'UNNECESSARY' WARRANTIES COSTING SHOPPERS MONEY

12.00.00am GMT Fri 21st Dec 2007

Retailers are foisting costly additional warranties on UK customers, taking advantage of the fact that many are unaware of their statutory rights, according to a local Euro MP.

Liz Lynne MEP recently received a letter from a constituent, complaining that the standard guarantee on his television was one year in the English version but two years in the German text, also included in the same box. The company?s reply stated that while these are the standard lengths for warranties in the UK and Germany, UK law allows for claims against the retailer for up to six years.

Commenting, Liz Lynne said:

"At this time of year many of us are spending a lot of money on electrical goods as it is. Yet customers are unnecessarily being led to believe they need extra warranties in case of breakdown when they buy a stereo or washing machine, but when goods are substandard and faulty, they are already protected under UK law.

"There is of course no problem with retailers offering extra warranties which offer something they don't already have, but to push costly protection on them that they don't need while keeping them in the dark about their existing rights, as some shops do, is clearly going too far."

On the difference in length of standard guarantee offered by retailers around the EU, Liz added:

While it might seem unfair that German retailers offer a longer guarantee for the same product, UK law offers far better protection than the two years enshrined in the EU Consumer Guarantees Directive anyway. What is important here is that customers are aware of their rights before deciding if an additional warranty is necessary.

ENDS