The guarantee on warranties
The relationship between web development and the legal obligations of international businesses in respect to product warranties and guarantees within Australia is a tenuous relationship at best!
This said, an salient and relevant reminder from last week’s Sydney Morning Herald (Global attack on warranty rules, Kirsty Needham) on the legal onuses on organisations (specifically, global organisations) conducting business in Australia.
According to the article, The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has taken legal action against LG Electronics for telling customers who bought its mobile phones, that it offered only a limited and voluntary one-year warranty.
The commission said the law (Trade Practices Act (TPA) enshrined basic warranty conditions for the return and refund of money for faulty goods, and this was not limited by time.
The case comes amid concerns that multinational companies (the article also cites recent investigations into complaints against Apple Computer Australia) are attempting to restrict and modify statutory warranties, and in doing so, are seeking to impose global warranty policies that undermine Australian consumers’ rights.
