Warranties
What is the difference between a warranty and a guarantee?
A warranty is a voluntary promise offered by the person or business who sold the goods or service to you, or who made the goods. A warranty is different to the consumer guarantees.
You automatically get the consumer guarantees from the person or business when you buy, lease or hire their goods, or buy their services.
You get these guarantees regardless of any warranty offered by the supplier or manufacturer.
Top of pageExtended warranties
Extended warranties are occasionally purchased by consumers. These warranties do not replace voluntary or statutory warranties. They may provide additional cover for example upon a voluntary warranty expiring.
When purchasing extended warranties, consumers should check all conditions and the extent of cover. Special attention should be given to any conditions regarding servicing and maintenance of the product.
For more information go to the Extended warranties page.
If you have a warranty or extended warranty
Whoever sold you the goods or services, or made the goods, must honour any warranty or promise they made and honour the consumer guarantees.
This means you can insist a supplier meets a consumer guarantee, even if the goods are covered by a manufacturer’s warranty. The supplier cannot avoid dealing with the problem by telling you it is the manufacturer’s responsibility.
Warranties against defects
Manufacturers often provide a written warranty that promises:
- goods will be free from defects for a certain period of time
- defects will entitle 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.
When goods covered by a warranty against defects fail to meet a consumer guarantee, you can insist the manufacturer honours the warranty.
A warranty against defects is different from an ‘express warranty’.
‘Express’ warranties
Businesses often make extra promises - sometimes called ‘express warranties’ - about the quality, state, condition, performance or characteristics of goods. This may be in addition to the ‘warranty against defects’.
In doing so, they guarantee the goods will satisfy this express warranty.
For example:
A supplier tells the consumer that a bed will last for 10 years. If the bed only lasts for six 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 you to buy the goods – it is different to a warranty against defects.
When you do not have a warranty, or the goods or services are out of warranty
Whoever sold you the goods or service, or made the goods, must fix the problem if they fail to meet a guarantee, even if you do not have a warranty or extended warranty, or the goods or services are out of warranty.