You may have come across the term ‘statutory warranty’ while exploring car dealerships, auction sites and so on, but what exactly does it mean? A statutory warranty is a standard legal guarantee that’s designed to ensure that certain goods being sold to you are of a reasonable and satisfactory quality. Statutory warranties are applicable in a variety of different sales settings (including car dealerships), the details of which are expressed in the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
One of the key features of this Act is that it provides you with a statutory warranty for any used cars that you’ve bought from a dealership. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that there are a few factors that affect the extent of the protection you receive from this warranty. For example, the law takes into account how long it’s been since you purchased the vehicle, and what sort of condition it was in when you bought it.
Now you’re probably wondering “how does a statuary warranty apply to me if I’m looking to buy a scrap vehicle on an online car auction with RAW2K?”. In short, it doesn’t. The statutory warranty isn’t something that would be relevant in the context of a salvage vehicle. These work more on a what-you-see-is-what-you-get basis. So if you’re looking to buy a vehicle with us, statutory warranty laws will not be applicable.
Even so, it’s worth knowing about statutory warranties in case you ever need to reference it in future. So, here are some of the factors that contribute towards your statutory warranty.
What is the Consumer Rights Act 2015?
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 is essentially there to give any buyer who’s purchased a sub-satisfactory product the option of legal recourse, should they want or need it. As we mentioned above, it can be applied to a wide range of goods and products, but also specifically relates to the purchase of fully functioning vehicles from dealerships.
Vehicles that are bought from a dealership must be of satisfactory quality, roadworthy, and reliable. The law does take into account various other factors like the age of the vehicle and the mileage on the clock, but broadly speaking, the aim of the act is to ensure that car buyers aren’t purchasing vehicles that have problems they weren’t aware of.
Times to keep in mind if pursuing a statutory warranty claim
If you purchase a vehicle from a dealer, and it starts to develop faults within the first 30 days of purchase, this would be classed as in breach of your statutory warranty. In this instance, you’d be within your rights to ask for a refund from the dealer. The law assumes that if a fault emerges between the first 30 days to six months of purchase, then it was pre-existing (Meaning it was there before you purchased it.)
During this period, the onus is on the dealer to prove otherwise. If they can’t, they’re given one attempt to fix the issue before the buyer can demand a refund. Protection from the Consumer Rights Act 2015 will expire after 6 months of purchase, at which point if you suspect that you’ve bought a vehicle that’s not up to scratch, you’re on your own!
Additional legal factors
As a side note, if you purchase a vehicle online through a dealership or an online auction site, you’re still protected by the regulations set out in the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. This legislation basically entitles you as a buyer to return a vehicle within 14 days of purchase, if you’re not satisfied with it for any reason.
That’s the basics pretty much covered! As we’ve already mentioned above, when listing a salvage car on our site, you won’t have to concern yourself too much with the rules stated above, as they’re not applicable to cars that are meant to be sold for parts. If that’s something you’d be interested in, then you’ve come to the right place.
Here at RAW2K, we make it really simple for you to sell your salvage car. Once you’ve confirmed the age of your vehicle, you can set a starting price, and you’re ready to go. Our online car auctions list thousands of used, salvaged and seized vehicles every week. So, whether you’re just a hobbyist, or a full time professional mechanic, why not take a look around, and see what you can find?
