To me, a refurbished unit would be considered second hand. How do I know how reliable it is, where it has been used, etc?
This is why I feel so reluctant and hesitant about getting a refurbished unit. Especially if the company is not willing to give it a full warranty like with their new products. If a company themselves only guarantee it for less months, how is a consumer supposed to feel protected? If the company believes their refurbished product is still of the same quality, they should be prepared to provide the same warranty as they would for a new product. That way. the consumer can at least feel a bit more comfortable.
Please, @KK80, stop worrying about the companyâs warranties, you have consumers rights under the Trade Practices Act which are the most important and never run out.
Companies warranties are subjected to it, they are something the company offers out of their own free will, and are not required by law.
The Trade Practices Act is your only sure protection when it comes to your rights as a consumer
You have to remember your vacuum is second hand. Any refurbished replacement will be tested (it will work) and is likely to be of similar condition or better than your own vacuum.
You are also assuming they will only offer a refurbished replacement. Wait and see what the results of the inspection reveal. Whether it is a minor fault, major fault or the fault sits outside the warranty/consumer guarantees. And what resolutions are available moving forward.
A new warranty period does not start even with a completely brand new replacement machine, the warranty period commenced with the purchase of the original machine. A purchase is the birth of the contract of a warranty.
As @Gaby had pointed out, the Warranty is a contract with you that is conditional and may limit the type and period of cover. Warranties have conditions of cover such as registration of the purchase, possibly time limits e.g., 12 months, it may only cover certain failures and may cover only parts but not labour or other costs of those failures. ACL rights cannot be overridden by Warranty rights though, so if a failure was covered by a ACL covered right even if not by or outside your Warranty (or even excluded by your warranty) then your ACL rights would prevail. If a product fails because of fair wear and tear or because it has been used improperly then there will be no ACL coverage for that use. If it is a manufacturing fault then ACL does not stipulate a time period of coverage, this could be a very long period of expected coverage, even if the machine was a repaired or replacement machine.
There are expected lifetimes of many household items and CHOICE has provided a list for many of them.
Most important thing to remember is ACL doesnât mean you might not have to argue for your rights, it just means you have the protection of Law that allows you to argue your case and have remedies.
This thread has been closed as it has fully addressed the original question. Should new information come to light, such as results of an assessment or offer by Ecovacs under the manufacturerâs warranty/ACL consumer guarantees, @KK80 can contact one of the community moderators to have the thread reopened.
