Currys 2 year manufacturer warranties

[Dave *]

Was just browsing the Currys site, I see they are now offering 2 year manufacturer warranties on all DSLRs.

I wonder what it will do to their extended warranty business?

DSLR-guarantee.pdf

 

[OldCarlos]

Don't most manufacturers actually give the 2yrs warranty, when you register? (non grey imports aside)
Presumably they'll still sell their own extended warranty to some folk, beyond the 2 yrs.

Some sellers include an extra 3 yrs to the manufacturers own, giving 5 yrs in total. (UK optics & UK digital do)

 

[Dave *]

No, the most common in electronics is still 12 months. What causes confusion is the EU Directive which stipulated a 24 month minimum warranty, unfortunately the government didn't bother enacting it in the UK as in their opinion SoGA was adequate.

I know Nikon give an extra year on registration, and John Lewis give their own extended warranty, I was quite surprised by a 24 month manufacturers warranty across the board. Especially from a company like Currys that pushes its own warranties.

 

[OldCarlos]

I didn't actually know we hadn't adopted that EU directive.
Yeah, obviously I know Nikon give 2yrs, but actually thought Canon (& others) did too. Bit surprised tbh.

Maybe the likes of Currys have a deal with some manufacturers? It'll certainly help with their image. It's a bit like the motor industry. Cars used to have 1yr warranty, then 3yrs came in & became fairly standard, then the likes of KIa upped the ante with 7 yrs!

I wonder if the bad press (& legal challenges) in the past, against some of those `warranties/insurance cover` has played a part too?

 

[Dave *]

I didn't actually know we hadn't adopted that EU directive.

I know, our political "masters" decided we didn't need it . They deem SoGA to be stronger protection (which with most retailers it isn't as they know its costly and time consuming to pursue after the first 6 months). It means we are left with the basic 12 month warranty in most cases, and having to go to court for anything more if the retailer won't help.

Even Apple was forced into giving a 2 year warranty in Europe because of the Directive, we didn't get it, because it doesn't apply in the UK.

Know your rights

Euro myth
Some consumers wrongly believe that they have consumer rights under an European Union directive (1999/44/EU), which gives them a two year warranty/guarantee on goods that they have purchased. Whilst indeed this is the case in certain parts of the EU where the directive provides a minimum base line of consumer protection. The UK did not fully adopt the directive because English law already provides far superior protection than the EU directive.

For instance …..
A buyer could bring a case against a retailer, alleging non-conformity of contract, for up to six years after the sale. However, he would find a court unsympathetic in the latter years for low cost items that it was reasonable to expect to last only a short period (eg. a £5 watch might not last many years but a £500 one should) or for consumables like oil filters which have a specified limited lifespan. Similarly, when a watch stops because a battery has come to the end of its life – assuming it had lasted a reasonable time – there are no grounds for complaint that the watch is not conforming to contract.

In England at the present time consumer protection is provided by a raft of legislation.

http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc/trading_standards/consumer_advice/know-your_rights.page

 

[Lornamower]

I thought the extended warranties they sell on top of the manufacturer warranties include accidental damage and instant replacement, which aren't covered by the ones provided by the manufacturers?

Lorna

 

[Rebel t3i]

I thought the extended warranties they sell on top of the manufacturer warranties include accidental damage and instant replacement, which aren't covered by the ones provided by the manufacturers?

Lorna

accidental damage is typically covered by your house insurance
so they are selling you cover you already have hmmmm

 

[acetone]

There is a very important part of the EU directive

key phrase here is "any lack of conformity which exists when the goods are delivered to the consumer"

The Sale and Supply of Goods to Consumers Regulations 2002, which came into force in March 2003 provide consumers with a range of remedies in the case of goods which are sold with existing defects. These remedies include repair or replacement, and/or partial or full refund.

These regulations implemented the requirements of European Directive 1999/44/EC, which set out to provide what EC legislators called a 'baseline' protection for all consumers in Europe. In fact, UK consumers already enjoyed protection at a level well above the baseline.

