sales of goods act

RICHie_K_2

We often see the Sale of Goods Act quoted, which states that goods must be of a satisfactory quality and fit for their purpose, which makes the retailer liable for repairs regardless of whether the manufacturer's guarantee has run out. If this is so, who states how long this is. For example televisions, washing machines etc are expected to last for a good many years, so if one breaks down after 2 or 3 years, which I would see as an unreasonable length of time, is the reatiler then liable?

trafalgar_2

Yes basically though it does vary between appliances ......................I had a friend with a washing machine 3yrs old that developed a fault,not wear and tear and I contacted trading standards about it and they hepled her format a letter that basically stated that as machines are tested to last approximately 6 yrs worth of washes and it wasn't used by a large household (so had a smaller than average number of washes performed)................therefore it was not unreasonable to expect the washer to last far beyond the normal guarantee period of 12 months and what they expected them to do about it ,the washer was taken away and repaired and promptly returned ;D ;D


People seem to accept without question that once a guarantee runs out ,if it breaks down that's just bad luck,but it isn't ......it's bad machinery :-/
basically things should last a 'reasonable' period of time and a 'reasonable ' amount of use....................deciding what this is can be tricky but trading standards do have tables/expected life tables that they work from

Poppy9

Also if you go to the small claims court they will take into account the price paid.

If you pay £100 for washing machine and it dies after 18 months they might say it's reasonalbe to expect this given the low price.

However if you paid £400 for a washing machine you would reasonably expect it to last longer than 3 years.

RICHie_K_2

Thanks, wish i'd known all that when my last washer broke down. I'll deffinately keep it in mind if i'm ever in the same boat.

ohit

Thing is, for big appliances like that it's always worth getting long warrenties at time of purchase, insurance otherwise or included in home insurance.

It's quite cheap considering some can even be for upto 10 years - piece of mind and less hassle.

Di

NO NO NO NO
never ever ever ever buy warantees. waste of money. as above, the garrantee should cover teething problems and after that the sales of goods covers you.
those warrantees can cost you three times the value of the goods bought, and they can try and charge you for parts or labour, or say that the problem is not covered.
DONT BY WARRANTEES

derrick

I agree, don`t buy warranties

For smaller items there is the saying, if you can afford to replace it,don`t insure it.

Poppy9

I would make an exception with H Samual for items like Watches. Only costs £3 for a £40 watch and it is covered against theft, accidental damage, breakdown for 2 years. Note though it does not cover against loss and for it to be theft you cannot leave it unattended.

There is no excess to pay. If it is stolen you need a crime number from police. If it is accidentially damaged just take it in and it will either be sent for repair or replaced.

ohit

Er, if you check first the cost of the warrenty and then read the terms carefully there is no reason why it cannot be value for money.

It is quite ignorant to completely say no to warrenties entirely.

Also, the sales of goods act is all well and good, but can (and usually does) result in mountains of hassle. You want to mess about with small claims court, writing letters, and whatever while your washing machine leaves you out of a service for weeks?

I like the idea of paying £50 for a 5 year warrenty on my Dyson and getting 24 hour replacement for pretty much everything.