Martin Lewis has shared a video with his Twitter followers telling them they shouldn’t be fooled by shops and manufacturers who tell them that tech devices they bought are out of warranty.
In the video posted to the social media platform, he explains that when returning a phone or laptop for example, to a shop because it’s faulty shoppers should remember that they have statutory legal rights as well as the warranty.
He tells his followers: “Do not allow them to fob you off by saying ‘I’m sorry. It’s out of warranty. We can’t do anything.’”
The Money Saving Expert says this is something he is hearing “more and more”.
Faulty tech? Don’t let ‘em fob you off with ‘sorry you’re out of warranty’ pic.twitter.com/AYtfDdMbaj
— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) February 9, 2023
What is a warranty and statutory legal rights when returning faulty tech goods?
Martin Lewis says a “warranty is a voluntary service agreement that a shop or a manufacturer chooses to give you over a product.”
He makes it clear that if shoppers have a faulty tech device and they decide to take it back to the shop because it wasn’t of satisfactory quality, as described, fit for purpose and didn’t last for a reasonable length of time, this is acceptable.
He added that shoppers have the right to ask for a partial refund or a repair or replacement.
If products are taken back to the shop within 30 days, a full refund is usually available.
The Money Saving Expert encourages shoppers to think about what’s reasonable and describes warranty as “pretty irrelevant when it comes to the law.”
During the video, he also tells viewers that ultimately, the decision is only one for the courts.
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