A reality we cannot escape in this day and age is that, every now and then, we’ll have to fork out for a bit of tech - be it a brand new television to stream the latest Netflix box sets or a sparkling new smartphone.
But as technology gets smarter, issues become more complex, and things might break down quicker or prove harder to fix by yourself.
Which is why Martin Lewis’ reminder about our fundamental consumer rights can stop people being ‘fobbed off’ - and it hinges on two important rules everyone should know.
It’s usually spelled out quite plainly that you can get a full refund or a repair within a certain time frame after your purchase - this is the warranty.
However, as set out in the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you can challenge for a full or partial refund, a replacement, or a repair if the goods break two key rules. These are whether it was:
- Satisfactory as described
- Fit for purpose and lasts a reasonable length of time.
As the Money Saving Expert explains, a warranty is simply a voluntary service agreement that a shop or a manufacturer chooses to give you over a product. But anything bought is still protected under your statutory legal rights.
To break this down further, the Money Saving Expert explains that defining satisfactory is what a reasonable person would be happy with, given all the information, when agreeing to purchase. So this would cover the price, the original condition, and more.
As for the "as described" part, this is just making sure that any claims about what something is or can do are true. So if your television is meant to be a smart TV, it needs to be. And a multi-region Blu-Ray player needs to play multi-region discs.
Calling the second rule "crucial", Martin explains that items must last for what is considered a reasonable length of time provided that you have used them with care and used them as you should.
In short, if you’ve not done anything beyond the purpose they were built for, they should be expected to last.
Trying to define a "reasonable length of time" is where one might end up in something of a grey area. But generally, if something comes with a relatively high price, it should be expected to last a relatively longer length of time.
Spending £1000 plus on a smartphone? You could, feasibly, expect that to last longer than 14 months, Martin gives as an example, while clarifying that, ultimately, it’s the court who’ll decide in the end.
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