Is a guarantee transferable when you buy a second hand appliance?
Manufacturer guarantees on appliances are almost never transferable to a new owner when the appliance is sold second-hand. The guarantee is a contract between the manufacturer and the original purchaser – most manufacturers limit it explicitly to that person. This is legally permitted. Your consumer rights when buying second-hand are also significantly more limited than when buying new.
This is a common source of confusion when buying or selling appliances second-hand. The short answer is that manufacturers are generally not obliged to honour a guarantee for anyone other than the original purchaser, and most choose not to do so.
Are Appliance Guarantees Transferable?
In most cases, no. A manufacturer’s guarantee is an additional benefit provided voluntarily – there is no legal requirement for any product to come with a guarantee at all. Because it is an addition to statutory rights rather than a right in itself, the manufacturer can impose conditions on it, including restricting it to the original purchaser.
What manufacturers typically do
- Limit the guarantee to the original purchaser only
- Require proof of purchase from the original retailer
- Require registration in the original owner’s name
- Decline to honour the guarantee when an appliance changes hands
What is sometimes possible
- Some guarantees are explicitly transferable – always check the terms
- Building and home improvement guarantees (double glazing, for example) are sometimes designed to transfer with the property
- If the guarantee paperwork travels with the appliance and registration was not required, a manufacturer may still send an engineer – particularly within a short guarantee period – though this is discretionary
The argument that a guarantee should transfer – since the cost of the guarantee was built into the original price and the manufacturer’s commitment was already made and presumably reserved against – is commercially reasonable. But manufacturers are entitled to structure guarantee terms as they wish, and most choose to tie them to the original purchaser. Always check the guarantee terms before buying a second-hand appliance on the assumption that the guarantee transfers.
What Happens If a Seller Misrepresents a Transferable Guarantee?
If a second-hand appliance was advertised as coming with a manufacturer guarantee – and it turns out the guarantee is not transferable – you may have a claim against the seller under the principle that the item was not as described.
Bought via eBay or a marketplace
If the listing described the appliance as coming with a transferable guarantee and this turned out to be incorrect, the item was not as described. Most marketplace platforms have buyer protection for this scenario. eBay’s buyer protection policy covers items that do not match the seller’s description. Contact the platform’s resolution process rather than pursuing the seller directly in the first instance.
Private sale
When buying from a private individual, your consumer rights are more limited than when buying from a trader. However, you still have a right for the item to be as described. If the guarantee was a stated part of the deal and it does not exist, this may be a basis for a price reduction or refund claim. The small claims court is an option if the seller will not engage.
Your Consumer Rights When Buying Second-Hand
Buying a second-hand appliance from a private individual is significantly different from buying new. Consumer rights protections that apply to new purchases from traders do not fully apply to private sales.
| Scenario | Key rights |
|---|---|
| Buying new from a retailer | Full Consumer Rights Act 2015 protection – goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described. Up to 6 years to claim in England and Wales |
| Buying second-hand from a trader or dealer | Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies, but “satisfactory quality” takes account of the age and price paid. Some protection still exists |
| Buying second-hand from a private individual | Much more limited. The main right is that the item must be as described in the listing. If it breaks down after purchase through normal use, this is generally the buyer’s risk |
For full detail on consumer rights when buying second-hand, see our guide on consumer rights when buying a second-hand washing machine.
Related Consumer Rights Guides
Related Guides
Consumer Rights: Buying a Second-Hand Washing MachineFull guide to your rights when buying a used washing machine – from a private individual or a trader.
Consumer Rights and Faulty AppliancesYour rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 when an appliance fails – new and second-hand.
Out of Guarantee – Still Covered?How the Consumer Rights Act provides protection beyond the manufacturer’s guarantee period.
5-Year Parts Guarantees – What They Actually CoverWhy a 5-year parts guarantee is not the same as a 5-year full repair guarantee – and what you actually get.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a manufacturer refuse to honour a guarantee on a second-hand appliance?
