Mobile Chargers - should they be covered under warranty?

[Tinohead]

Hi,

 

I'm having an issue with my Nokia N80 at the moment and wonder if there's anything I can do.

 

Basically, the charger has been getting progressively more tempremental until recently when it stopped working completely. I took it to CPW, my local Nokia Repair Centre, but they've said it's a very common problem with the new, smaller Nokia charger, and it's only covered by a 6 month warranty. I bought the phone just over 11 months ago, and the handset itself is still covered under warranty, so was wondering why the charger wasn't as well?

 

Also, surely Nokia should have to provide free replacements, especially if it is such a common and well known problem.

 

Can anyone help?

 

Cheers,

Martin

[buzby]

They're talking nonsense, the minimum warranty period is 12 months, and the Sale of Goods Act applies. Tell them to fix or replace it. (However as you can get a replacement for £3-odd, it can cost you more in time by complaining!)

[Tinohead]

Ok, so that definitely still applies to chargers, even though, I think, they would class that as a consumable?

 

I know I could get a cheap replacement but there's a few reasons I don't want to. Firstly, it's the principal, they've sold me an item that hasn't even lasted a year, let alone my 18 month contract, I'm about to get a mortgage so every penny counts! Plus the £3 ones aren't nokia ones, and apparently they're even more tempremental with the N80.

 

So is the minimum warrenty period always 12 months?

 

Thanks for your help so far.

[buzby]

The minimum period is never less than 12 month, and often more. The EU was pushing for 24 months, I don't think this has made it into law as yet, but they're working toward it. I appreciate what you say about the price of the charges, but even Nokia don't make these - so you'll pay more for their branding on it than without. I certainly would never class a charger as a 'consumable' as if they worked as they should, you'd never need another.

[OrangePrimate]

Chargers are covered under manufacturers warranty, like the battery for a period of 12 months.

Interestingly Nokia handsets are actually covered with 2 years warranty!

(battery/charger still only 12mnths though!)

[complete]

The thing with Original Nokia Chargers is that the cable is very thin, and breaks inside if twisted or not looked after.

 

I repace customers chargers with high quality non-gen chargers, with thicker cables, and i do not get any problems.

 

I also have to suffer the cost, as Nokia will not replace my stock. A good friend of mine owns a Nokia Service Centre and he cannot get the chargers replaced from them, as they say they have been misused and not covered by warranty.

 

I see so may Original Chargers coming back.

[Sara Moorhouse]

Thank you for this information I have found it interesting.

 

I have recently been told at an O2 shop that my charger for Xperia X8 is not under warranty and I have to buy a replacement. I have since checked on the Sony Erricson site and found this: -

 

www-support-downloads.sonymobile.com/common/warranty_extras_GB_12.pdf

 

which says 'due to defects in design, materials or workmanship, Sony Ericsson authorised distributors or service partners, in the country/region* where you purchased the Product, will, at their option, either repair or replace' and 'The warranty is valid only if the original proof of purchase issued to the original purchaser'.

Armed with this information I will try the O2 shop again.

[my-spirit-soars-free]

The definition of consumable should be "something that is used up by the operation of the device" - so, for instance, paper and ink.

 

Batteries are consumable if not rechargeable. If they are rechargebale, I guess they still may be, as they are only rechargeable for a finite number of cycles.

 

However, the idea that laptop cables, chargers, printer cables etc are consumables is just plain wrong, there is nothing in them that is being used up. The word is being misused by companies to mean "anything that breaks easily that we don't feel like replacing".

[assisted blonde]

I would just get a multi purpose charger from Amazon or somewhere I bought one for my Kindle and use it on my blackberry my husbands phone etc lot less hassle and really only cost a few pounds.