Statutory Rights - Consumer Rights Act
The Sale of Goods Act , which now called the Consumer Rights Act 2015 is in effect a guarantee for the consumer against poor workmanship and mis-representation for a period of time during the life expectancy of that product, which should be no more than 6 years in the UK, but 5 years in Scotland.
This is known as Statutory Rights and is additional to any warranty/guarantee provided by the retailer or manufacturer!
There is no such thing as a 12 month guarantee with the retailer/seller.
The length of time you have to return any product depends upon the life expectancy of the product.
Washing Machines/Cookers etc you would expect to last 10+ years, therefore you would not expect a fault within the first 6 years of use. As such you have 6 years under Statutory Rights.
Low Cost Kettles would not be expected to last over 18 months, so you would only have this time to take back to the retailer.
Statutory Rights does not cover wear & tear, misuse, neglect etc.
Kettles that have stopped working due to calcium build up from hard water, due to neglect of cleaning would not be covered etc.
The Consumer Rights Act makes reference to ‘the seller’, this is the shop, the retailer, or the individual you bought it from, and is who you made the contract with. It is not the manufacturer, and don’t let the shop tell you otherwise! If there is an obvious fault with the item at any time within the first 6 months and it has not been caused by wear and tear or misuse, then the retailer must repair or replace the item. They have the responsibility to put the matter right, and should not evade this responsibility by referring you to the manufacturer in the context of a guarantee or warranty.
Even after this 6 month period, if the item breaks down prematurely, you should always go back to the shop or retailer, although it is the responsibility of the consumer to prove that the fault is one of manufacturing and not just wear & tear.
Your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act takes precedence over and above any extended warranty or guarantee you may have with either the retailer or manufacturer. It is misleading for a shop to tell you they can do nothing simply because their warranty or guarantee has run out - you will still have your statutory rights.
Unless you have purchased the goods directly from the manufacturer, then the manufacturer can only advise to contact the seller. It is your legal right and it is the seller you must seek legal action for any faulty product.
If you have taken out an additional Manufacturer's Warranty, then depending on the terms of that warranty you may be able to claim directly from the manufacturer.