On Fri, 13 May 2005 11:31:37 +0100, Owain
wrote:

nemo wrote:
Therefore, however much they pretend it is, a company's 12 month guarantee
is not the end of the matter. Case Law derived under the Act indicates that
six years is a reasonable life expectancy for a product.

No, six years is the time limit (in England and Wales) for a claim to be
pursued. The court will determine what is a reasonable life expectancy,
and that will depend on the nature of the product and the price paid.

Owain

This whole area of statute of limitations and consumer legislation
became a big issue elsewhere in Europe when minimum standards of two
years were being set.

It was not a particular issue in the UK, because there was six years
anyway, but in Germany especially which had not previously had
anything exactly like this, the consumer organisations coupled with
public confusion has meant that suppliers are now required to give at
least two years warranty enforced by law.

Of course manufacturers have turned the cost of this into a marketing
point; but it is why some manufacturers have taken a pan-Europe view
and have made the warranty the same (2 or 3 years) everywhere.





--

..andy

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