Extended warranty on a Black Friday TV? Your free legal rights can last up to 6 years

What's happening

Buy a TV, laptop or washing machine for Black Friday on 27 November, and you'll probably be offered an extended warranty or care plan at the checkout. Before you add one, it helps to know what you already get for nothing. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 covers faults for far longer than the manufacturer's warranty of at least a year that Which? says most tech comes with, and an extended warranty doesn't replace those rights.

At a glance

• 30 days: reject a faulty item for a full refund.
• 6 months: a fault that appears is taken to have been there from the start, unless the seller proves otherwise.
• Up to 6 years (5 in Scotland) to use your legal rights if there's a fault, Citizens Advice says.
• An extended warranty is optional, and a shop can't charge you for one you didn't clearly agree to.

What the law already gives you

Under the Consumer Rights Act, goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. Satisfactory quality includes durability (section 9), so an expensive TV that fails well before you'd expect can still be the seller's problem. If goods aren't up to standard, you have 30 days to reject them for a full refund (section 22). After that, you can ask for a repair or a replacement (section 23). If that fails, you can ask for a price cut or a refund, which can be reduced for the use you've had, except in the first six months (section 24).

Section 19 says a fault that shows up within six months of delivery is taken to have been there all along, unless the seller proves otherwise. After six months, it's up to you to show the fault was there from the start, for example with a repairer's report. Citizens Advice says you have legal rights for up to 6 years if there's a fault (5 years in Scotland), though using them is usually easier in the first 6 months. These rights are against the seller.

When a warranty isn't worth it

Which? found that laptop repairs cost £68 to £78 on average in 2021, while extended warranties averaged £84.80 a year and were usually sold for two years. It also found that many big tech retailers "don't allow you to claim for breakdown problems" while the manufacturer's warranty still applies, so in year one you may be paying for cover you can't use.

A warranty can still make sense if it covers accidental damage, which consumer law doesn't, or if you'd rather have a quick repair than argue about whether a fault was there from the start. Which? suggests checking whether your home contents insurance could add accidental damage cover instead.

At the checkout

Under regulation 40 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, a seller can't charge you for an extra on top of the item unless you gave your express consent before you bought it, and a pre-ticked box doesn't count. If a warranty was added that way, you're entitled to that money back.

A worked example

This is an illustration. Leah buys a £499 TV on Black Friday and turns down a three-year care plan. In month 14 the picture fails. The manufacturer's one-year warranty has run out, but her Consumer Rights Act rights haven't. She goes back to the shop and asks for a repair or replacement under section 23, backed by a repair report saying a component failed and the TV wasn't damaged. A £499 TV should reasonably last longer than 14 months, so she has a strong case. If she'd knocked it off its stand, the law wouldn't help, and that's when accidental damage cover earns its keep.

What to do now

1. Don't decide at the till. Ask for the price and terms and read them at home.
2. Check what it adds to your legal rights: accidental damage, breakdown cover in year one, and who carries out repairs.
3. Untick anything you didn't choose at the online checkout, and check the final total.
4. Keep the receipt or order email for as long as you have the item. You'll need proof of purchase.
5. If something goes wrong, go to the seller and quote the Consumer Rights Act 2015, even if you have a warranty.

Questions

If I bought a warranty, do I have to use it? No. Which? says you keep your statutory rights whether or not you buy one, so you can use whichever route gets you the better result.

What if the shop has closed? Citizens Advice says the manufacturer should still honour its own warranty. If the item cost more than £100 and you paid at least partly by credit card, you may be able to claim from your card company under section 75.

Ways to save

Our Currys page lists 10% cashback on selected LG TVs and 20% off an LG soundbar with selected LG TVs (code LG20). Our Samsung page includes its Price Promise. Compare the same model at Argos, AO.com and John Lewis before you decide on any extra cover.

When you shop through Voucher Magpie, part of the commission the shop pays us goes to the charity or club you pick. You pay the same price.

Sources: Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9, Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 19, Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22, Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 23, Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 24, Citizens Advice: Claim using a warranty or guarantee, 8 Nov 2026, Which?: Five reasons not to buy an extended warranty this Black Friday, 22 Nov 2023, Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 40