I tried to wipe it clean [with a cloth as per the instructions in the User Guide].
I got an almighty shock as I wasn’t expecting the sleeve to literally drop off, especially as it was piping hot. We tried to replace the sleeve, but it wouldn’t go back up. This is a screenshot taken from the video I took of the TODO and shows the difference between the two ends of the sleeve:
On May 25, 2025, I sent the video of the sleeve to the Everyday Market support team:
Please note the dark counter on which my TODO is sitting.
On May 27, 2025, someone from ‘support@efo.net.au’ replied saying ‘Please note that the froth nozzle is removable to allow for easy cleaning.’
As there was nothing in the user manual about the nozzle being removable, much less the sleeve, I disputed that assertion. Panatech responded that I could get a refund if I paid the postage for it to be returned AND accepted a 10% ‘restocking fee’ if the TODO had been used. !?!
After many more emails, from both me and the Woolworths Everyday Market support people, Panatech seemed to back down and sent me a [free] consignment label to be used for the postage. By this stage I was so sick of the whole thing I packed up the TODO and sent it off the next day.
End of story, right? Nope.
Once Panatech finally admitted they had received my TODO, they said that it had been checked out and there was nothing wrong with it. Therefore, they would hold back the cost of postage AND the 10% ‘restocking fee’.
After yet more back-and-forthing, Panatech sent me a video of ‘a’ TODO with the sleeve apparently working as it should. I took a video of that video in case it was taken down, then I disputed that it was actually my TODO. This is a screenshot from that first video:
In the screenshot you can clearly see that the smooth end of the sleeve is down, which means that the toothed end is up, but WE couldn’t get the toothed end to go back up. Please note the white counter which shows that this is taken from the Panatech video, not mine.
Then today, June 21, 2025, I received a second video from Panatech, and this time it shows the box with the label addressed to me. I cannot tell you how happy this video makes me!!! <>
No, I haven’t gone crazy! Remember how part of my complaint was that I couldn’t get the sleeve to go back on the right way? Well have a look at this screenshot from the second video. Can you see how the smooth end is up?
I know it’s a bit hard to see as I had to zoom in a long way, but in this second screenshot you can see the other end of the sleeve, and it has teeth!
What I call teeth are actually more like the crenellations on a medieval tower. If you click on the image you can see one of the gaps a bit easier.
Why does any of this matter? It matters because I believe that the second video is actually of my TODO because Panatech couldn’t get the toothed end to go back up either. And that means that the TODO in the first video is not mine.
I hate liars. The TODO I bought is/was faulty, and this company will do anything to avoid taking responsibility for it. And I am not the only victim. This is a screenshot from productreview.com.au where people are complaining about the same thing:
I still haven’t received any part of my refund, but I’m not playing the email game any more. I now have proof and I’m naming and shaming.
If you have had a similar experience, I’d love to hear about it in comments.
Cheers,
Meeks
