Milex robotic cooker broke after 2 years – no parts, no repair timeline, no solution

I purchased a Milex robotic cooker for several thousand rand because it is marketed as a multifunctional machine capable of tasks such as kneading dough. After only two years of normal use, the machine broke when a small plastic gear inside failed while making dough — something the machine is specifically designed to do. When I contacted Milex support, I was told that the required part is not in stock and cannot be supp**** separately. Their only suggestion was that I send the machine in for assessment. However, they cannot provide any lead time, cannot estimate the cost, and cannot even confirm when the replacement part will be available. This means I could be without the machine indefinitely, with no guarantee that it will even be repairable. For a product at this price point, this is completely unacceptable. When a company sells appliances like this, there should be a clear plan for maintenance and spare parts support. Instead, I am left with an expensive machine that is unusable because of a small plastic component, and the manufacturer cannot offer a clear path to repair it. What is also disappointing is the lack of effort to explore practical solutions. If the part is unavailable, alternatives should at least be considered or suggested. Instead, the responsibility and inconvenience are placed entirely on the customer. I rely on this machine daily, and the current response from Milex shows very poor after-sales support. At this stage I will be escalating this matter further, as customers should not be left with an unusable appliance simply because a small internal part fails and the manufacturer has no parts available. I would strongly caution potential buyers to consider after-sales service and parts availability before investing in this product.