In addition to the protection given to consumers by the Sale of Goods Act, manufacturers and retailers will also issue their own guarantees or warranties. The two are basically the same thing so for the purposes of simplicity we will refer to them as warranties. It is a myth that certain products (electrical products for example) automatically come with a 12 month warranty – there is no legal obligation for shops or suppliers to provide them – it is simply to enhance consumer confidence in their product and promote sales. It also provides them with valuable marketing information which is why you will need to register your product by filling in a card with your personal and purchase details in order to activate it.
Warranties are basically a commitment to repair or replace defective parts within a specified time frame (usually 12 months), although beware of any small print requiring the consumer to bear the cost of any shipping, labour etc as this runs contrary to the Sale of Goods Act which states that it is the seller’s (retailer’s) responsibility to ensure the goods are repaired or replaced at no cost, minimum inconvenience and within reasonable time. Previously there was some doubt as to the legal status of such documents, but European regulations have now confirmed that warranties are legally binding contractual obligations between the manufacturer, or retailer and the consumer for the time frame indicated.
The important point about warranties is that they should never seek to replace your rights under the Sale of Goods Act, and even after they have run out, you will still be protected by these statutory rights which can run for up to 6 years after purchase. Furthermore, you should never be referred back to the manufacturer at any point. Your first and only port of call in the event of a claim is always the seller or retailer. For further info on warranties and extended warranties, see our Guide.
Your Statutory Rights
- How do you measure quality?
- It’s not fit for purpose
- How long should it last?
- I bought it from a bloke down the pub
- Rights when knowingly buying damaged goods
Common Complaints
- They say I’ve taken ownership so it’s my responsibility
- Do shops have to give me my money back?
- The shop doesn’t want to know, they say it is the manufacturer’s responsibility.
- It’s second hand – do I have any rights?
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Hi. We purchased 5 internal doors from b&q each costing around £165. We’ve had them for about a few months if that. We just realised the other day the bottom hinge has come off and there is a crack in the wood adjacent to where the hinge was.am I entitled to an exchange for the door considering the hinge was of good quality?
I had a part on my car replaced 18 months ago and it’s failed… It’s a compresser
They are supposed to last at least 6 years..
Can I get them to fix it again at no cost to myself ??
Hi
I wonder if someone could please offer me some advice.
I purchased an oven 18 months ago and it has now stopped heating. I purchased this from the catalogue company Very, who are advising that it is out of warranty and there is nothing they can do. We spoke to a representative who gave us the number for Russell Hobbs and told us to organise an engineer, but after citing the sale of goods act, he said they would replace if it cannot be fixed.
After several days of trying, we could not get through to an engineer, and I complained to Very asking them to contact Russell Hobbs and organise an engineer at their cost as the oven should last a minimum of 6 years and I purchased from them as the retailer and not the manufacturer.
They replied today after 5 days to advise that it is out of warranty and they cannot help, but they hope I continue to shop with them! I purchased a vacuum cleaner at the same time, which has had an engineer once to fix a problem, which broke again, so I disposed of the vacuum and purchased a new one! I am still paying for both the vacuum and oven on a Buy Now Pay Later scheme.
IS there anything I can do because advising statements from the Sale of Goods Act is not having much effect.
Many thanks
Kerry
Is 3 years for Parker knoll furniture material with minimum wear and tear a justified complaint ? 2,338.00 for two small two seater sofas
I bought a Asus tablet ???? in December 2014 now it has broken For the 2nd time now it is out of guarantee am I entitled to get it repaired Free of charge were I purchased it at Argos under the sale of goods act .thankyou.
Where do I stand,I had some curtains make to measure 18month ago ,we have only just put them up and they do not fit at all ,they have been make completely wrong ,where do we stand ?.because it’s been 18months will the shop take responsibilities for the curtains
I brought a brand new high gloss kitchen in October 2016 from benchmarx and an extremely disappointed by the durability.
Now I previously had a cheap off the shelf gloss kitchen from wicks for many years so I knew they needed a little bit more attention with polishing to keep it looking good so felt I knew what to expect.
However not long after the installation, I started to notice that the kitchen doors scratch really easily, for example I was polishing them and my fingernail brushed on one of them leaving a scratch!! Surely they should be more robust than this? Most kitchens see an awful lot of traffic and given it’s a kitchen and will have daily use from a range of ages in the family, now I’m am almost afraid to use it let alone let the kids help out in there.
I am at a loss and a little under confident as to know what the best way to approach this issue with retailer and what rights I possible have or if this would be considered as a reasonable concern to complain about?
I bought two mattresses from mattrrssman cost 598 pounds both developed the same fault one 11!months old one 15 months old complained about them shop not intrested
Martain corrillo was a recommended joiner by neighbour he fitted 2 doors and did good job I asked for another door and a by folding door to be bought and fitted he said it was cost £90 pounds he left me in writing in pencil that he recived money of £90 pounds to do work but it was never done I phoned and his girl friend left £10 so still owed £80 never been round or contacted neighbour who recommended him I did not go police because I could not find the paper till now and had some family problems