Defective batteries reduced the autonomy of the Xiaomi G10 stick vacuum cleaner

The Xiaomi G10 is a stick vacuum cleaner. Democratized by Dyson, this wireless format relieves the user of a sled to pull behind him. In the majority of cases, the motor unit is placed at the level of the handle, just like the controls of the vacuum cleaner.

And who says engine block, says battery. Xiaomi also wanted that of its removable and replaceable broom. The user can then buy a second battery and benefit from more autonomy during a cleaning session. On its site, the Chinese manufacturer even claims that there is “no need to worry about the battery anymore”. This doesn’t seem to be on everyone’s mind…

A vacuum cleaner running out of steam too quickly?

Indeed, reading your comments posted in response to the test, many of you seem unhappy with the health of the battery. We can find autonomy problems after a few months, dropping the suction sessions to just a few minutes, against 65 min announced by the manufacturer when the vacuum cleaner is in eco mode.

We reached out to Xiaomi for an explanation…a brief explanation. A malfunction has been identified on this product. The engineers would have intervened and would have corrected the problem, but we have no more details on this subject. We have to take the manufacturer’s word for it, which claims that the new batteries on sale are now free of any battery life concerns.

Furthermore, no batch number was communicated.

In the event of a device malfunction, it is possible to trigger its warranty and exchange the defective battery by contacting Xiaomi France customer service. Obviously, you must have acquired your stick vacuum cleaner from an authorized dealer. All warranty conditions then apply to this situation, such as the one prohibiting the user from returning a product that is intentionally damaged.

Battery and warranty, a thorny relationship

However, the main obstacle to this procedure remains the duration of the guarantee. In Europe and in France, there is the legal guarantee of conformity (article L217-3 and following of the Consumer Code) — not to be confused with the commercial warranty — which states that the purchased product must conform to the intended use and to the seller’s description.

In the event of a lack of conformity, and if the defect was already present when the goods were delivered, the consumer may request a replacement or a refund within two years. “Consumables”, such as batteries, are included in this warranty, provided that the user has complied with the recommendations for use and has not been negligent. Xiaomi specifies that a six-month extension is put in place as soon as the part is changed.

If the two-year period has elapsed, the consumer can benefit from the legal guarantee against hidden defects. Several conditions must be met: the defect must be invisible, it must make the good unusable or greatly reduce its use and it must exist at the time of purchase. This guarantee must be implemented within two years after the discovery of the defect and within a limit of five years after the purchase. If it is applicable to many situations, it is more complicated to implement, because the burden of proof lies with the consumer: it is up to him to prove the existence of the defect, unlike the legal guarantee of conformity.

Finally, for those who wish to buy an additional battery due to failure or to prolong the pleasure during cleaning, Xiaomi puts it on sale at 130 €, or almost 50% of the purchase price of the G10. A small investment, then.