The best texts of the day, on all themes: society, politics, environment, economy, culture, health, science, etc.Do you have a defective, broken or simply worn out product?Wait before throwing it away: you may be entitled to a free replacement.Three springs ago, my submersible pump — a sump pump, in good Quebecois terms — died.As water was piling up at an alarming rate in my basement sump pit, I didn't hesitate for a second: I opened the “magic drawer” of my filing cabinet.I call it that because its content has allowed me for years to replace faulty, broken or simply worn out products free of charge.It's not foolproof, but in the case of my pump, I was not disappointed.That same afternoon, a brand new model worth $300, obtained at the sweet cost of $0, was purring as it drained water from my house.As I said: it's a magic drawer.And with a little patience and discipline, you too can have one at home.As you can imagine, there is nothing mystical about this trick.It is simply a compartment where I routinely store a hard copy of the manufacturer's or merchant's warranty for all, but really all, products and services that I purchase.I also stitch on this document, which is usually found with the user manual, a copy of the invoice.What good is keeping those sheets of paper in this age where all information is online?Because companies regularly change their warranties over time, and the information you find on their respective websites will generally be for the most recent version.Imagine that you buy a padlock guaranteed for 10 years.Shortly after, the company decreases the protection to five years.When your product stops working after eight years, you have completely forgotten how long the warranty lasts.So you take a look at the company's website and, damn it!think you are no longer covered.However, the warranty that applies to your padlock is the one that was in effect at the time of purchase, recalls the spokesperson for the Consumer Protection Office, Charles Tanguay.“It's a contract;the manufacturer cannot deviate from this a posteriori.»To exercise your right, however, you must be aware of this.With a magic drawer, all you have to do is search through the pile of paper for the padlock's warranty to find that your protection is 10 years, then contact the company, who are legally bound to honor it.The other great advantage of the magic drawer is to compensate for our failing memory.If I won't soon forget that my ski jacket bought at great expense is guaranteed, it is quite different for products that are less exciting, less expensive, or for which one would not even think that there is a guarantee. .Take my cell screen protector, a thin film of glass whose very function is to withstand scratches and bumps instead of my smartphone.I was going to get a new one after it broke, when I had the idea to check in my filing cabinet.Well, guess what, the manufacturer of this product, for some reason I can't quite figure out, offers a lifetime warranty.All I had to do was send a photo to get a replacement.A savings of $30.Even with a magic drawer, you have to temper your expectations.The case of my submersible pump mentioned earlier is exceptional.One call to the company's customer service department — no waiting time!— enabled me to obtain a return code.I only had to bring the faulty device back to the local hardware store to leave with a new model, thank you, good evening.Unfortunately, asserting your rights is often much more complicated.Sometimes you have to wait a long time on the phone to explain your situation, return damaged products by post, pay shipping or "file processing" costs - a legal practice, insofar as it is mentioned in the warranty contract .The company can also choose to repair rather than replace the product, which can be time-consuming.I am also waiting for a “lifetime warranty” hiking bag, because the company has had supply problems for months…It also happens that the result is not what was expected.For example, instead of a free replacement or repair, the company only offers a partial discount or, worse, claims that the product has not been used as stated in the warranty, and no is therefore not covered.In such a situation, “you shouldn't take no for an answer,” says Charles Tanguay, of the Consumer Protection Office.“Insist and, in case of failure, turn to the legal guarantee.It is often higher than the manufacturer's warranty.You could even invoke it to avoid having to pay fees claimed by a company to honor its own protection.The Office also details on its website all the steps to follow in order to settle a dispute with a merchant regarding a warranty.“Often, all you have to do is send a formal notice,” points out Charles Tanguay.The spokesperson urges people not to feel intimidated by the drafting of this legal document."It's just a letter!"»In the worst case, you will have to go to small claims to defend your case.Be aware, however, that case law shows that “courts often interpret warranties in favor of consumers,” says Charles Tanguay.Hopefully, you won't have to go that far the next time one of your products stops working.As in the case of my submersible pump, all you have to do is open your magic drawer to fix the problem.Did you like this text?Receive our money-saving tips every Saturday by subscribing to the Dollars and Cents newsletter.Just enter your email below.👇Comments are moderated by the L'actualité team and approved only if they comply with current netiquette rules.Please allow us time to verify the validity of your comment.I have been using this filing method for a long time and it has saved me a lot of money.The most egregious example was the reimbursement for the repair of my washing machine after 4 years.I had to fight to get the 5 year warranty honored on the part in question but finally got a check for $296.Your thing is almost impossible to apply without great effort, in 2022. The products we buy no longer come with warranty documents.They are not included in the package, nor the user manual.You have to do a long search on the web to find all this and sometimes you can't find it.I really appreciate the newsletter.The tips are very helpful.A great initiative.Thanks!The best texts of the day, on all themes: society, politics, environment, economy, culture, health, science, etc.