Owain wrote:
nospam wrote:

Maybe you could return it to Argos for a refund/replacement?

out of warranty , its only the cutters which are guaranteed for 5
years, not the rest of the unit,. The cutters look almost
indestructible (when used as a shredder)


The manufacturer obviously expects you to have five years' beneficial
use of the product then, so that would be a reasonable indication of the
durability you could expect of the item; the Sale of Goods Act applies
regardless of any 'additional' warranty offered by the seller.

Owain

That is a very good point.

If the cutters are so strong that they guarantee them for 5 years but
the plastic splits after a couple of years, then how could you get 5
years use anyway?

With the plastic breaking after a couple of years, it could be argued
that there was a fault either with the design or manufacture and that
your expectations of a 5 year life, based upon the expected life of the
blades, did not happen before the plastic part broke, rendering the
shredder scrap.

I think Trading Standards could help you here.

Steve