Can I get a replacement keyboard under Belkin's lifetime warranty?

I bought a Belkin wireless keyboard and mouse kit because I liked the layout and extra left-hand function keys. But the clincher was that it came with a lifetime warranty.

When it developed a fault I rang Belkin. First I was told that, as it had this warranty, the company would send me a new one. Then I was told that Belkin no longer makes keyboards and to choose another product to the relevant value. But a lifetime warranty should mean just that.

Carolan Wedgeworth

Belkin told us that it no longer makes wireless keyboard and mouse kits. It said: "We moved out of that market about 18 months ago. There will obviously be a few of our products in the market but we don't manufacture them any more." So obviously the company can no longer offer Ms Wedgeworth a replacement.

The main issue of course is where this leaves Ms Wedgeworth when it comes to redress. We would need to know what the terms and conditions (Ts & Cs) set out in this warranty were to see what rights she may have.

When is a warranty legally binding?

It might seem odd but, before 2002, manufacturers' warranties were not legally binding. Since the Sale and Supply of Goods to Consumers Regulations came into force in that year, companies that choose to offer warranties must honour them. The terms must be written in plain language and provide clear detail on how to claim. The guarantee must also be available to view on request.

As many people find out, warranties limit and define the cover a consumer is given but Ms Wedgeworth was not able to supply us with this information. This makes it hard for us to comment. While legally binding if offered, a company does not have to provide a warranty, it does not override consumer law and the company is allowed to spell out the terms of the cover. That means it can define what the ‘lifetime' of a device should be. Belkin told us it is around three years in this case.

Ms Wedgeworth had bought the keyboard and mouse combo for £60 in 2004. And on the whole, six years is pretty good going these days for any computer peripheral.

After six years, many devices will have stopped working, as in this case, or they may be in perfect working condition but technologically obsolete. So Belkin could also argue this means the device has reached the end of its ‘lifetime'.

Ms Wedgeworth could argue that a lifetime means a longer period but, because she has had the keyboard for six years, the product is no longer covered under the Sale of Goods Act. This law gives coverage for up to six years or five in Scotland. However, Belkin has agreed to give her a full refund of £60, which we think is very generous.

As we have previously said, no-one should base buying decisions on a warranty unless they have read the terms and conditions in full.