Philips Serie 5500 Kaffeevollautomat – LatteGo Milchsystem, 20 heiße und kalte Kaffeespezialitäten, 40% leiser mit SilentBrew, QuickStart, Schwarz/Grau (EP5544/50)

This machine can block 100%, IF power fails during operation! .. And: is Shipped un-protected!

I really don't know, how to review this item ... because "it's only one of the many million items in the worlds largest and most non-personal & automated warehouse" Out of this, comes a machine - that in-the-system was "used - in acceptable condition". - no more information.... So, I took the chance ... - and bought it, thinking "I have the perfect xmas-present here"! and received a machine, that looked nice - no broken plastic, no missing parts (except the water-filter). So - I did put it to the test ... and poured water in the transparent container (that quickly will grow full of algies, due to all the light-input), - gave it some beans. - and started the machine ... and, buum.... - a 100% change.... it showed the error "grinder not in-place" ... - and I opened the door - to the special mechanical-monster of a Philips-xx maker. And, it was stuck - STUCK - TOTALLY STUCK !!! And - it turned out, that Amazon had NOT at all tested the machine ... - they had just received it back from a customer, in a return ... or xxx, - and had then just shipped it to us !!! ---- Which is a double-issue: - the Philips-machines, seem to have a VERY serious issue - that can render a machine 100% unusable /Kaputt! .. - and the issue is, that IF electricity is removed from the machine, when it is in the middle of the coffee-making process - then one is out of luck !!! The machine didn't know, how to "reset itselt" or "get back to start-position". The mechanism is operated by an engine - that turns appr. half of a round (appr. 180 degrees) ... - and, it cannot reset itself! This is a HUGE BUMMER, by Philips !!!! - and the worst part, regarding Philips is, that back in 2020, we actually saw exactly the same, with an older philips model! - it also was stuck, in a wrong position! And it gets worse: Friends of ours, have had this machine (EP5400), and their machine's power-plug became "loose"... - making it "Loose connection to 220V" ... - luckily, their machine haven't "lost the connection" during operation. - so, it still works. ----- So - conclusion - this model in general : - it is a gamble, whether one will loose power, at the wrong moment or not ... - it makes good coffee. And, on top of that comes other issues: .. 1) first, at Amazon 5000 cups is a claimed number. In reality, each filter holds-up, for appr. 750 cups - and using them all-along, results in, that you only need to run the decalcifying program/routine, each 5000 cups. So - it is to scam the customers, not to make that clear. .. 2) our friends' EP5400, had a driptray, with a small hole in - resulting in it dripping. - they got that exchanged without charge from Philips - but Philips was asking quite a lot of questions, and had to be convinced by images taken, that they were not trying to cheat. Which was a bad start-impression. ----------------- And, now to the difficult part: - Amazon's handling og such machines & the exchange-logic! - I was annoyed - because "acceptable" condition is NOT = "canNOT be made to function, no matter what"!! - And, Amazon's 3. employee (after being transferred, when the first & second could not handle the situation) - that employee, gave me a token, - the token was, that we would get to buy a brand new unit, of the same model. - BUT, we would need to wait, for the other to be processed and refunded, before ordering the new one! I could NOT accept this - because of: 1) this was to be a xmas present, 2) it sometimes takes a LOONG time, for return-cases to be processed - and this was the xmas-period, just after Black-Week. 3) this model, is now being sold-out by philips, meaning that a new model had arrived, to "take over" - so, the chance of getting this exact model, fx. 1 month later, looked like =impossible, 4) On top-of-that, the CS-employee kept saying, that it had to be ONLY THIS MODEL, that we could switch to, IF we wanted this "deal". ... So, I half-forced through, that I could buy a new unit ASAP (the same day) - and, then we could handle the refund and delta, when the refund-case was done-with. We then, 1 week later, received the new machine. - and, there I got another "negative surprice". - Amazon, had decided to just send the unit, without any more protection than the factory-box. .. And the box, was with knocks and bumps - and I got afraid, that the machine would be