In general, warranty terms and conditions will specify in great details exactly what is and isn’t covered by the protection of the warranty.

In Australia you have a set of basic consumer rights which cannot be affected by any aspect of a manufacturers warranty.

Most consumer goods – including home hardware – come with certain guarantees of quality and performance that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. This means that you are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and for compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if the goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major failure.

In addition to these Australian consumer protections, some hardware manufacturers or retailers – particularly manufacturers of power tools – will offer extended warranties, often for purchase. If you choose to purchase an extended warranty you will be in effect purchasing protection or insurance for your power tool. This insurance will be subject to a set of terms and conditions, which will be outlined in writing. You should always carefully read the terms and conditions of any such warranty before agreeing to purchase. The most common type of extended warranty will be for the power tool’s motor and will guarantee repairs for a period of time.

Your consumer rights under Australian law will not be lessened or in any other way affected by the purchase of an additional warranty.