Defective cooker hob

Q: A few months ago I purchased a cooker hob and last week the firm’s technician came to install the item. As soon as he connected the gas supply, the cooker hob started to leak gas.

The technician informed me that he needed to take the cooker to the workshop to try and fix it. I immediately protested about this solution and argued with him that since the cooker hob was still brand new and was faulty from the start, I wanted a replacement and not a repaired cooker.

The company is reluctant to give me what I am asking for. Do I have the right to request a replacement?

A: Legally, when a product is defective, consumers may request that it is repaired or replaced. The law gives consumers the right to choose the desired form of redress.

However, at the same time the law states that the trader may offer a different remedy if the one chosen by the consumer imposes costs on the trader which, compared with alternative remedies available, are unreasonable.

In other words, if the trader offers you free-of-charge repair because replacing the cooker hob is too costly, then he may opt to repair the hob. It is, however, important that the repair is completed within a reasonable time and without causing you any significant inconvenience.

If because of the repair you suffer any significant inconvenience, then you can refuse the repair and insist that the cooker hob is replaced.