''Registering'' for the full gurantee on appliances

[Andeh13]

What is it with so many companies forcing you to register your appliance with them to be eligible for their guarantee. Having just had a full kitchen completed, I am now going through all the paperwork but for the CDA, Panasonic & Neff appliances I need the damn serial numbers etc off them....that is obviously stamped to the back of the machines.... which are now all in built!!

I have already had to take the new Panasonic wall mounted TV off the wall to get the serial number off the back of it, and hunt around in the loft on the new boiler for th enumbers, for the for fridge freezer/oven and in built microwave I am unable to get to them.

All because companies want my email address & the hope I forget to tick their box for the offers, deals & selling me to third parties.

AARGGHH!!

/rant

[peterb]

With the usual "I am not a lawyer" caveat, I don't think you have to register for warranty, it is a consumer right. However, you might get additional benefits and if you have registered, it might make making a claim easier, although liability rests with the company that sold it to you, which may be the company that sold the kitchen, if the appliances were part of the package.

[Noxvayl]

I find it annoying as well, so annoying I now prefer to buy Asus products for my computer just because I know I already have an account and can add items to the account easily. I don't mind giving my email address to tech companies, I aggressively unsubscribe from email lists so I get very little spam.

It is the non-tech companies I would not register products with, they are less likely to listen to unsubscribe requests (if they have them) and more likely to sell information on.

[TheNoseKnows]

With the usual "I am not a lawyer" caveat, I don't think you have to register for warranty, it is a consumer right. However, you might get additional benefits and if you have registered, it might make making a claim easier, although liability rests with the company that sold it to you, which may be the company that sold the kitchen, if the appliances were part of the package.

I had to register one of my old Zotac graphics cards, as well as my EVGA PSU. They essentially cut your warranty in half if you don't register within a certain time limit after purchase. So, technically you get a warranty no matter what you do, but you are still heavily incentivized to register.

[Saracen]

With the usual "I am not a lawyer" caveat, I don't think you have to register for warranty, it is a consumer right. However, you might get additional benefits and if you have registered, it might make making a claim easier, although liability rests with the company that sold it to you, which may be the company that sold the kitchen, if the appliances were part of the package.

Also with the "I Am Not A Lawyer" caveat, I'd say there's a basic misunderstanding in that.

The retailer is bound by statute to offer what many people refer to as a warranty, but which in fact are "consumer rights". But the manufacturer is not. There are some statutory requirements of manufacturer's warranties, like "plain English", but they aren't actually obliged offer consumers any warranty/guarantee at all (unless they also sold the product direct to the consumer). However, if they do, and the consumer knew of it and relied on it, then it's legally enforceable.

There are several implications, as I understand it, of the differences. The "consumer rights" ONLY give the cover offered by statute, such as fitness for purpose, satisfactory quality, reasonable duration, etc, and for faults "inherent" at time of purchase.

I get some shirts etc from a tailor that offers a 2 month guarantee, unconditionally. That is, change your mind, send it back within 2 months, and they'll replace/refund. That applies regardless of defect, inherent or otherwise. If you changed your mind, you're covered. If your cigar ash burnt it, you're covered. If you got attacked by lions and it got shredded, you're covered. But only for 2 months.

I asked them why the cover was so extensive and they said it was because they had confidence in their product, and the warranty was designed to give prospective customers confidence to buy, and not be caught out if you don't like the fit, or colour, of feel of material, etc. They also said surprisingly few abuse it (I've yet to send anything back), but that if it was abused too much, they'd simply decline future orders.

So, I have the benefit of consumer rights against the retailer, and the manufacturer guarantee, though in that example, they are one and the same company.

The consumer rights cover me for far longer, but in far more restrictive terms, while the manufacturer guarantee is FAR wider in scope, but strictly for two months.

So for Andehh's kitchen appliances, the issue is what that guarantee offers that consumer rights don't, and whether it's worth having. If it is worth having, then you pretty much have to jump through the administrative hoops they require, or while you'd still get consumer rights against the retailer, you'd lose the manufacturer guarantee.

Some years back, we bought a washing machine which came with a free 10-year parts warranty. But you paid for labour. For a one-off up-front payment (£30, IIRC) that warranty was extended to include labour, call-out charges, etc. So, PROVIDED you filled the form in and sent it back, you got a 10-year all costs cover for £30. That, in my opinion, truly was a no-brainer.

Manufacturer warranties can be next to useless, or like that 10 year one, absolutely fantastic, and a large part of why we bought that machine. Some are really worth having. Others, not so much. But if you want it and they require you to register, then register or lose it.

[BobF64]

So for Andehh's kitchen appliances, the issue is what that guarantee offers that consumer rights don't, and whether it's worth having. If it is worth having, then you pretty much have to jump through the administrative hoops they require, or while you'd still get consumer rights against the retailer, you'd lose the manufacturer guarantee.

I know some include things like sending engineers to your home to fix things, something the retailer wouldn't do.

[Marcos]

I find it annoying as well, so annoying I now prefer to buy Asus products for my computer just because I know I already have an account and can add items to the account easily. I don't mind giving my email address to tech companies, I aggressively unsubscribe from email lists so I get very little spam.

It is the non-tech companies I would not register products with, they are less likely to listen to unsubscribe requests (if they have them) and more likely to sell information on.

Wait a second, you find it annoying yet you played right into their hands by submitting to buying that brand of pro edicts just to avoid registering at a new company? Clever Asus.

[GoNz0]

You will be glad you did it when the product recall phone call arrives telling you it may be about to catch fire.