I`ve advised a few of my customers who bought TVs from the "big sheds" to ask the "big shed" to repair the fault that occured after 2-3 years of use. At first, the retailer refused, but with a little "persuasion" (ie, the retailer was informed about their legal obligations), the faults were fixed free of charge.
The law is fairly clear, although retailers do seem to find it confusing for some reason.
http://sogahub.tradingstandards.gov.uk/sogaexplained
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Customers' rights last for six years
The law says that a customer can approach you with a claim about an item they purchased from you for up to
six years from the date of sale (five years after discovery of the problem in Scotland).
This does not mean that everything you sell has to last six years from the date of purchase! It is the time limit for the customer to make a claim about an item. During this period, you are legally required to deal with a customer who claims that their item does not conform to contract (is
faulty ) and you must decide what would be the reasonable amount of time to expect the goods to last. A customer cannot hold you responsible for
fair wear and tear ."
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Your responsibilities for the goods you sell
You are responsible for the goods you sell and if a customer returns an item they purchased from you that is faulty (it does not conform to contract) because it
- does not match the description
- is not of satisfactory quality
- is not fit for purpose .
you (not the manufacturer or supplier) are legally obliged to resolve the matter with the customer at any time for up to
six years from the date of purchase, or in Scotland for up to five years from the discovery of the problem.
Any refund, repair or replacement you arrange with your customer relating to faulty goods must not cause them too much inconvenience and you will have to pay for other costs, for example, collection or delivery."