Shoppers rights re electrical product

[sallyann16]

I bought a Humax hard-drive recorder from Maplins last November, and it has developed a fault.
The receipt from Maplins states that the customer has 20 days in which to return the product to them, after which it should be returned to the manufacturer.
Is this really what I have to do now? The machine is still under guarantee. Can I not just take it back to Maplins for a replacement?

[sfby]

They're wrong - you purchased the item from Maplins, so your contract (of which the guarantee is part) is with them. They are entitled to replace it (or get it repaired within a reasonable time) rather than give you an immediate refund.

[sallyann16]

Thanks so much sfby - just what I needed to hear. Much appreciated.

[sfby]

My pleasure - and I hope this doesn't put you off Humax PVRs - we've had one for 5 years now & it's never gone wrong - usually great bits of kit!

[sallyann16]

No we love ours but since Sunday night - luckliy AFTER the Olympics - the screen became scrambled badly. We re-tuned with every option possible - factory default, network enabled, automatic, manual - but have now lost all channels except BBC and a few odd Freeview ones. We have checked the outside aerial and it's fine. Do you think it's a Humax fault?

[KJN]

Sale of goods act:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/...le_of_goods_emp.shtml

[sallyann16]

Thanks so much KJN - that is brilliant.

[tonywiltshire]

As has been said your protection is the Sale of goods act 1979 as amended.
Your receipt probably also states that “This does not affect your statutory rights” which of course is not possible. Your contract is with the retailer not the manufacturer and two of your statutory rights is that the product will be suitable for the purpose intended and be of satisfactory quality, amongst other rights. Up to the 1994 act section 14 said the goods must be of merchantable quality, a term of uncertain legal meaning, this was changed to the more straightforward word satisfactory by the 1994 act.
Take the goods back to the retailer.

[johnny37]

Are you sure its a fault? I was getting some irritating picture probs recently but only on the BBCOlympics HD channels. I emailed Humax who replied quickly that the device needs to be retuned and sent me the schedule of how to do it (its probably in the manual). I havent needed to do it as the Olympic channels are no longer there. Humax always email when there s a major system update but I probably ignored it at the outset.