Fridge failed within Warrantee - manufacturer will only fund purchased value

Lamster79

Hello, bit of a head scratcher this one so hope someone can help.

Our fridge freezer developed a fault and an engineer examined it and determined it was unrepairable. We've been given a reference number to go back to our supplier and get a new fridge freezer. 

Now, we paid about £500 for this unit back in 2001, today a like for like model is worth £599. Now the supplier has said that we need to pay £99 for a new fridge as the manufacturer will only honour £500 (basically what we paid at the time). 

The fridge was within a 3 year warrantee and failed due to a fault within the machine. 

To me personally, we should be getting the like for like for no extra charge. Does anyone know where we stand on this? 

km1500

yes - there should be deductions from the £500 for the usage you have had since you owned it 

you did well to get the full £500

RefluentBeans

Are the dates correct? You bought a fridge in 2001? But yet still within in three years? Please can you explain what replacements you’ve had? 

400ixl

I assume it was purchased in 2021 which would mean the warranty would expire sometime in 2024.

They are entitled to take the amount of use you have had into consideration. If you were to say that a reasonable time for a fridge to be in serviceable use is 10 years, then they could deduct 1/10th of the price for each year.

So if you were to say that a £500 fridge should last 10 years then that would be £50 per year, or £120 for two years if bought in 2021. I don't believe they are responsible for price inflation on the purchase price as part of that calculation.

It looks to me like they are making a reasonable adjustment for use by saying you need to contribute £99 for 2 years of use.

Exodi

There seems to be some strange threads being posted on Consumer Rights lately.

I think if it was me, my cheeks and wrist would be aching from smiling from ear to ear and high-fiving everyone in sight at the fact I'd got free use of a fridge freezer for 2 years with a full 100% refund.

I can't see any retailer agreeing to refund more than the item was bought for... nor do I think there is any expectation for them to.

The next response is usually along the lines of "I won't be buying from them again!", which if it is, could you at least let us know the name of the company, because any manufacturer willing to give a 100% refund after 2 years of use is one I'd be keen to buy from.

Okell

@Lamster79 -  it's not a headscratcher but the answer depends on who you're claiming against.

If you are exercising your consumer rights against the seller under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (legislation.gov.uk), then a £500 refund on a £599 purchase from two years ago is a pretty good offer.

But the title of your thread implies you are claiming under a (manufacturer's?) warranty which you say was for three years.  What do the T&Cs of the warranty say you are entitled to if the fridge becomes unrepairable within the course of the warranty?  A full refund?  A like for like replacement?  A reduced refund to reflect two years use of the fridge?

Alderbank

Exodi said:

There seems to be some strange threads being posted on Consumer Rights lately.

I agree, in fact I don't think this is anything at all to do with consumer rights.

The title strongly suggests that this is a manufacturer's warranty claim, therefore separate from and in addition to any consumer rights.

Some warranties do promise that if the product cannot be repaired or replaced they will give a full refund. Some do indeed offer what the OP expected. For example Argos's 3 year manufacturer's warranty (provided by Domestic & General) states:

New For Old Replacement
If a repair is approved, but your product can not be fixed or if it will cost more to repair it than to replace it, you could get a product of the same or similar make and specification.

OP, who is your warranty with and what do the T&Cs actually say?

(Note: the Argos warranty I quote above is not free - it costs about £14 a month so >£500 over the three year period)

tightauldgit

The warranty terms and conditions will tell you what you are entitled to, what do they say?

Exodi

Okell said:

@Lamster79 -  it's not a headscratcher but the answer depends on who you're claiming against.

If you are exercising your consumer rights against the seller under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (legislation.gov.uk), then a £500 refund on a £599 purchase from two years ago is a pretty good offer.

But the title of your thread implies you are claiming under a (manufacturer's?) warranty which you say was for three years.  What do the T&Cs of the warranty say you are entitled to if the fridge becomes unrepairable within the course of the warranty?  A full refund?  A like for like replacement?  A reduced refund to reflect two years use of the fridge?

To be clear, the OP bought the fridge for £500 about two years ago. They have been offered a refund of £500.

Their issue is that to buy a like for like fridge today would cost £599. So they want a refund of £599 for their two year old fridge that they paid £500 for.

The company they are claiming against has not reduced the refund to reflect usage (as 400ixl also suggests), they've offered a full refund of what the OP paid. The issue is that the OP wants more than they paid.

If it is the manufacturer they are communicating with, I am surprised they don't just offer a replacement fridge instead, as that will cost them considerably less than the refund being offered, but maybe that's their warranty terms.

zoob

Take the £500 refund or credit note even if you then buy the same product again from the same retailer 
Buying again creates a new contract and benefits off the 3 year manufacturer warranty, if you exchange there's no new contract formed and no new 3 year warranty 

born_again

Exodi said:

Okell said:

@Lamster79 -  it's not a headscratcher but the answer depends on who you're claiming against.

If you are exercising your consumer rights against the seller under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (legislation.gov.uk), then a £500 refund on a £599 purchase from two years ago is a pretty good offer.

But the title of your thread implies you are claiming under a (manufacturer's?) warranty which you say was for three years.  What do the T&Cs of the warranty say you are entitled to if the fridge becomes unrepairable within the course of the warranty?  A full refund?  A like for like replacement?  A reduced refund to reflect two years use of the fridge?

To be clear, the OP bought the fridge for £500 about two years ago. They have been offered a refund of £500.

Their issue is that to buy a like for like fridge today would cost £599. So they want a refund of £599 for their two year old fridge that they paid £500 for.

The company they are claiming against has not reduced the refund to reflect usage (as 400ixl also suggests), they've offered a full refund of what the OP paid. The issue is that the OP wants more than they paid.

If it is the manufacturer they are communicating with, I am surprised they don't just offer a replacement fridge instead, as that will cost them considerably less than the refund being offered, but maybe that's their warranty terms.

Maybe they no longer offer a "a like for like model"

As has been said this is one company that needs to be named & praised 👍