damaged. - I therefore contacted Amazon - asking them how to deal with this, - and asking, IF that was normal practice! - and, the only answer & solution I got (besides the standard "I am sorry"), was that "you can return it!". And, when I didn't accept this - because the fair thing to do in such a case, is to get a partial refund, compensating for the damage. - so, a process started ... that did lead to nothing else, than a promise on the phone: "Take pictures of the box, and send them to us". - the machine was not visually broken - but we all know, that bumps-etc, are decreasing the life of pumps, plastic, holders, electronics, the screen, etc. - but, I was in the resulting email, met with: "Take pictures of the machine, showing the damage"! So - I gave up - and thought: I hope it will last ... and, the good price & "use as xmas present", made me keep the machine. Now - 2 weeks later, the case got done-with - and I can relax, and focus on xmas. Evaluation : .. As long as your 220V is 100% stable, and you are pretty sure, that no fuses cuts the electricity, while the machine is working, then you are okay. - But, IF a power-failure happens, then you are screwed. - Whether Philips decides to take your word, or claims that you have done something wrong, I don't know! That will be "take a chance - gamble"! .. I can not recommend buying such big & mechanically complicated machines from Amazon - not as long as the bad/careless shipping-practice continues. - and in the reviews, I can see, that several other customers, have had similat not-protected and therefore damaged on arrival experiences. .. And, regarding the total lack of checking used machines, before shipping. - had I bought from another channel - then I would not have had all this trouble & the time-consuming and worrying. - I can simply not recommend buying such products, from Amazon. Buy Recommendation: .. It is hard, to recommend a machine, that has a major built-in fault (that it can get irreversible broken, just if the electricity is cut during operation). - And, I don't know, whether Philips will take the responsibility, and if they have found a way-around the problem, in theie werkstadt /service-place? ... Buying from Amazon: Not unless you plan-on getting all the after-buying service through Philips! (and you accept no-protection of the unit! (and a broken box, not suitable for fx. being a gift/present). - Because, All that Amazon will usually says, is: "You can return the item, and get a full refund!". - And, I wonder, how Amazon would have handled "the hole in the dripping tray" ... I expect that it would have been a cumbersome 2-4 week-long process: "Return the item" and "wait for the refund" and buy a new one. - And, All the returns, seem to result in the Amazon return-department standing with A LOT of units. - and, what to do then? ... And the answer seems to be (from many of the negative reviews): To deselect the world's largest marketplace. .. What a shame ... And, I was promised, that this would be escalated, and be fixed! - but, the reality is, that 2-4 year old reviews tell the same story. - so, Amazon has not changed its packaging-practice, and its policies. - and, the reality also is, that the "special-team" that I was forwarded to, met me with annoyance and frustration - and seemed tired of the whole thing! So - a good machine - making good coffee .. - but also a fragile machine, with big faults ... - it can break, irreversible, - and it can leak ... - I have found a metal-tray, that I will place underneath it - and then see, whether my wife will accept that .. og will come up with something else. And, the only 3 reasons for me keeping this machine is: 1) the favorable price. 2) that I hope to be able to 100% avoid Amazon, and get real after-service from Philips (i.e. not just "return and get a refund"). 3) and, that I hope, that electricity never will be cut, when it is in operation! PS: Regarding Number 3: This can be a real issue - IF the machine detects "no water", and halts/waits ... because it will then stand in "a middle-position" (untill a timer-timeout (fx. 15 minutes) ... and, I fear, that that has been the case, in fx. our "used, acceptable" unit! (that the electricity was cut/lost, in this time-period). - my comfort is, that I haven't yet read reviews, describing this fatal problem - making me hope, that this is a very seldom situation! - but, in places with frequent power-failures, I will NOT buy A Philips! ...(or, I will get it in print, from Philips (email-support) that this issue has been fixed (in fx. the new EP5500-series).