Minimising Losses

Consumers should act reasonably when seeking redress and not add unnecessary costs. This means they should report faults as soon as possible. If they do not:

it becomes more difficult for them, as time goes by, to prove that the goods were inherently faulty at the time of sale

it is possible that the goods can deteriorate more than otherwise, especially if attempts are made to repair or to continue using them. The retailer would not be responsible for correcting this aspect.

They should also make sure that they service the goods as appropriate, follow any user instructions and look after them, so as not to undermine their claim by contributing to any problem.

Consumers cannot expect retailers to provide redress where they have:

accidentally damaged the goods;

misused them and caused a fault, perhaps through the use of incompatible accessories; or

tried their own repair, or had someone else attempt a repair, which has damaged the goods.