So my GBX has a broken trigger. Retailer says it’s out of warranty (3 months) as I bought it 8 months ago.
Does anyone know what is the legal requirement for retailer warranty expiry time…??
I thought there was a consumer law that 12 months had to be guaranteed on Australia consumer products??
Gel blaster retailers make up their own rules. It could be pursued, push them to accept responsibility for the quality of their products. They rely on 99% of consumers to do nothing.
Most reputable retailers will help you out. Some just don’t offer much or any afyer sales support.
i’m not a lawyer, but i agree, the industry seems to run, on the premise of people “just accepting” their statement, that you only have a 1 month, 3 month warranty etc.
Most people accept that, do nothing else, and walk away.
If you wanted to push it, make a complaint through DOFT.
Ask what consumer laws legally covers, get their response in email, and take that to the store. They may change the stores response.
If they refuse, it comes down to, what is the next legal step in the process to escalate ( i’m not sure), how much does it cost, and what are the legal risks involved ( i.e paying other parties legal fees if you lose). Tribunals are free.
Like I said, im no lawyer, it doesn’t hurt to ask DOFT, let us know your response, and how you go.
On a personal level, its ridiculous we spend $600+ on an item, only to be told it has a 1/3 month warranty…shows how little faith retailers have, in the long term durability, of their "medinchina"wares…
That’s an unfortunate situation to have the trigger break, but is probably the most common failure point of any model blaster simply due to use/wear/tear and not particularly robust designs.
If it was a fault straight out of the box brand new, then you would have had an easy warranty claim for return/repair/replacement, but their willingness to follow up on warranties after such a long period of ownership/use that naturally leads to breakages/wear and tear.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t try to push for repair/replacement under warranty through the associated processes, but sometimes it’s sooooo much quicker, easier and less stressful to just fix it yourself with better quality components so that it doesn’t happen again.
Australian Consumer Laws regarding Warranties override Retailers Implied Warranties, but it is still a long and difficult process that requires much evidence and back and forth communication between all of the parties involved.
At the end of all of this, it could still turn out that the Retailer might successfully win the case against repair/replacement simply due to the low cost/value of the component involved, plus the evidence of time of ownership/use, being ruled as acceptable wear and tear of the particular components.
It’s your choice whichever path you want to follow, but at the end of the day, sometimes it’s just better for your time/mental health/sanity to just get it fixed yourself.
Good luck!
This is a weird industry.
Spend $600-700, on a (premium) toy blaster…and get S.F.A warranty…
Spend $600-700 on real steel, get a pretty decent quality item, with a no questions asked, 12 mths warranty…on something that will not fail, anyway …
Yaay… aren’t we lucky to have blasters…??!
Stems from Chinese factories historically never offering warranty.
I’ll probably just suck it up, wait for it to fail completely and then fix it.
The amount of energy it will take to get them to give me money back won’t be worth it
I hate doing that because it means they get away with it, but it’s just not worth it for $220.
Yeah it sux, but gotta weigh up the pros and cons of what will be the best approach to fixing the issue with the least amount of time and stress!
Well, on one hand you got 8 months out of a $220 full metal blaster, pretty good deal really. I know people are quick to rag on the warranties offered, but give me any stock aeg, no matter the price tag, and I can break it in minutes. No retailer will ever be able to prove I acted like a twat with it, and they just gotta wear it. It doesn’t happen alot, and most will last their warranties.
While it does suck, think of it as an opportunity to upgrade. It is the only state of mind you can have about a broken blaster if you enjoy the hobby.
If you are on the Sunshine Coast, pm me and I can help out. I can at least fix it cheap for you, (I have spare wiring loom from one here) or get it really thumping and everything in between. They are a pretty good blaster, and really have a lot of parts already to go that dont need upgrading even in a pretty wild build.