GH CONSUMER AFFAIRS
TRUSTED ADVICE TO HELP YOU GET MORE FOR YOUR MONEY
Knowing your consumer rights can be the difference between getting what you’re entitled to and being left out of pocket. Here’s what to do if there’s a problem with a product or service you’ve paid for
Consumer affairs directors Emilie Martin and Joanne Finney highlight this month’s key issues
1‘You need to contact the manufacturer’
If the retailer tells you to contact the manufacturer, remind them that your contract is with them, the company to which you paid the money. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA) says that if a fault develops within 30 days of purchase, you are entitled to a full refund. After 30 days (and up to six months), you’re entitled to a repair or replacement. The CRA also states that any item you buy must be of satisfactory quality, free from defects and as described. If it’s not, you’re entitled to a refund, repair or replacement.
2 ‘You should have taken out a warranty’
Warranties should be looked at like insurance – they’re something you have in addition to your consumer rights, not instead of them, and the CRA states that any item you buy must last a reasonable length of time. For example, a television should last more than three years, so there’s no point buying a two- or threeyear warranty unless it offers protection against accidental damage that might not be covered by your home insurance.
3‘The guarantee has run out’
This is irrelevant. You have legal rights up to six years (this is how long you have to take a claim to the small claims court for faulty goods in England, Wales and Northern Ireland – five years in Scotland). So, it’s great if a guarantee lasts longer than that, but otherwise stick with the CRA. After the six-month period mentioned previously, and if your guarantee is still valid, this your best option for a repair, replacement or full refund. Contact the manufacturer as it is usually the provider of the guarantee.
4 ‘You caused the fault’
If a fault develops within
