The warranty on hardware products that Sweden’s largest retailers provide is usually between one and three years. If you discover that an item has an original fault within the warranty period, you can get your money back, have the product repaired or get a new item, just like a complaint. However, there is an important difference between warranty and complaint, according to Tim Andersson, supervisor at the Consumer Agency.
Tim Andersson, Swedish Consumer Agency.
– The guarantee is voluntary for the companies. They determine the conditions themselves, while the right of complaint ensures a minimum of what applies according to law. It is of course better for the consumer if the warranty conditions go beyond the statutory protection, he says.
At the same time, it is easy to misperceive what the warranty actually covers and this usually depends on two things.
– The most common thing is that people think that a warranty is a complaint or vice versa. The difference is that the warranty is a promise from the companies, while complaints are statutory. It happens that consumers misunderstand what the warranty covers. And that’s because they haven’t read the warranty terms and don’t know what demands they have the right to make, says Tim Andersson.
Tim Andersson explains that a warranty is a promise from the company that the product you buy must work for a certain period of time. Although the warranty is voluntary, there are certain requirements in the Consumer Purchase Act regarding what a warranty must include if companies choose to provide a warranty on the product. For example, companies have a two-year burden of proof, which means they have to fix the original fault unless they can prove it was a fault for which they were not responsible.
Warranty: A supplement
According to Tim Andersson, the guarantee should act as a complement to the right of complaint. Unlike complaints, which are regulated by law, the guarantee is voluntary. At the same time, there are certain requirements that the guarantee must meet if a company chooses to provide a guarantee. The main thing is that it must not have conditions that go against the right of complaint, such as that the company must compensate you for original errors, or that the conditions are worse than what is stipulated by law in the right of complaint.
It is up to the company that offers the warranty to decide what benefits you can get and it is stated in the warranty conditions when you buy the product. Among the most common that companies offer is an extended warranty, which allows you to use the warranty to repair or replace the product with the original defect several years after the three-year warranty has expired.
According to Tim Andersson, original errors cannot only be errors in functionality or quality. It could also be that you receive a product in the wrong color than what is advertised, or that a company advertises a phone as waterproof when in fact it is not.
This is how dealers view warranty
Inet offers a manufacturer’s warranty of between two and three years for many of its products, in some cases up to ten years. The only products with a shorter warranty period are batteries. The retailer prioritizes quickly resolving cases that come in via the warranty, even if the manufacturers have not made an assessment.
– This approach means that we sometimes bear the cost if the manufacturer rejects the case, but it shortens the processing time for the majority of our customers and contributes to a very positive customer experience. We believe that this method is well worth the investment to ensure satisfied customers, says Jesper Brusberg, aftermarket manager at Inet.
Ten-year warranty on TV
Netonnet, Komplett and Webhallen offer up to a ten-year warranty, but it only applies to TVs manufactured by Andersson.
– The warranty applies for ten years from the date of purchase for purchases made from November 16, 2023, and is aimed at those who use TV in a home environment, says Kristina Wärmare, communications manager at Netonnet.
That the three dealers in the Komplett Group offer a long warranty for one and the same brand is no surprise. Komplett, on the other hand, goes a step further when it comes to certain computers and offers an extended warranty if you buy a Komplett PC.
Daniel Hauan, communications manager at Komplett.
– We have an extended warranty period on our Komplett computers. There, all components have a two-year warranty, but you get a three-year delivery and repair warranty from us, says Daniel Hauan, communications manager at Komplett.
The electric giant and Power want to be paid
Power offers a five-year warranty on products that are part of its own brands. You can also extend the warranty period via Plusgaranti, but you have to pay extra for that. Just like Power, Elgiganten offers a paid plus warranty, but beyond that there are no selected products or brands that have a longer warranty period.
If you are denied warranty
If you and the company do not agree on the warranty, you can contact ARN for advice and a recommendation.
– They do not give binding decisions like a district court, but most companies follow ARN’s recommendations, says Tim Andersson.
Source: www.sweclockers.com
