Guarantees and warranties
Back to our consumer issues this week after noting that Bob Adams from River City found an easier solution to his debt problems than many of us - he had a rich pal who paid them all off for him in exchange for a share of Bob’s business!
Anyway to Guarantees and Warranties. I had to buy a new printer recently and was surprised when I was told that I would have to buy a special extended warranty because “If your printer breaks down after 12 months you’ll have to send it back to the Manufacturer.”
I politely told the sales assistant that if it broke down I would bring it straight back to the shop that I bought it in. “Oh no you can’t do that. It’s not our responsibility after 12 months. It will have to go back to the Manufacturer.”
It was at that point that I had to speak to the Manager and explain that he should not allow his staff to give consumers incorrect and confusing information. To be fair he did apologise but I have not been back to that particular shop to find out if any training has subsequently been carried out.
It’s hardly surprising if we get confused as consumers when shop staff give us such incorrect information. There has long been confusion over warranties, extended warranties and guarantees so let’s set the record straight.
Most goods that you buy will come with at least a 12-month manufacturer’s guarantee. This is in addition to the statutory rights that you have under the Sale of Goods Act that allow you to take faulty goods back to the retailer that sold them to you in the first place. So effectively you can choose whether to complain to the retailer or the manufacturer if something goes wrong - but the retailer is not allowed to tell you that it is nothing to do with them, because it is! Your contract is with the retailer and they have a liability to deal with any problems for you - in some case for up to 6 years from the date of purchase.
Also you should note that if your goods break down in the first six months after you have purchased them the default position is that they were faulty at the point of sale unless the retailer can prove otherwise. On that basis you should be entitled to repair or replacement immediately.
And just because the manufacturer’s guarantee runs out after 12 months doesn’t mean that you don’t have any protection if your television breaks down after 18 months. You would expect a television to last for more than 18 months and it is, therefore, unreasonable for it to break down after that period of time so my starting point would again be the shop that sold me the TV. But you may at this stage get involved in a debate about how long the parts should have lasted and whether you are expected to pay part of the cost of any repairs and this is where extended warranties can be useful. But only if you have done your homework and worked out the cost involved and made sure that you are not covered elsewhere.
Remember that the goods will come with at least a 12-month manufacturer’s guarantee and nowadays many goods already come with longer guarantees. It may also be the case that the goods you buy are covered by the credit card that you used or by an insurance policy that you already have elsewhere so check all of these things before splashing out on an extended warranty that you may not need.
Think carefully as well about the value for money offered by an extended warranty. It is likely to be expensive compared with the amount you would normally pay out in repair costs or be able to gain free through using your statutory rights.