Providing warranties
When there is a warranty
You must honour any warranty or promise made to the consumer. However, you must still honour the consumer guarantees.
This means you must fix a problem when goods fail to meet a consumer guarantee, even if the consumer does not have a warranty or extended warranty, or the goods are out of warranty.
A consumer can insist a supplier meets a consumer guarantee, even if the goods are covered by a manufacturer’s warranty.
Top of pageWarranties against defects and consumer guarantees
Manufacturers often provide a written warranty that promises consumers:
- goods will be free from defects for a certain period of time
- defects will entitle the consumer to repair, replacement or refund.
This is called a 'warranty against defects'. It usually lists the defects covered and the period of the warranty.
When goods covered by a warranty against defects fail to meet a consumer guarantee, a consumer can insist the manufacturer honours the warranty.
A warranty against defects is different from an 'express warranty'.
Express warranties and consumer guarantees
Suppliers and manufacturers often make extra promises - sometimes called 'express warranties' - about the quality, state, condition, performance or characteristics of goods.
In doing so, they guarantee the goods will satisfy this warranty.
For example, a supplier tells the consumer that a bed will last for 10 years. If the bed only lasts for 6 years, the consumer will be entitled to a remedy.
An express warranty may not be in writing and is a promise usually made to persuade the consumer to buy the goods – it is different to a warranty against defects.
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