Thanks for the feedback Alanka. I was just about to post that I had heard back from PlumbFreeze with a price and a way to order. You info is invaluable. In fairness (and hope?) I wonder if it might just be a faulty unit you got??
It's possible, but they did say that every machine was tested before despatch, so I seriously doubt if my one was different from others. Also, they did not protest much about the return or try to persuade me to take another unit because mine was a 'rogue'. If I had 100% faith in a product, that's what I would do.
They also told me on the phone that they were bringing out a freezer that is designed to work in higher ambient temperatures (that plumbers might experience in warmer climates). They expected this machine to be available in about 3 months. If it works at higher ambients I would expect it to work more effectively in the UK than the current model. So I might give that one a try when it comes out!
If anyone else fancies giving the current model a try, please do, and report back to this forum on the results. I'd be really happy if the FZ400 really does work properly and that my particular unit was indeed faulty!