The six-year warranty right that shops dont tell customers about: Law says retailers are responsible for dealing with complaints once official guarantee expires Shops are keeping customers in the dark about their right to get repairs or refunds on faulty goods for up to six years after they bought them. Many are denying any responsibility for helping customers once a product is outside its official warranty, which is wrong under consumer laws, say researchers. Others are bouncing customers to manufacturers, when the law states that the retailer is responsible for dealing with complaints about products. The problem relates to the fact that consumer rights laws are extremely complicated with many grey areas, and that shop staff seem ignorant of the rules. The Sale of Goods Act gives consumers some rights to refunds or free repairs for up to six years after the purchase of an item, which most do not realise. But these only apply if the product could reasonably have been expected to last six years or more and where it has been used properly, according to the manufacturers’ instructions. Consequently, a customer could argue that a washing machine or TV could be expected to last six years, but the same could not be said of a hairdryer. The consumer must also be able to show that a product has failed because it was not sufficiently robust when it was sold, which might require an expert report. But the scale of any redress is limited by the fact that the product has been used by the owner for a period of time. That means the owner could not expect a full refund on a £500 TV that has been used for five years. Researchers at the consumer group Which? went under cover to ask staff at high street and internet retailers what customers’ rights are when an electrical product becomes faulty outside its warranty. They also asked to speak to managers to see if they offered better information. The responses Which? received were rated under five headings, ‘excellent’, ‘good’, ‘fair’, ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’. Those judged as excellent accepted there were some rights and gave clear, accurate advice. Poor staff created the impression that the shopper had no rights and should speak to the manufacturer, while those rated as ‘very poor’ denied the customer had any rights. Argos came out worst with nine out of 12 shop staff rated as poor or very poor. John Lewis prides itself on its customer service, but eight out of 12 staff were rated poor or very poor, which was the same as at Currys. At Richer Sounds, seven out of 12 fell into the bottom two categories, while the score for Amazon was six out of 12. The best performer was Apple, where only three out of 12 rated poor or very poor. All its managers offered a decent level of advice. Which? said: ‘Currys was the only retailer to score an excellent rating for one of its shopfloor staff.’ The consumer group said the stores have improved the way they handle these queries since it surveyed them a year ago. Argos said its staff are given training on consumer law. A spokesman said: ‘We accept our responsibility to ensure customers are given correct guidance when a problem arises.’ John Lewis said: ‘Our partners are trained to approach all customer problems with an open mind and the customer’s best interests to the fore.’ Currys said: ‘We don’t feel the research reflects how we assist customers. We deliver beyond the legal requirement.’ Richer Sounds said: ‘We work hard to provide exceptional customer service and value.’ Amazon said: ‘We take into consideration all facts and circumstances on a case-by-case basis to provide a fair solution.’ Read more: dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2875453/The-six-year-warranty-right-shops-don-t-tell-customers-Law-says-retailers-responsible-dealing-complaints-official-guarantee-expires.html#ixzz3M3Ze3f9l Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook #warrenty #appliances #customers
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 10:47:45 +0000
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