Warranty on faulty sonicare toothbrush 11 February at 5:01PM in Consumer rights 5 replies 132 views

Beckyj1979

I purchased a sonicare toothbrush in Jan 2021, it had a extended 3 year warranty. It developed a fault in June 2022, so it was replaced. I now have the same fault so need another replacement. What I don't understand is why is not the case that each time i get a replacement toothbrush I don't get another 2 year warranty as you would with a new item? I don't think it's fair that each replacement toothbrush is going on the original 3 year warranty that I received in Jan 2021. It's not my fault that the toothbrushes keep going wrong. I feel as though I am being penalised. Just checking that I am being given the correct information from Philips and not being fobbed off! 

paulttt

Phillips well within their rights.  Warranty doesn't renew on a replacement. 

visidigi

You bought an item with a 3 year warranty. Not with a never ending warranty.

Diamandis

They are guaranteeing 3 years of toothbrush use under their warranty for the price you initially paid. Whether that is 1 toothbrush that lasts 3 years or 6 toothbrushes that last 6 months each, it's still 3 years. 

Aylesbury_Duck

Very few manufacturers are going to provide a lifetime supply of a product, which is effectively what you want.  If Phillips' warranty says each replacement falls under the original warranty, they're acting correctly.  The time to check that a warranty provides what you want was at the time of purchase.

DullGreyGuy

Beckyj1979 said:
What I don't understand is why is not the case that each time i get a replacement toothbrush I don't get another 2 year warranty as you would with a new item?

Because warranties are in addition to your statutory rights with the seller and whoever offers the warrant is free to set whatever terms they want to on the warranty.

In theory companies offering warranties should hold a provision on the balance sheet for the inevitable claims and having them effectively opened means it will continuously grow. For those that have insurance backed warranties then the insurer does have to have a capital provision against future claims. 

Your statutory rights are tied to a contract of sale, when you get a free replacement there is no new contract and so the clock doesn't reset. If they give you a refund (or gift card etc) and you decide to buy a replacement then you get new statutory rights but for most non-tech things you'd expect prices to increase overtime so that purchase of a replacement would have you adding more money to maintain the same standard.