When is the time to say bye, buy?
HOW long should we expect our purchases to last?
Is it the same for a telly as a handbag? And when should we just chill if our fridge starts to fail?
The old Sale of Goods Act was replaced on October 1, 2015 by the Consumer Rights Act. Both say goods must be: Of satisfactory quality, As described, and Fit for purpose. Most consumers are familiar with those ideas but it can get more complicated when you delve deeper into specific situations.
In particular, how long should goods have to last in order be classed as “of satisfactory quality”.
This is a question I am asked very frequently.
Peter, from Huddersfield, bought a Samsung smart TV from a firm called Direct TV for £830.
Three and a half years later the screen failed – and Peter was advised to “chuck it away and buy a new one” because he was not entitled to a refund or repair.
Joan, from Maidstone, bought a Gucci handbag for £ 550. But after 15 months the leather began to fade, even though she had only used it “a handful of times”.
And Jordan, from Oxford, snapped up a top- of- the- range Siemens fridge for £ 2,000. It stopped working after three years. THE LAW Goods must be suitably durable in order to be classed as being of satisfactory quality. What is durable depends on individual goods. The law provides that goods should last for as long as they are “reasonably” expected to do so.
So the more expensive the goods and the greater the emphasis placed on quality in the trader’s publicity, the greater the durability should be.
The other relevant factor is that consumers can sue retailers for up to six years, five years in Scotland, for faulty goods. So for top-of-therange goods my view is that consumers should reasonably be able to expect them to stay in a working and usable condition for at least five years.
Do be aware though that when goods turn out to be faulty six months or more after purchase, the consumer must prove that they didn’t accidentally cause the fault or damage and that the goods should have lasted longer. TOP TIP When you buy goods, ask the retailer how long they should last and get their response in writing.