The Directive did not seek to provide a two year minimum guarantee period. It introduced a requirement for a two year limitation period, which is a different thing. During a limitation period consumers can report and seek redress for a fault that was there at the time of delivery. Some EU countries already had limitation periods of less than this but the equivalent limitation period in the UK was (and is) 6 years in England and Wales and five years in Scotland. Under the 2002 regulations If goods develop a fault within the first six months and a consumer claims against the retailer, the retailer will have to prove that the fault was not present when the goods were sold.

 

[Lornamower]

accidental damage is typically covered by your house insurance
so they are selling you cover you already have hmmmm

I as a student don't have house insurance, and the recent cover I have bought on a compact camera from Currys was a one off payment of £25 for three years cover for mechanical faults, accidental damage including unlimited repairs/replacements.

Whereas if I were to claim on my parents house insurance I would have to pay the excess each time, which I think is higher than £25 anyway.

Additionally its not actually with Currys its with an independent insurance company so if anything were to go wrong with Currys the policy still stands.

And so to me a £25 one off charge is nice for that little extra peace of mind

Lorna

 

[hollis_f]

I know, our political "masters" decided we didn't need it . They deem SoGA to be stronger protection

Which, as Acetone explain, it is.

SoGA gives the consumer 6 years protection from inherent faults. EU Directive 1999/44/EC only gives 2 years.

Yes, the SoGA put the burden of proof of an inherent fault on the purchaser after 6 months. The EU Directive doesn't say who needs to prove that the fault is, or is not, inherent. So, yes, the SoGA is much better protection.

Or, as the link you provided puts it -

English consumers are far better protected than our EU neighbours.

Strange how that bit missed from being quoted.

 

[Dave *]

Which, as Acetone explain, it is.

SoGA gives the consumer 6 years protection from inherent faults. EU Directive 1999/44/EC only gives 2 years.

Yes, the SoGA put the burden of proof of an inherent fault on the purchaser after 6 months. The EU Directive doesn't say who needs to prove that the fault is, or is not, inherent. So, yes, the SoGA is much better protection.

Or, as the link you provided puts it -


Strange how that bit missed from being quoted.

We aren't better protected (other than on paper), in practice it is an expensive and normally futile action in pursuing a company outside of the conventional 12 months that UK retailers know they can get away with.

If we were in such a better position as you insinuate, why do Apple products in the UK get 12 months warranty? While those in Europe in countries which implemented the Directive now get 24 months?

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/london/apple-extends-european-warranties-complaints-already-flood-in/3767

In light of heavy criticism and an Italian lawsuit in which Apple was told it breaches European law over the warranties it services, the maker of shiny rectangles has modified its policies to include warranties for two-years, rather than just one.

Apple silently flipped the switch on a new policy that seemingly throws in an additional year to its standard warranty in line with Europe's two-year warranty law.

Despite EU law, Apple gave customers only one year of warranty. If you wanted another year, you would have to shell out for an AppleCare plan. Italy found that Apple was wrong, and finedthe company €900,000 ($1.2m) for "misleading" customers.

"When you purchase Apple products, European Union consumer law provides statutory warranty rights in addition to the coverage you receive from the Apple One-Year Limited Warranty and the optional AppleCare Protection Plan," Apple says on its European websites.

Even items that are sold but not Apple-branded are eligible for the two-year warranty.

Why hasn't SoGA been used by the UK government in the same way? Probably because it is relatively toothless in actual use.

Just because the government says its better, doesn't always make it so.

 

[hollis_f]

If we were in such a better position as you insinuate, why do Apple products in the UK get 12 months warranty? While those in Europe in countries which implemented the Directive now get 24 months?

Because the SoGA covers you for 6 years, not 2 years.

 

[Dave *]

Because the SoGA covers you for 6 years, not 2 years.

So in my example of Apple, in the UK will they repair or replace an iPhone for 6 years?

