KINGSTON, Jamaica – Consumers are being reminded to request a warranty when purchasing appliances and other electrical items this holiday season.

This urging by the Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) comes against the background of the agency’s concern that too many individuals are buying these items without a written guarantee for their replacement or repair, if necessary.

Speaking during a recent Jamaica Information Service JIS ‘Think Tank’, CAC Director of Communications, Latoya Halstead, said most of the complaints made to the agency this year are related to electrical equipment and appliances.

“Year on year, we see this topping the complaint category and it says… that consumers are not doing their due diligence when they are purchasing these items,” she noted.

Halstead emphasised that consumers must demand a warranty if one is not given to them willingly, as items do not always work as expected.

“The fact is, you must get an explicit warranty… when you are purchasing an electrical item, which could be what is extended from the manufacturer. This could be one month, two months, a year. Now, if you do not get the explicit warranty, automatically the Consumer Protection Act states that you must get an implied warranty of six months, and this covers goods and services,” the director added.

Halstead also encourages consumers to read labels carefully and, as best as possible, test the appliances in store before making a purchase.

The CAC is an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce.

Its role is to enforce the Consumer Protection Act and facilitate ethical behaviour in the marketplace between vendors and consumers.

– JIS