The meaning of good design

[Yorkie]

Don't forget that Sale of Good Act gives you some rights up to 6 years from purchase. You probably could have got it repaired for nothing if you'd pushed the retailer and had proof of purchase.

Well yes, that's true, but it much depends on the nature of the item, and what might be considered a reasonable expectation. I think with a kettle or similar small domestic appliance that's over two years old, we'd be hard pushed to get the retailer to budge, and Trading Standards wouldn't get involved in taking the matter up. Annoying really, because a kettle can't really be abused by the user and is maintenance free. Seems to me that the elements in the Allesi we had weren't up to the task.

Up to 2 years, I usually cite the EU legislation - just got Argos in Putney to replace an electric iron for my daughter in law which was 18 months old. They weren't having any of it, saying 'it only had a 1 year guarantee unless we took out an extended warranty', but I wafted the EU directive under the manager's nose and I think he was keen to get me out of the shop as I had an audience of customer's all waiting to be served, so we walked out of the store with a free replacement.

As to Argos, we recently bought a new steam iron for ourselves - £59.99. Got it home, and went online to register the manufacturer's extended warranty, then noticed that the model number didn't correspond with what we'd paid for. Check on Argos website, and what they're supplied was a £19.99 iron. Went back to the store, and they discovered that the same £19.99 iron in their warehouse was labelled up under two stock numbers so whether you paid £19.99 or £59.99 you got the cheapskate iron. They didn't have any of the correct irons in stock, but they did at a nearby branch, (allegedly) so they reserved one for me - yes, when I turned up it was the same story there, so that's how they were arriving from their central warehouse, so we got a refund and bought another make and model elsewhere.

Then got a request from Argos to put a review on their website, which I did. Got an e-mail back to say the review wouldn't be published, but that a 'customer care supervisor' would be in touch within 24 hours to discuss the issue. Good job I didn't hold my breath - that was late November. Needless to say, the silences is deafening fro the 'Customer (couldn't) Care (less)  Supervisor. Don't know if they've sorted their wonky stocks  out - don't care - I'm an ex customer now, but I wonder how many others have bought and paid for a £59.99 iron and been palmed off with a £19.99 one and not noticed?

Oh well, it is just an electric iron - not a car!

Aldi have got the right idea with their 'Special Buys' on their 'Work-Zone' cheapo power tools and the like - a three-year warranty.