Now if you are daring enough to purchase an item without a warranty simply because the price seen is too good to pass up, don’t bother to complain if it becomes defective within a matter of days.
This is in light of the fact that without a warranty you essentially have no grounds to protest. So you’ll have to count your losses, move on and hopefully learn from your mistake.
We have all had or at least seen a warranty at some point in our lives. It might have been a solid year-long warranty or a mere three-month promise by the company or individual offering an item for sale to repair or replace your item of purchase.
In simple terms, a warranty is an assurance by one party to another that certain outlined measures will be fulfilled under ‘outlined terms and conditions’.
But the downfall of many consumers, is that they fail to pay attention to some of these ‘outlined terms and conditions’ before making a purchase.
Some business folks can be unscrupulous to a point where it could even be deemed criminal.
It is for this reason that consumers are urged when making purchases, especially of electronics and vehicles, even with an offered warranty, to have them examined thoroughly preferably by a trusted qualified technician/mechanic.
Don’t be deceived by brands that may be printed on the item of purchase (these could be misleading) and don’t be fooled by apparent good condition.
If the price appears too good to be true, sometimes it very well is. Ask questions. Why should you be offered a three-month warranty, for instance, on a cellular phone built to last several years?
It’s your prerogative to ask the obvious and the not so obvious questions when making a purchase, after all it is your money being spent.
If sales clerks or business owners are not accommodating, you can always move on to the many other stores that offer practically the same items.
According to the Guyana Bureau of Standards (GNBS) “a warranty shall be a written or verbal undertaking and a standard written document issued to the purchaser by manufacturer, distributor, supplier, agent or vendor, stating that the defined item shall be repaired, replaced or a refund shall be given to certain conditions.”
The Bureau has made it clear too that a warranty is an assurance that goods or services offered is of a specified quality and durability. A warranty therefore must stipulate the name and address of the guarantor; the duration of the warranty; what exactly the warranty covers (whether the whole product or part); the warranty performance (whether the item would be repaired, replaced, or cost will be refunded).
GNBS has further outlined that since warranties can vary from company to company, an informed purchase decision can only be made if warranty options are examined in detail ahead of the actual purchase.
Read the fine prints!
“Sometimes consumers do not pay attention to such factors, but most of the time they regret such decisions after purchases are made. If not immediately, they regret later when the item become defective and they experience difficulties when seeking redress,” GNBS has shared.
Moreover, consumers are urged to not only walk away from items without warranty but understand fully the conditions of the items that are sold with warranty. Remember, you are the boss when shopping. Only make that purchase when you are absolutely comfortable with what is being offered.
