Baby monitor not working properly after 16 months - what are my rights?

little_spender_3

My son is almost 16 months and we bought his baby monitor a couple of months before he was born. It has a one year guarantee.

Now it has started playing up and it buzzes quite loudly at random times but more importantly the nursery unit (the bit in my son's room) seems to temporarily stop sending a signal to the parent units (the bit we hear him on).

It's out of guarantee but I think sale of goods act says it should last a reasonable length of time and be fit for purpose and in my opinion that means it should last at least as long as he's in his cot and therefore unable to get up to tell me if there is a problem and it should maintain a signal.

Can anyone help with what my rights are for a repair or a replacement? It is an Angelcare monitor that cost £120 and was bought from Mothercare.

My son is poorly at the moment so I don't want to be without a monitor in case he is sick in his cot and I don't hear him because of not having a monior on.

Thank you in advance for any help

arcon5

If the fault is inherent, your entitled to repair, replacement or refund -- effectively their choice. However after the first six months the onus is on the consumer to proof to fault to be inherent (by way of independant report usually).

little_spender_3

How do I know if a fault is inherent and how do I go about getting a report to cover this?

Oliver14

little_spender wrote: »

How do I know if a fault is inherent and how do I go about getting a report to cover this?

You find an independent engineer and pay for it.

As you can't guarantee the outcome personally I'd buy a £50 or cheaperr monitor (they're lots of good ones at that price) and forget about the other one

An independent engineers report is likely to cost you double that and you'll only get the money back if it goes in your favour.

bungle4by4

time to buy a new monitor im afraid. dont confuse price with quality.

unholyangel

Theres no harm in the OP asking Mothercare. For all we know they may repair or replace without problem. OP, do you still have your receipt or some other kind of proof of purchase?

As for not confusing price with quality.......what a strange thing to say seeing as price is one of the factors taken into consideration when deciding if something is of satisfactory quality.

(2A)For the purposes of this Act, goods are of satisfactory quality if they meet the standard that a reasonable person would regard as satisfactory, taking account of any description of the goods, the price and all the other relevant circumstances.

little_spender_3

Yes I do have the receipt still so will see what Mothercare say, thanks.

[Deleted User]

If it only has a 1 year warranty then I would imagine that you would just have to buy a new one.

Personally I wouldnt even bother as its after the 1 year already.

unholyangel

Deleted_User wrote: »

If it only has a 1 year warranty then I would imagine that you would just have to buy a new one.

Personally I wouldnt even bother as its after the 1 year already.

Why? Even if it is no longer covered by warranty, if the fault is inherent it would be covered by SoGA. SoGA allows up to 6 years (of course this doesnt mean that all goods should last this long, as my post above.....it would depend what is "reasonable" for the goods in question, price paid etc) from date of purchase to make a claim against a retailer in England.....5 years from discovery in Scotland.

Perish the thought if we could only make a claim while the item is under warranty :eek:

Richard_SM_2

A 12 month guarantee lasts 12 months from date of purchase, not 18 months, and not even 13 months. Just the 12 months, exactly as it said on the box. Sellers have rights too. The onus would be on you to prove the fault did not occur through misuse since you bought it. Whilst your reasoning may sound logical to you, the retailer/mfr has no idea how you've treated the product over 18 months. Did you leave it ON all the time? Have you dropped it often? Did someone leave a wet towel on it once? What about baby drink ... did someone spill juice on it? You could try asking the manufacturer if they offer a repair service at your cost. You might have to send it away for the repair. Or you could try your local electrical repair shop who may be able to turn it around within a week or 48 hours. If they can fix it they're probably going to want around £15-£30 labour plus parts, plus VAT, depending on your area.

I've just googled and see they sell them on Amazon, typically around £40-£50. The Motorola monitor is £19. Mothercare are advertising baby monitors in their 'up-to-half-price' sale at the moment, i.e. Tomy Video Monitor RRP £130 for £65. Kiddicare Online also have a sale on baby monitors right now.

Might be easier just to get another one. Your son is 16 months old now. How many more months do you think you'll need a baby monitor? Maybe a lower cost monitor might be OK now? Or maybe you're planning to have another baby, so the next monitor might be for your son for the next few months and then be useful when a new baby arrives.

pinkshoes

A bit harsh for a second post Richard! A bold newbie it would seem...

At £160, I presume the OP was hoping it would last AT LEAST a couple of years, and if I'd paid that much for a baby monitor, I'd want it to last for a good 3 years.

Little spender, I'd go and speak to Mothercare, and try and insist on them repairing it, and perhaps loaning you another one until yours is fixed. If they won't play ball, then you'll either have to get an independent report, or try pestering the retailer saying how disappointed you are that such an expensive "luxury" product has such a short shelf life, and can they do anything. They might be nice and replace it!