It gives you 12 months where the retailer will cooperate and then a mythical further 5 years where only the rich or extremely tenacious will succeed.

I would challenge anyone, even Martin Lewis or Dominic Littlewood to go into Phones4U and arrange a warranty replacement in month 28 "because SoGA says so".

The 6 year coverage sounds good, like many things with government it makes a good soundbite, but in real world usage it does very little for the average man in the street. A clear and unequivocal minimum 24 month warranty enshrined in law would benefit vastly more people than pie in the sky 6 years.

 

[hollis_f]

So in my example of Apple, in the UK will they repair or replace an iPhone for 6 years?.

Yes, if there's an inherent fault.

 

[Dave *]

Yes, if there's an inherent fault.

They will never do so, you might after suing them for damages get an award for thise damages in court, but they will not do a warranty repair outside the original 12 months.

Oh, and before suing them you will need to commission and pay for an independent report from an industry expert in which the expert must stipulate to this inherent fault for the court.

Hardly the same as booking a genius appointment and getting a replacement in 5 minutes.

 

[Tkenny]

As said the soga looks good on paper but in reality is toothless. If my TV breaks down in 23 months time then I have to pay for an engineers report, go to the hassle of writing many letters, possibly go to small claims court, book a day off work costing more money or lose a days annual leave and be without my TV for what would possibly be many months while this is sorted.

Until there is real punishment for retailers breaking the soga then they will continue to flaunt the rules it lays out. It's hard enough to get anything other than a repair out of Currys after 28 days of purchase never mind 6 years!

 

[Dave *]

As said the soga looks good on paper but in reality is toothless. If my TV breaks down in 23 months time then I have to pay for an engineers report, go to the hassle of writing many letters, possibly go to small claims court, book a day off work costing more money or lose a days annual leave and be without my TV for what would possibly be many months while this is sorted.

Until there is real punishment for retailers breaking the soga then they will continue to flaunt the rules it lays out. It's hard enough to get anything other than a repair out of Currys after 28 days of purchase never mind 6 years!

Agreed, as an example, look at the difference in approach between the UK and Italy. Here the company refuses to deal with a faulty product in the 2nd year and the government via Trading Standards says "write them a stern letter and tell them you will personally take them to court, now go away".

In Italy their Government fines the company €900 000 for not offering a 24 month warranty and tells them if they don't start complying they will continue fining them.

I wonder which approach will be taken more seriously by the company concerned?

 

[stu.artd]

I wouldn't be surprised if the decision to stick with soga rather than adopt the 2yr European warranty was due to a manufacturer / retailer backed group 'voicing their concerns' to the appropriate government mp's/ministers. Stuff consumers and the uk public, need to help those manufacturers and retailers.

 

[Dave *]

I wouldn't be surprised if the decision to stick with soga rather than adopt the 2yr European warranty was due to a manufacturer / retailer backed group 'voicing their concerns' to the appropriate government mp's/ministers. Stuff consumers and the uk public, need to help those manufacturers and retailers.

Similar things have happened in the past, a special type of "petition" hand delivered to the MP or govt Minister in a plain brown envelope to assist in making a problem go away or help in getting a certain decision :shake:.

 

[Llamaman]

I as a student don't have house insurance, and the recent cover I have bought on a compact camera from Currys was a one off payment of £25 for three years cover for mechanical faults, accidental damage including unlimited repairs/replacements.

Whereas if I were to claim on my parents house insurance I would have to pay the excess each time, which I think is higher than £25 anyway.

Additionally its not actually with Currys its with an independent insurance company so if anything were to go wrong with Currys the policy still stands.

And so to me a £25 one off charge is nice for that little extra peace of mind

Lorna

A bit off topic, but you might want to get contents insurance for your stuff. When I was at uni, student houses/halls were targeted by thieves as many of us would have laptops, mobile phones etc. Plus, consider the cost of replacing all your possessions if there were a fire/flood.