How long should a premium DVD recorder last?

nhaqueoi

My father has a Panasonic EX-78 Panasonic DVD recorder. This is a premium model that cost a little under £200 from Amazon in late December 2009, so is less than 2.5 years old.

It has stopped reading DVDs. It had a 2-year warranty. My question is whether this a reasonable time for it to last? If not, what are his rights in terms of getting a repair or replacement?

Any help much appreciated.

Does anyone have experience of Amazon being good guys with this kind of issue where a piece of equipment fails just after the warranty expires?

fluffnutter

I'd expect it to last longer than 2.5 years. My Panasonic's about 8 years old and has never had a problem.

In terms of your rights, the item was bought more than six months ago, so it's up to you to prove that the fault was inherent and not due to wear and tear or misuse. For this you will need to pay for an independent review. If said review concludes that the fault is inherent, then you should present this to Amazon and ask for a remedy under the SOGA. This can be a repair, replacement or refund. Bear in mind that a refund will be partial to account for the use you've already had. Amazon should also refund the cost of the review.

Forget about the warranty; it's fairly irrelevant in this situation (particularly as it's expired). And don't approach Panasonic - the contract is with Amazon.

Only your father can decide whether the cost of a review and the subsequent (possible) hassle of getting Amazon to deal with this is worth it. You can buy very good DVD players for less than £100 these days.

bod1467

It's a DVD Recorder.