Real life | 2 August 2018

Beko. I always want to sing that song by Peter Gabriel from the movie about the South African freedom fighter when I look at my new fridge freezer. But the anti-apartheid activist was Biko, and the appliance manufacturer is, in fact, pronounced Becko.

I know this because I’ve just had to ring the Beko customer services line after my new fridge freezer started pooling water around every orifice.

‘Good afternoon, welcome to Beko customer services,’ said the lady.

I wanted to say ‘Beeeeko, Beeko, Beeeko-o-o. Beeko.’ But I didn’t.

‘Hello,’ I said, ‘my new fridge freezer isn’t working.’

‘When did you buy it and where?’ she said, as if she’d done this too many times.

‘I bought it two months ago from Currys.’

‘That’s no good,’ she snapped. ‘We need the exact date of purchase.’

‘Well, I can’t tell you the exact date until I look on my credit card statement. But I do remember it was the first week of June.