Seven in 10 (70%) thought they wouldn't be able to receive a refund, repair or replacement for a faulty product once the manufacturer's warranty expires. CHOICE says this came from a nationally representative survey and that many Australians mistakenly believe extended warranties add protections beyond the Australian Consumer Law.

A warranty is a manufacturer's promise to stand behind its product. The FTC advises consumers to read the warranty carefully to see what is and is not covered, and notes that a company may have the right to fix the product before refunding money.

In a 2023 media release, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) warns that some consumers wrongly believe they have no rights after a warranty ends: "Even if a voluntary warranty, manufacturer's warranty, or extended warranty has expired, you may still be able to use your consumer guarantee rights." Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe states: "When you buy a product or service from a business, you have automatic rights called ‘consumer guarantees’ under the Australian Consumer Law and they exist regardless of any warranty offered by the business." The ACCC notes that "consumer rights can last longer than warranty rights, and you can ask for a repair, refund or replacement after the warranty has expired," indicating there is widespread misunderstanding about this point, though it does not cite the specific CHOICE statistic.

The ACCC’s consumer guidance explains that statutory consumer guarantees exist independently of warranties: "Consumer guarantees are automatic and apply regardless of any warranties you have received." It further notes that businesses must provide a remedy when goods fail to meet a consumer guarantee and that "consumer guarantees do not have a specific expiry date," instead lasting for a "reasonable" period given the product type. This establishes that, in law, Australians are entitled to repair, replacement or refund for faulty products beyond the manufacturer’s warranty, contrasting directly with the misconception that rights end when the warranty expires.

The official ACL consumer guarantees guide notes that a consumer may be entitled to a repair, replacement or refund even after any voluntary warranty or extended warranty has expired. It explains that consumer guarantees provide rights that exist despite anything the supplier or manufacturer may say and that the manufacturer must honour a consumer’s rights under consumer guarantees regardless of whether the goods are covered by any other warranty. The document emphasises that a consumer has the right to a remedy if goods do not meet a consumer guarantee, subject to certain exceptions.

NSW Fair Trading clarifies the legal position in Australia: "Consumer guarantees apply regardless of any other warranties you have received" and "may continue to apply after the manufacturer’s warranty has expired." The agency explains that if a product fails to meet a consumer guarantee, the consumer "may be entitled to a repair, replacement or refund" depending on whether the failure is major or minor. This guidance underlines that the belief that rights end with the expiry of the manufacturer’s warranty is incorrect, although the page does not reference the CHOICE 2023 survey or a 70% figure.

The CHOICE report itself notes in its executive summary: ‘Our nationally representative survey of 1,024 Australians found that 70% believed they were not entitled to a refund, repair or replacement if a product broke after the manufacturer’s warranty period had ended.’ It further comments that ‘this misconception about the duration of consumer rights under the Australian Consumer Law was consistent across age groups and income levels’.

CHOICE reports on new research about Australians’ use of their consumer rights: "Our new research has found that just 38% of Australians have asked for a refund, replacement or repair in the last five years because a product did not work or was not what they asked for." The article goes on to explain that under the Australian Consumer Law, "retailers must offer you a refund, repair or replacement for any item that has a major failure within for a reasonable amount of time," regardless of the expiry of a store or manufacturer warranty. The piece highlights that many Australians are unaware or reluctant to exercise these rights, but the visible excerpt does not itself state that "70%" believe they are not entitled to a remedy after a warranty expires.

ABC News explains that Australians retain rights to remedies after a warranty expires: "If a product you've bought stops working or falls apart, you're entitled to either a repair, replacement or a refund after the warranty period." Professor Jeannie Paterson is quoted: "The first thing to realise is the warranty doesn't define limits of people's rights," because "even if the warranty has expired, Australian consumer law still applies." The article is framed around the widespread misconception that rights end when a warranty ends, but it does not attribute a specific statistic like "70%" to CHOICE in the visible text.

An explainer by legal academics in The Conversation notes that many Australians incorrectly think their rights end when their warranty does: the authors write that there is "widespread confusion" and that "many consumers assume that once the warranty is over, they have to pay for repairs themselves," even though the Australian Consumer Law provides ongoing guarantees for a reasonable period. The piece references consumer surveys and ACCC messaging about confusion over warranties and rights but does not quote a precise statistic or directly reproduce the 2023 CHOICE survey wording.

Consumer Affairs Victoria states that products bought from an Australian business are automatically covered by consumer guarantees regardless of any other warranty. It notes that if a consumer identifies a problem with a product that means it does not meet a consumer guarantee, the store or seller may have to provide a remedy such as a refund, repairs, a replacement or compensation. For major problems with products, the consumer is entitled to return the product and seek a remedy, which operates in addition to any express or manufacturer warranties.

National Seniors Australia summarises the ACCC’s 2023 messaging on warranty and consumer guarantees, emphasising continuing rights after warranties end. It quotes ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe: "Consumer guarantees are automatic and are separate from any voluntary warranty, manufacturer’s warranty, or extended warranty." The article explains: "Consumer rights can last longer than warranty rights, and you can ask for a repair, refund, or replacement after the warranty has expired" and notes that some consumers mistakenly assume they have no rights after the manufacturer’s warranty, but it does not provide the specific CHOICE survey figure of 70%.

The Sydney Morning Herald summarises the CHOICE research: ‘A survey of more than 1000 Australians by consumer advocacy group Choice found 70 per cent of respondents thought they were not entitled to a refund, repair or replacement if a product broke after the manufacturer’s warranty had expired.’ The article notes CHOICE’s criticism that retailers and manufacturers ‘do little to correct this misconception’ even though consumer guarantees can extend beyond any express warranty.

Consumer Action Law Centre discusses research on Australians’ misunderstanding of consumer guarantees, referencing findings shared by CHOICE and regulators: the release notes that a substantial share of Australians believe that "once the manufacturer’s or store warranty runs out, so do their rights to a repair, refund or replacement if something goes wrong." It stresses that this is a myth and that consumer guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law continue beyond any warranty. However, the centre’s summary does not specify a 70 per cent figure; it simply characterises the misconception as "widespread" and "common" among survey respondents.

An article discussing CHOICE’s 2023 findings states: ‘A 2023 survey by Choice revealed that 70 per cent of Australian consumers believed their right to a refund, repair or replacement ended when the manufacturer’s warranty expired.’ The author uses this statistic to argue that ‘confusion about the interaction between statutory consumer guarantees and express warranties remains widespread’ more than a decade after the Australian Consumer Law commenced.

Under Australian Consumer Law, consumer guarantees can apply independently of a manufacturer's warranty, so rights to a refund, repair, or replacement may continue after the warranty period ends depending on the fault and circumstances. This is contextual background only and not a direct citation for the survey result.

Consumer Protection Western Australia shared CHOICE's findings, stating: "New research from CHOICE has revealed 7 out of 10 Australians wrongly believe purchasing an extended warranty gives them extra protections beyond their rights under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL)." The post highlights that many consumers are not aware that they may still be protected under the ACL even after a manufacturer’s warranty expires. It amplifies the CHOICE message that extended warranties often duplicate rights that consumers already have for free under the ACL.