Guides

How long should it last?

The consumer guarantees cover most things you buy for a lot longer than the box says, and that includes cheap things. Pick what’s stuffed to see what a fault looks like, what the law says and what to say at the counter.

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Phones, tech and TVs

• Soundbar or speakerabout 4 years at $400
• Watch or fitness trackerabout 2 years at $300
• TVabout 8 years at $900
• Laptopabout 5 years at $1,200
• Mobile phoneabout 3 years at $800
• Tabletabout 3 years at $500
• Headphones or earbudsabout 4 years at $300
• Games consoleabout 3 years at $600
• Printerabout 4 years at $200
• Phone charger or cableabout 12 months at $30
• Power bankabout 12 months at $50

Fridges, washers and big appliances

• Air conditionerabout 9 years at $1,500
• Oven or cooktopabout 9 years at $1,000
• Washing machineabout 9 years at $900
• Fridge or freezerabout 9 years at $1,500
• Dishwasherabout 9 years at $900
• Clothes dryerabout 9 years at $800

Kitchen

• Air fryerabout 5 years at $150
• Kettleabout 4 years at $60
• Toasterabout 4 years at $60
• Frypan or cookwareabout 2 years at $150
• Microwaveabout 5 years at $200
• Coffee machineabout 7 years at $500
• Blenderabout 5 years at $150
• Slow cooker or rice cookerabout 4 years at $80

Heating, cooling and cleaning

• Heaterabout 5 years at $120
• Fanabout 4 years at $80
• Ironabout 4 years at $80
• Stick vacuumabout 7 years at $500
• Robot vacuumabout 8 years at $700

Bathroom and beauty

• Hair dryerabout 4 years at $100
• Hair straightenerabout 5 years at $150
• Electric toothbrushabout 5 years at $150
• Shaver or trimmerabout 5 years at $120

Furniture and bedroom

• Sofa or couchabout 7 years at $1,500
• Mattressabout 7 years at $1,200
• Bed frameabout 7 years at $600
• Electric blanketabout 4 years at $90
• Outdoor furnitureabout 7 years at $800
• Office chairabout 3 years at $400

Clothes, shoes and bags

• Shoes or bootsabout 18 months at $150
• Jacket or coatabout 18 months at $200
• Bra or underwearabout 6 months at $60
• Handbag or backpackabout 18 months at $200
• Sunglassesabout 18 months at $200
• Suitcaseabout 2 years at $250
• School shoesabout 6 months at $70
• Jeans or everyday clothesabout 18 months at $100

Garden, tools and outdoors

• Garden hoseabout 2 years at $40
• BBQabout 4 years at $600
• Pressure washerabout 4 years at $300
• Ladderabout 2 years at $200
• Lawn mowerabout 4 years at $500
• Whipper snipperabout 2 years at $200
• Power drillabout 2 years at $150
• Tent or camping gearabout 2 years at $300

Bikes, car gear and travel

• Tyresabout 4 years at $800
• Car batteryabout 2 years at $200
• Dash camabout 2 years at $150
• Bikeabout 4 years at $800
• E-bike or e-scooterabout 6 years at $2,500

Kids and fitness

• Pram or strollerabout 2 years at $500
• Child car seatabout 2 years at $250
• Treadmill or exercise bikeabout 4 years at $1,200

The timings are our guide, based on the type of item and what it cost. They aren’t a legal limit. For the rules, see ACCC: consumer rights and guarantees.