How to get a warranty honoured

April 18th, 2012

When an appliance goes on the blink we’re often left wondering whether it’s worthwhile to repair or are we better off simply replacing?

Before making a decision, check if the appliance is under warranty. You may be able to get a repair or replacement care of the manufacturer.

If so, there are a couple of things that will help you expedite what can be a painfully slow process.

Firstly though, think about how and why the appliance is not working.

1. Prevention

While it’s tempting to lose your cool over that ‘cheap Chinese sh*t’, remember, nothing is infallible and all stuff breaks.

Manufacturer’s put their appliances through rigorous testing because they actually want them to work for you and they like happy customers! Fisher & Paykel for example, puts their test washing machines through 20 years worth of washes to make sure they are ready for market.

The best you can do to avoid breakages is to treat your appliances with care.

Which leads us to…

2. Using the appliance for its intended purpose

This is part of reading the fine print. Many products won’t be covered under warranty if they have been used for other than what they are supposed to. So, don’t complain if your dishwasher packs up because you were trying to wash your clothes in it, or visa versa.

3. Keep receipts all along the way

An obvious one, but even well meaning receipt keepers can lose track of where the tiny, biodegradable bits of paper go. All too easily they are forgotten and end up shredded through the wash cycle in a pair of pants.

Using credit card statements is a back up is a good idea, too.

Try to keep all your important receipts in the same place.

Keep the purchase receipts and receipts for any maintenance work you have done on the appliance since it was purchased and under warranty, together.

4. Be reasonable, but know your rights!

All the above being said, if you’ve done the right thing all along the way, don’t get fobbed off or discouraged if the process becomes difficult. Know your rights, and let others know that you know them.

In Australia we have a Consumer Law which entitles us the right to ask for a repair, replacement or refund if goods or services we have bought have problems.

If what we have bought is faulty, unsafe, looks unacceptable or does not do what it’s supposed to we can ask for a repair, replacement or refund.

Also, in Australia an expired warranty doesn’t expel you from entitlement to a repair or replacement. According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission:

There are no specific rules about exactly how long a product or service should last. Even after a voluntary or manufacturer’s warranty expires you may still be entitled to a repair, replacement or refund. This will depend on what you purchased and the nature of the problem.

Keri Algar

Having once had to sit on the washing machine to stop it from bouncing into oblivion, Keri is today delighted with the new (smoother running) technologies that make housework easier every day. A self-confessed lazy-bones, Keri seeks out quirky inventions that ease the human workload, such as the robotic vacuum cleaner (wow). And as soon as someone figures out a Jetsons-like self-cleaning house, she will happily lay her pen to rest and retire from appliance journalism. Until then, her pick is a fridge that will tell her smartphone when it's time to pick up more beer on the way home. Magic.