The warranty on your laptop may not be an initial concern, but it’s worth knowing your rights. Electrical goods such as laptops are covered by the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended by the Sale & Supply of Goods Act 1994 and the Sale and Supply of Goods to Consumers Regulations 2002). Any item bought should be of satisfactory quality and be fit for the purpose it was intended.

This means the goods must meet the standards any reasonable person would expect, taking into account the description,price and all other relevant information. Satisfactory quality includes the appearance and finish of the goods, their safety anddurability and whether they are free from defects. To this end, you should check your new purchase as soon as you receive it and if there are any immediate defects, you can refuse delivery.

There area number of instances when a warranty is not covered, and these include:

• If you were told of any faults before you bought the goods.
• If the fault was obvious and it would have been reasonable to have noticed it on examination before buying.
• If you caused any damage yourself.
• If you made a mistake, e.g. you don’t like the co lour, it is the wrong size. etc.
• If you have changed your mind about the goods, or seen them cheaper elsewhere.

The situation may be different and you may have additional rights where contracts involve credit or distance-selling internet. catalogue or telephone sales or an unsolicited phone call).

Warranty update

There are a wide range of laptop warranties, so it’s worth spending some time researching which one is best for you. Legally, the standard warranty lasts for one year but, increasingly, vendors are starting to offer two and even three-year warranties as standard. Considering the issue of a warranty can save money in the tong run. If the basic  warranty is only for a year, it’s common to extend this, but itsworth looking at the overall cost. If you’re buying a budget machine for Eno, is it worth your while spending more to cover the cost when it would be just as economical to buy a new machine?

If your laptop is vital for your work, then we’d suggest looking at Onsite warranties,as this means an engineer will come to you, rather than you sending your laptop away to be repaired. Such warranties often aren’t cheap, however, and vary depending on your needs so tread carefully.
If something does go wrong and you need to send the machine back, ask the average turnaround time it will take to send the machine, have it repaired and then sent back. Also check the terms of your warranty. Keep hold of the packaging too, so you can return it in one piece. If you buy a machine direct from a manufacturer.you will return the machine to them. If you buy from a reseller, however, the warranty will be handled through them instead.

Jargon explained

• Collect and return(C&R) The supplier pays for the collection repair labour and parts, and returns the laptop to the customer. Batteries have a limited warranty, as it depends on how they have been maintained.
• Return to base(RTB) The customer pays for the transportation, but the supplier pays for repair labourand parts. Batteries have a limited warranty, as it depends on how they have been maintained.
• Onsite next businessday (OS NBD) This is the most expensive form of warranty cover. The supplier physically comes to your home or office to repair the laptop and bears all the incurred costs of repair labour, parts and travel.
• Global Parts andLabour (Global P&L) Should there be a fault, youcan get your laptop repaired when a broad. Depending on the terms of your warranty,this can either be onsite or bya repair center. Check your warranty before traveling.