Oven is broken after 1.5yrs!

Wendo

We purchased a Hotpoint oven from Boots in December 2010. The top oven no longer works. I feel that 18 months is unacceptable (it's only been used a handful of times, as we normally use the main oven!).

They only have a 1 year guarantee (and of course, we didn't take out the extended one!).

Do we have any rights to get it repaired free of charge? It was hard enough to get them to fix our washing machine within the guarantee!

Many thanks!

bazster

Yes you do have the right to have it repaired, replaced or a refund. Warranty irrelevant now, this is entirely down to the Sale of Goods Act.

They will probably squirm and moan about it being out-of-warranty, you will need to be persistent and, if they refuse to help, go into writing sooner rather than later.

Note that, if they give you a refund, they have the right to make a deduction for the year-and-a-half use you have had from it.

Quite right not to take out the extended warranty. Just think how much money you would waste if you took out every extended warranty you were offered! Much better to save all that money and deal with the occasional rare problem as-and-when it arises.

Wendo

Thank you @Bazster.

So, if I quote "Sale of Goods Act" at them, that should do the trick? (I have no idea what the SoG Act actually says!).

Should I go to Boots or Hotpoint?

If I do need to write to them, what should such a letter include, please?

Thank you so much for your help!

bazster

Wendo wrote: »

Thank you @Bazster.

So, if I quote "Sale of Goods Act" at them, that should do the trick? (I have no idea what the SoG Act actually says!).

Should I go to Boots or Hotpoint?

If I do need to write to them, what should such a letter include, please?

Thank you so much for your help!

One of the requirements of the Sale of Goods Act is that goods should be of merchantable quality, and one facet of merchantable quality is durability i.e. goods are expected to last a reasonable time. 1.5 years is clearly NOT a reasonable time for an oven to last, so you need to be pushing the durability aspect of the Sale of Goods Act.

If you are forced to write to them you should point out that:

- an oven should last more than 1.5 years therefore you would like it repaired at their expense.
- that they are legally obliged to do so under Sale of Goods Act, which requires a reasonable level of durability.

You do not go to Hotpoint, you go to the retailer because that is who your contract is with i.e. Boots.

Except, if you bought this online from Boots Kitchen Appliances, that isn't Boots at all, it's some other company trading under Boots' name. Check your invoice.

How did you pay for it? If you used a credit card, and Boots don't want to play, you can claim a refund from the credit card company under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

geo555

What is wrong with the top oven? Is it just the element? They can last for years or just 1 or 2. I replaced an element in my oven when it was just over 2 years old, the replacement is still going stron 10 years later.

Wendo

Hi, I have no idea what is wrong. It just doesn't work! The grill does though.
It was Boots online electrical people, so I will dig out my invoice and get onto it. Surely Boots have to help me if they are the name behind the service!
Thank you so much for your help, both of you. Much appreciated.

bazster

Wendo wrote: »

Hi, I have no idea what is wrong. It just doesn't work! The grill does though.
It was Boots online electrical people, so I will dig out my invoice and get onto it. Surely Boots have to help me if they are the name behind the service!
Thank you so much for your help, both of you. Much appreciated.

Boots might help you, since it's their name potentially being tarnished, but they don't have to if the contract is not with them.