£800, huh? Well, it figures! Still, all the Smeg re-sellers I called wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. We were beginning to think we'd have to pay someone to remove it from our flat.

Again, my insider knowledge: we bought it in 2005 wholesale from PowerPoint in Greenwich (not sure they are still trading?) for £650. We never could have afforded the retail price. Smeg's current Renzo line no longer includes fridges if you check their site. I think there may have been a serious flaw in the functionality of that design. Style (in spades!) over substance: our milk was constantly turning into yoghurt.

Also, while our fridge was under the extended Smeg warrantee, it was regularly being "repaired". Maybe these guys did actually repair it, but that would mean they've figured out something even Smeg couldn't.