Q: Four months ago I bought a brand new television and lately it developed a fault.

When I went back to the shop I bought it from, the salesperson told me I need to prove the television was faulty when I first bought it before they accept to either repair or replace it free of charge. What can I do?

A: Legally we are entitled to expect that the goods we purchase are as described and fit for their purpose. In other words, goods bought must be free from defects and work as they are supposed to.

If these criteria are not met you have the right at law to ask for a solution, which may either be the repair or replacement of the goods. If these remedies are not possible or would be significantly inconvenient to you, you may claim a cash refund.

The time-limit to claim either of these remedies is two years from the date when the product was delivered.

However, the law sets the condition that if goods develop a fault within six months of being bought, the burden of providing proof as to what caused them to become faulty is on the trader, if the trader does not accept liability.

Since you are still within this six-month period, you have no legal obligation to prove anything.

The situation would be different if you had the television set for over six months. You could still ask for redress until the two-year limit expires, but in this case you would have to prove that the television was faulty at the time of purchase.