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Buying Goods and Services On Line
Differences Between Guarantees and Indemnity
Legalities of Door Stop Selling
Legal Protection on Eating Out
Non Professional and Private Sales
Remedies for Buyers Sale of Goods Contract
Returning Goods from Faulty Sales
Sale of Goods Over the Internet
A warranty is a legally binding assurance that any problems caused by a defect in the manufacturing of a certain product will be remedied during a certain specified period of time.
The customer will usually pay for the privilege of having a warranty which will usually extend to the following things:
A warranty for the above things is most common in the case of purchasing electrical products and in most cases a warranty will last for 12 months to two years. In some cases in relation to more expensive goods a warranty may last for up to five years.
Warranties have the same effect as insurance policies, some are even underwritten by insurance companies and are said to give the consumer the peace of mind over the first few years of ownership of a product.
Even if you do not have a warranty over goods which you have purchased you will still be provided with statutory rights under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 as amended.
In the absence of a warranty the retailer of the goods is automatically liable for any faults which may develop within the first six months of ownership. Following this initial six month period the consumer will have to prove that any faults occurring are not down to misuse of the product or general wear and tear. Other factors such as the price paid, the specification or the model of the goods, the length of time you have had the goods and the length of time which they should last.
This means that if you have purchased a product which should last six years but which has broken down after only two the supplier or retailer will be liable to provide a satisfactory repair. If this cannot be done they should provide you with a replacement product. If neither of these can be agreed on then often a partial refund of the cost of the product can be provided.
If a warranty which you have purchased in relation to goods has run out this will have no effect on your statutory rights under the Sale of Goods Act meaning that a retailer cannot refuse to provide you with a repair simply because the length of time of the warranty has expired.
Your statutory rights under the Sale of Goods Act can often last for up to six years in relation to certain products in many cases lasting longer than any acquired warranty.
An extended warranty will become valid after the basic 1-2 year warranty has expired and will often run for a further 2-3 years. It is similar to a basic warranty but will often cover damage caused by accident or misuse and in some cases even loss or theft therefore providing a consumer with more protection than their basic rights under the Sale of Goods Act.
Since April 2005 following the introduction of the Supply of Extended Warranties on Domestic Electrical Goods Order 2005 retailers selling electrical goods must supply extended warranties in the following ways:
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