A question we are often asked is how long should an appliance last? There’s no easy answer, but at Consumer we use two measures to determine an appliance’s useful life: economic and life expectancy.
At some point an appliance reaches the end of its economic life – that’s when it’s more economic to replace the appliance than repair it. For example, your 25-year-old fridge might still be working well, but if it breaks down it will be expensive to repair and is also likely to be costly (extremely energy inefficient) to run. Your best and most cost-efficient decision is to buy a new one.
Life expectancy is how long an appliance should last given reasonable use and maybe some repair. Our estimates of life expectancy are based on our appliance reliability surveys. We say a fridge has an economic life of 20-plus years and a life expectancy of 15-plus years. It’s the same for ovens and stoves.
The Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA) obliges retailers to guarantee their products are of acceptable quality. This means they must last for a time that’s reasonable for the particular product and the price you paid for it. Obviously, an item from a $2 shop is not going to have the same life expectancy as an expensive espresso machine.
Manufacturers and importers must hold spare parts for a reasonable time, unless you’re told at the time of purchase that spares and parts won’t be available. If an appliance fails before this time is up – and you haven’t caused the fault – the retailer has to put things right.
The CGA applies even if the warranty is expired. You may have a warranty on your fridge for five years but something goes wrong in the sixth year. If the product has had only reasonable use, we say you are still covered by the CGA.
When it’s a minor problem, the retailer has a choice of replacing or repairing the appliance. If it’s a serious breakdown, you can choose whether the retailer replaces it, takes it back or gives you a refund. Don’t be thrown if a retailer says your appliance is out of warranty and you must pay for its repair. You might still be covered by the CGA and it is the responsibility of the retailer to put things right. Assert your rights and go to the Disputes Tribunal if you think you have a strong case.
Sue Chetwin
CEO CONSUMER NZ
