AEG (Joy's) PF750 - Back To Basics Domestic Sewing Machine

Recieved as a present.

On 3rd use the cotton kept sticking. My mum (who is a professional seamstress) could not get it going again so contacted AEG.

Returns policy was so strict (need to have orginal packaging including polystyrene / if it was not deemed to be within guarantee machine would be returned at my cost etc) I couldn't see how I could send it back without incurring large charges. Given price of machine it was not worth doing this.

Taken into local sewing machine shop and their first comment was - 'it's not from Joy's is it?' and were well aware of the returns policy as they had seen many of them through their shop.

I am now have a virtually brand new sewing machine that I can't use unless the local shop can fix it cheaply, but I have no confidence that it will last.