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Refunds and Repairs, Warranties, and Extended Warranties

Refunds
Stores do not have to give a refund, except in cases where the product is faulty or defective.  Under the Sale of Goods Act (as amended) 2002, you are entitled to a full refund if the product you buy is defective.  The store should notrenege on a refund if you do not have the original packaging.

Repairs
Some stores will offer a repair or a replacement if the product is faulty.  However, the law states that you are entitled to your money back.  It is up to you to decide if you want a repair or replacement or if you prefer to have your money returned to you. 

Warranties
A warranty is a guarantee on purchased goods that they are of the quality represented and will be replaced or repaired at no cost to the consumer, if found defective.  Warranties are usually given on products such as appliances, electronic equipment, computers, tools, and automotives.

Retail businesses in Bermuda provide their own warranty that can vary from three months to 5 years or more depending on the product.  Consider the following guidelines to maintaining a warranty:

• When buying abroad, consider that if a product leaves the country of sale, the warranty may be declared null and void;
• Read the fine print.  Check what the warranty covers and for how long;
• For registration cards that accompany products, make sure that the seller has filled in details of the purchase – otherwise the card might not be valid.  Ensure that you return the registration card to a stated address; Make sure you keep the documentation supplied with the goods that tells you how to make a claim under the guarantee.

How to Use a Warranty:

1.  Read the warranty carefully to make sure that:

• You fully understand it;
• It covers your problem and you can demonstrate that the fault has been caused by something covered by the guarantee or warranty.
• You're still within the valid timeframe;
• It offers an acceptable solution;
• You're willing to pay any extra costs involved.

2.  If your warranty requires that you pay for any repair work yourself and then claim the money back from the company who issued the guarantee or warranty and the cost of the repair is high, you should write to the company before you have any work done to ensure that they will pay you back;

3.  If the retailer has gone out of business, refused to resolve your problem, or you did not pay for the service to be carried out that you need money back for (such as a product installed in your home by a previous owner):

• Warranties do not exclude or limit a shop's or dealer's liability for selling goods that are defective or do not correspond with their description.  If you have bought faulty goods or had poor quality work done and have a warranty, you may be able to solve your problem by dealing with the company who issued it.

 

Extended Warranties

Extended warranties are purchased by the consumer at an extra cost in order to protect you for product faults that may arise after the standard warranty period. 
Consider these factors before purchasing an extended warranty:

• Will the cost of the extended warranty amount to more than the likely cost of repairing the item;
• There are a number of firms - including insurance companies and the manufacturers themselves - that sell extended warranties on everyday household goods, from toasters to computers. In some cases, they may be cheaper and more comprehensive than retailers' extended warranties. So it is certainly a good idea to shop around for some quotes before signing up to a warranty;
• Can you cancel your extended warranty if you change your mind?