Argos Consumer Rights Following Closedown?

Vladimir Estragon

Hi, I'm wondering what consumer rights might apply once Argos exits the Irish market? I'm thinking of buying a television that's been reduced as a part of their clearance sale. I've always found Argos to be excellent to deal with when it comes to returns and I'm sad to see them leaving Ireland, but I'm wondering what might happen if the TV develops a fault within the period in which the guarantee applies? I can't see myself wrapping it up and sending it off to the UK so I'm just querying what the procedure might be if goods are found to be faulty within the guarantee period and what rights I might retain?

Thanks for your replies.

walterking

simply contact the manufacturer - their warranty is usually superior to the statutory warranty

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120309093#Comment_120309093

The Irish Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act is superior to any guarantee or warranty offered by a manufacture. For a start a fault is manufacturing if it happens within the first 6 months, it's up to the manufacture to prove it wasn't, and there's up to 7 years protection from the sale of goods act. The sale of goods act has no restrictions unlike manufacture warranties/guarantees which can have any amount of restrictions.

28064212

Argos have a page covering it all here: https://www.argos.ie/static/StaticDisplay/includeName/FAQ.htm?mvt=ar:homepage:topflash:customer-services:faq

What if the item becomes faulty after you've closed?

If you need help with a product after our stores are closed we will continue to honour our statutory obligations, and you can contact us on 1800 535 091 where we will be happy to help you

However, you're relying on a company that have no need to maintain a positive consumer reputation, and have no intention of trading in this state beyond the short-term. If they decide to say "screw it, returns are costing us too much", they can just wind up the company entirely. You could take a case through the courts, but you would just join a long list of creditors with no guarantee of there being any money left by the time it gets around to you.

If it's sold with a manufacturer's warranty, that is a contract between you and the manufacturer, the retailer has no direct part in it. However, there are no legal guarantees about what must be in a manufacturer's warranty - you are completely bound by what is in the terms and conditions. The warranty might state "We'll fix any fault within the first 5 years", but the T&Cs state that repairs have a guideline repair time of 6 months - is that really a worthwhile warranty? Or that they'll fix any manufacturing defect found, but you have to pay upfront for a comprehensive engineering examination before they'll take it back.

For manufacturers' warranties, there is an onus on you to examine the contract you're entering into, there are no guarantees of minimum legal safeguards like there are in the automatic contract formed between a retailer and a customer.