Gas and Electrical Items
Gas and electrical appliances are covered by the Sale of Goods Act (your statutory rights). You have a right to expect that what you buy is as described, that it works and of satisfactory quality. Often, gas and electrical items can work well for a while but then become unreliable or even break. So at what point does it stop being the seller’s problem, and become just an object that hasn’t stood the test of time?
There are time limits, but the main issue is whether or not you can prove the fault was present at the time you bought the item. If you bought the item less than six months ago, you don’t need to provide the seller with any evidence that this was the case. If this is disputed, it’s up to the seller to prove that the goods weren’t faulty at the time of purchase. If the item is more than six months old the burden of proving the fault at the time of purchase is on the consumer. Remember, you can’t simply ask for a refund because you changed your mind.
If There’s A Problem
In the event that a fault is accepted as having been inherent at purchase, the seller is entitled to offer to have the item repaired, or alternatively you can ask for a refund. A repair must be carried out within a reasonable period of time and done to a satisfactory standard. If this is not possible – or if a repair is prohibitive in terms of cost – the seller can offer you a replacement or you can ask for a refund.The time limit within which you must approach the seller with the defect is six years. Bear in mind, however, that an item doesn’t necessarily have to last that long to have survived ‘reasonably’; if you bought an economy kettle from a supermarket that cost £5, you might be pleased if it was still working after five years. Value is, in terms of the longevity of a particular item, relative to cost. This is closely linked to the requirement to request a refund within a ‘reasonable’ time, and whether or not you could be deemed to have ‘accepted’ the goods.
