understanding WARRANTIES
‘I’M THINKING ABOUT BUYING A BRAND NEW MOTORHOME, AND THE DEALER SAYS THAT IT COMES WITH A WARRANTY. IT’S JUST LIKE A GUARANTEE, RIGHT?’
Not exactly. The Consumers’ Association says guarantees are mainly focused on whether the product lives up to your expectations, and are free. Warranties, on the other hand, are more like an insurance policy, and are often not free, particularly if you opt for an extended one.
The main thing to remember is that a warranty should have no impact on your consumer rights. As NCC deputy director general Alicia Dunne says: “The simple rule is, a warranty can add to a consumer’s rights, but can’t take them away.”
NCC consumer rights adviser Peter Stonely takes this further: “A seller’s liability is for the lifetime of the goods, or six years (five years in Scotland), whichever is shorter, and the warranty cannot restrict this.”
That’s particularly important if you feel you have to reject the motorhome because it turns out to be far from what you had been promised. You have an ‘early right to reject’ within 30 days of taking possession of the vehicle.
If a fault develops, the dealer does have an opportunity to carry out a repair; but if the same or another fault develops within those 30 days,
