Q: I bought two different pumps on separate dates from the same trader. The two pumps had different guarantees.

One of the pumps had a 12-month warranty and the other had a 24-month warranty.

The pump that had a 12-month warranty broke down and was taken for repair 13 months after I had bought it, and hence after the guarantee had expired. I was asked to pay for the repair.

My question is whether all products should come with a 24-month guarantee? Do I have to pay for the repair or not?

A: The Consumer Affairs Act stipulates that all products purchased are protected for two years from the date of delivery.

This legal protection does not cover defects that are the result of misuse or normal wear and tear. So if the defect in the pump is not the result of one of these situations, then legally you may be entitled to have the pump repaired free of charge.

With regard to your question whether all products purchased come with a two-year guarantee, legally all products are covered for two years in case of manufacturing defects.

Besides the law, certain types of products are also covered by a commercial guarantee. These guarantees are optional and given out voluntarily by sellers, and so they can be given for any period of time the sellers deem fit.

However, regardless of the kind of commercial guarantee given to consumers, their legal rights cannot be diminished or adversely affected by the commercial guarantee.

In other words, if a commercial guarantee provides fewer benefits than the statutory two-year legal protection, then the latter prevails when a problem arises.

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