Prepare for warranty enquiries after trading stops
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Prepare a route for warranty enquiries before the normal sales contact ends. Identify what was promised, by which business or manufacturer, and where the supporting evidence can be found. Do not tell customers that every warranty has ended or that another provider will automatically take over.
Warranty wording and customer rights are different parts of the enquiry. GOV.UK’s returns guidance explains that a consumer may still have repair or replacement rights even where a warranty has expired. Obtain appropriate advice for the actual transaction and jurisdiction; this guide does not decide entitlement or provide a claim deadline.
Identify the promise behind the enquiry
Use a short enquiry sheet:
| Question | Evidence to obtain |
|---|---|
| What product and transaction are involved? | Identified item, customer and available purchase evidence |
| What issue is being reported? | Customer’s description, kept distinct from any competent assessment |
| What promise is being relied on? | Actual warranty, guarantee, service agreement or relevant correspondence |
| Who made that promise? | Correct business or manufacturer named in the documents |
| What has already happened? | Earlier repair, return, response or unresolved complaint reference |
| Who decides the next response? | Authorised business contact and appropriate adviser or provider enquiry |
Record missing documents as missing. Do not recreate a warranty from a similar product page or an employee’s memory. If the customer supplies different wording, preserve it for review.
Refer without promising acceptance
The authorised contact may need to ask a manufacturer or other provider about the case. Confirm the correct route and the information it requires. A referral is not proof that the provider accepts the claim or the closing business has no further responsibility.
Keep the customer informed through approved wording about what is being checked. Avoid “nothing to do with us” as a substitute for reviewing the actual transaction and advice.
The existing complaint handover preserves any previous promise or investigation. The customer should not need to start a new case simply because the internal contact changed.
Preserve the evidence and the item’s status
Use the order records access test to check that invoices, specifications and agreed changes remain available to the authorised contact. Do not make the process depend on a departing employee’s personal inbox.
If goods return to the business, use the disputed return record. Physical receipt does not settle the commercial decision, and the returned item should not enter sale stock while its status is unresolved.
Tell UK Auction Group which goods remain excluded from disposal and any confirmed resource dependency. Keep responsibility for the warranty enquiry with the business and appropriate provider or adviser. An asset sale does not, by itself, establish a replacement support arrangement for products previously supplied.
Sources
This guide is general information and education only. Legal, tax, employment and safety decisions may need a qualified adviser who knows your situation. Read the disclaimer.