Consumeractive

Why has Samsung repaired my oven five times?

Q

I bought a Samsung oven in November 2019 from a local retailer, which came with a fiveyear warranty. When it began exhibiting problems in February this year, I contacted Samsung, who sent an engineer to fix it, but I’ve now had five failed repairs for different problems. Samsung refused a replacement, only offering yet another repair. Does the Consumer Rights Act (CRA) not cover me because I went directly to the manufacturer, not the retailer?

Howard Angel

A

Yes, the CRA does cover Howard, but not against Samsung. Howard’s contract for the oven is with the retailer, which he hasn’t informed of the problems. This is crucial, because the CRA’S one-repair rule applies only to retailers. It means the retailer has still to attempt its one repair allowed by law.

Although Howard’s no longer within the six-month period that places the responsibility on the retailer to prove there’s no inherent fault, five unsuccessful repairs carried out over three months show there are problems that can’t be put down to accidental damage or fair wear and tear.

If Howard wants to continue pursuing a refund through Samsung, he should check whether there’s a clause in its warranty that forces the company to replace the oven after a certain number of failed repairs. Usually a manufacturer will offer a replacement at some point.

We’ve asked Samsung about the warranty small print. We’ve also contacted the retailer. We hope it will agree to an immediate refund or a replacement, rather than subjecting Howard to a sixth repair. Incidentally, we included this case because the details would apply equally to a Samsung computer as it does an oven.

CASE ONGOING