You must honour any warranty or promise made to the consumer. You must also honour all 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 also ask a supplier to meet a consumer guarantee, even if the goods are covered by a manufacturer’s warranty.
Warranties 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 allow the consumer to a repair, replacement or refund.
This is called a 'warranty against defects'. It usually lists the defects covered and the period of the 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. Example: if a supplier tells the consumer that a bed will last for 10 years and the bed only lasts for six years, they are entitled to a solution. An express warranty may not be in writing and is a promise usually made to persuade the consumer to buy the goods.