Q: Three weeks after purchasing a brand new sofa, part of its structure broke down. We immediately reported the problem to the seller, who has accepted to repair it. Since the sofa has only been used for a few weeks, we want it replaced not repaired.

We would like to know what legal rights we have in this situation?

A: When a product turns out to be defective within two years from the date of purchase, the Consumer Affairs Act gives consumers the right to claim a free remedy. The remedies available to consumers are repair, replacement or refund. As a consumer, you may request the seller to replace the sofa but if such a remedy imposes unreasonable costs for the trader, compared to repairing the sofa, the trader may opt to repair instead of replace the defective product.  However, the remedy opted for should be carried out within a reasonable time and should not cause significant inconvenience.

Furthermore, if the repair carried out is not satisfactory or is not up to scratch, then you may complain once again with the trader and ask to have the defective sofa replaced with a new one.

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