The most common shopping problem we help with

Paul Doocey is one of our consumer rights experts you might end up talking to if you contact us for help. He says people commonly ask if they have any rights once a manufacturer’s warranty has expired.

“People will often contact us because they have something that’s broken, and they’re being told by the store they’re out of luck because it’s out of warranty,” Paul says.

“We set them right and let them know that New Zealand’s Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA) means they don’t have to worry about the manufacturer’s warranty.”

Your rights don’t end when the warranty does. The CGA requires products to be of acceptable quality. When they’re not, a consumer is entitled to have the product repaired or replaced. If the fault is major, you can request a refund.

Paul said people often don’t realise that manufacturers don’t have to provide a warranty until they contact the Consumer Advice Line.

“A warranty can contain whatever the manufacturer wants. The manufacturer can make a warranty valid for a year or two or three. It can be dependent on having the product serviced regularly. We’re constantly asked whether manufacturers are allowed to limit their warranties in a particular way, and of course they can limit their warranties however they want. But they can’t limit the CGA.”

Paul reckons stores’ staff often don’t intentionally give bad advice: most commonly, they just don’t know about consumer law.

“I think a lot of retail staff are as unaware as their customers of the rights that exist when a warranty expires. It’s surprising how ignorant even staff working for some of the big retailers can be about the CGA. But some will just be trying it on.”

Paul said people often get a good result once they’ve had a chat with the team behind the Consumer Advice Line.

“Being able to say ‘Consumer NZ told me’ seems to be pretty effective when you challenge a retailer about your rights.”

Paul said that how long a purchase should last, and therefore, how long the retailer should be responsible if something goes wrong, depends on what you can reasonably expect from a particular product or service. “For example, if you buy a fridge, you’d expect it to last longer than the 2 years you might get from the manufacturer’s warranty. We think a fridge should last more like 11 years,” Paul says.

“Cost also comes into it. For example, you’d expect a top-of-the-line Dyson stick vacuum cleaner to last longer than a cheap Kmart one. It can be tricky to understand your rights when every case is a little bit different so if you need some personalised advice our Advice Line is always here if you’re a Consumer NZ member.”

Check out our guide to how long an appliance should last.