Yes, and most do. A manufacturer’s guarantee is a voluntary additional benefit, not a legal requirement. The manufacturer can set conditions on it, including restricting it to the original purchaser. This is legal. Your statutory consumer rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 are separate from any guarantee and apply to the purchase transaction itself – which for a second-hand private sale offers more limited protection than a new purchase from a retailer.
The seller told me the guarantee was transferable – what can I do if the manufacturer won’t honour it?
If the guarantee was stated as transferable in the listing and this turns out to be incorrect, the appliance was not as described. For eBay purchases, use the platform’s buyer protection process – this is usually the most direct route. For private sales outside a marketplace, contact the seller directly first and, if they do not engage, consider whether the amount involved justifies a small claims court application. Document everything: the original listing, the seller’s representations, and the manufacturer’s refusal.
Are any appliance guarantees transferable?
Some are – but they are the exception rather than the rule. Always read the guarantee terms carefully before buying a second-hand appliance on the assumption that the guarantee transfers. If the terms do not explicitly state that the guarantee is transferable, assume it is not. Some building and home improvement guarantees (double glazing, structural warranties) are designed to transfer with the property, but appliance guarantees rarely follow this model.
6 Comments
Grouped into 3 comment threads.
1 reply If I purchase white goods from a Argos clearance shop and sell them on for a profit bos the Garda tee sill count
1 reply I have just moved into my house which is a converted Schoolhouse. The conversion was completed in 2018 but the boiler broke down last night, the boiler has a 7 year warranty which surely, I should be able to claim on, is that correct?
I have just moved into my house which is a converted Schoolhouse. The conversion was completed in 2018 but the boiler broke down last night, the boiler has a 7 year warranty which surely, I should be able to claim on, is that correct?
Likely replying to Guy Atkinson
Hello Guy. Extra long guarantees often have terms and conditions. If you have paperwork that says it’s under guarantee you may be ok. But if you don’t it may be a problem. If you don’t have anything and there’s just a sticker or leaflet saying it’s guaranteed for 7 years you can only ring them and give the address to see if you are covered.
For example, my boiler has a 7 year guarantee, but only because I had it installed by one of the manufacturers approved installers and it stipulates the boiler must be serviced by them every year or the guarantee is invalid.
1 reply I brought my washing machine 2 and half years ago with only 2 years guarantee I have since taken out with Domestic and General an extended 3 years. I am thinking of now selling this machine which is working in perfect condition to my son, but obviously he wants the guarantee transferred to him is this something they will honour to me?
I brought my washing machine 2 and half years ago with only 2 years guarantee I have since taken out with Domestic and General an extended 3 years. I am thinking of now selling this machine which is working in perfect condition to my son, but obviously he wants the guarantee transferred to him is this something they will honour to me?
If I purchase white goods from a Argos clearance shop and sell them on for a profit bos the Garda tee sill count
Likely replying to Ian
Hello Ian. When manufacturers sell appliances to retailers, or people in the white goods industry, who then sell them on to their customers then the guarantee is totally passed on and registered by the final purchaser. So if you are acting as a retailer then that’s how it would work. But if you were just buying them as a member of the public and then selling them on I believe it would be different. In that case the guarantee would be likely to be with the first purchaser. It may be possible that if the guarantee is registered by the person you sell it on to they would be okay to use it though manufacturers always ask where they purchased it from and often asked for proof of purchase.
All manufacturers guarantees are only in addition to our legal consumer rights. Therefore anyone who buys a white goods appliance has up to 6 years cover for any faults under the consumer rights act 2015 even if they didn’t receive any guarantee at all from the manufacturer. Unfortunately these consumer rights are not against the manufacturer but against the people they bought it from. So for example anyone you sell an appliance to would be legally entitled to either a free repair or a replacement appliance potentially for up to 6 years (five in Scotland) if it developed a serious fault, or was not fit for purpose etc. But they could only claim it from the person they bought it from. That’s the risk.