The Australian Consumer Law is very clear on responsibilities. That being it is the responsibility of the retailer/manufacturer/importer to resolve any faults associated with their products.
As outlined above, if one wishes to take on some of the responsibilities, such as organising their own repairs etc, then this needs to be agreed with the retailer/manufacturer/importer as it deviates from the responsibilities outlined in the ACL and by the ACCC.
I can understand why a business like Reece wishes to use their own service agents (plumbers) when they are advised that one of their products potentially has a fault. Reece needs to ensure that:
- the product was installed by a suitably qualified person (plumber)
- the product is faulty (does it need a repair such as a replacement ceramic cartridge which would be a minor fault or say have a crack in the tap which would be a major fault)
- the installation didn’t cause the fault
- the leak is from the product
- the leak wasn’t caused by things out of the design specification (such as reticulated water pressure being >500kPa)
Whilst any plumber can possibly carry out some of the above, there could be issues of trust if the plumber which installed the tap did the evaluation. Reece would need to trust the plumber if the installation caused the fault, the plumber will admit responsibility
I think it would be great if any consumer could organise a repair of a faulty product and then send the bill to the retailer/manufacturer/importer. While this would be great, it would be open to significant abuse and product prices would likely increase to cover the higher costs associated with post sale costs.
The only way to do this is for Reece to send out their own service agent to determine that the tap is faulty, and the leak isn’t for other reasons. Reece needs to do this in a reasonable time.
I suspect that @jon88 ha communicated the nature of the leak, and this may be used by Reece and its service agents to prioritise work. While everyone wishes for everything to happen yesterday, in the real world this is often not possible and one needs to be patient (within reason and for a reasonable time).
I would too. If the leak is only minor (which has been indicated above is a drip rather than a stream), then while inconvenient, it may still be possible to use the kitchen in the interim. If the drip turns into a stream and/or the drips cause damage, responsibility for this damage is outlined in the ACL/by the ACCC. @jon88 has through contact with Reece put them on notice that there could be damage caused, and if it is caused by their faulty product, they will be responsible for the damage it causes.
