Registering a guarantee

Contessa

Can any of you good people settle a query please? My friend maintains that you have to register your newly bought product with the manufacturer or the guarantee is not valid. I disagree, because this would invalidate your consumer rights, including the sale of goods act. Who is right?

ormus

you are correct. you dont have to register anything.
proof of purchase is enough. (ie the date).

mackemdave

They only want you to register it so that they can flood you with details of their extended guarantees

McAzrael

Some (home appliance) manufacturers offer an extension on the warranty if you register with them. This does not affect your statutory rights, in particular any claim you may have against the retailer or CC company under the Sale of Goods Act 19** or the Consumer Credit Act 197*. Nationwide will stick another year on top of one and two year warranties on many appliances so long as you use their card to buy the goods and register it with them.

Contessa

Thanks for your replies. Pleased that my understanding was correct.

lindos90

Ive always ignored these too, as I assumed they would put me on their data base and pester me for extended cover etc.

However on the flip side.

I have an electric fire that has developed a fault, its less than 12 months old, went back to the shop. They called the manufacturer who said it was a known fault discovered with the model. They had contacted all the registered owners of the fire and replaced it with an upgraded model.

As I had not registered they had not contacted me to replace it. so in some circumstances there could be a possitive reason for registering!

Contessa

So, worth registering in some cases. What about non-electrical products? e.g. bathroom ware, kitchen units, garden sheds etc.?

lindos90

Similar thread here..

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2880254

So basically you dont need to register, you still have consumer rights as long as you keep your reciept or other proof of purchase, but if you dont, the manufacturer can (wrongly) try to weedle out of their obligations!

Contessa

So, it's not necessary, but may, perhaps, save a bit of hassle.
I understand the sentiment but am still not convinced, as I've had some letters/packages go astray in the post. I fear for a small postcard to prove that I've spent £xxx's and am entitlted to recompense.

McAzrael

Don't confuse your statutory consumer rights with a manufacturer's guarantee. A guarantee is offered by a manufacturer above any rights you already have. It's an extra which they do not have to offer. Sometimes they come with strings, such as having to register for extra years, sometimes they don't. Sometimes they ask you to register, but don't require it. In all cases, registering is likely to bring junk mail.*

In all cases, you have a contract with the retailer and they are obliged to sell goods of reasonable quality, and in all cases you have a claim against the retailer if they don't. They sometimes confuse (ahem) their responsibilities with those of the manufacturers too. There is much discussion about the Sale of Goods Act, the principle consumer protection act, along with the Supply of Goods and Services Act and the Consumer Credit Act (and its famous section 75) on this site. Government advice can be found on consumerdirect.gov.uk. If you really want to get nerdy then look up Donoghue v Stevenson 1932 to see the basis of manufacturers liability to consumers in negligence, rather than contract, but don't do it right after dinner.

*I've had free extended warranties from Bosch, Baumatic and Nationwide in return for registering. Bosch and Nationwide were both provided by Domestic and General, Baumatic by some other third party. I have no idea if they are any good. It's not hard to imagine that Bosch, Baumatic and Nationwide are all paying a very small amount of money (if anything) to bulk purchase these extended warranties, which the third parties will just see as very good leads.

ormus

also study the Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Company case.
very famous case in english contract law.

all law students will know it.