Hi guys,
I bought a massage chair from OSIM a few years back and it stopped working last week.
OSIM said they will replace the parts for free (as it's still under warranty) but I will need to pay for the labour fee of $120p/h (1hr minimum).
I've never heard of getting billed for the labour costs when claiming a warranty. Should I pay the fee or take it to ACCC?
Parts covered, not labour.
Consumer Law also applies, not just the manufacturer's warranty.
Depends how old the item is and what the problem was and if it was reasonable for that product to fail in that time frame….
I can confirm from my brief interaction with OSIM that they have no idea about their Australian Consumer Law obligations. I went with my mum to help her pick up her new $10k+ massage chair and when I asked about the included warranty, they mentioned the 1 year manufacturer warranty. I then asked what happens if it breaks down say 1.5 years after we purchased it, and he said that we’ll have to pay for repairs. I asked what about the ACL because by any reasonable determination, a $10k massage chair should last longer than 1 year and he had a confused blank look on his face and he was adamant they only cover for 1 year. They may have an Australian office but they’re an international company with no idea about their Australian Consumer Law obligations.
So far we’ve had no problems with the chair but if something did happen, I would fight tooth and nail to get it fixed under warranty, A $10k chair should last a fairly long time, not just a year. I’m actually hoping they piss off the wrong person with lots of free time and resources and they get done like MSY did for consumer guarantee misrepresentations and ACCC goes after them.
OSIM that they have no idea about their Australian Consumer Law obligations
Ignorance is bliss, but doesn't apply when breaking a law.
Oh thanks for that. Yes, I did get an extended warranty at the time of purchase. I will email Osim that it should cover the labour costs as per their website..
Great! Well in that case quote their own terms back to them:
The extended warranty includes free parts and labour for metro area (within 30km from OSIM depot) in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth during the entire period of the extended warranty term period. Distance charge will be applied over 30km from metro area.
Note that your extended warranty terminates if the chair is replaced. Issue for another day.
My experience with LG is that they are pathetic when standing behind their products.
How many years’ warranty does the chair get?
I think it comes with 1 or 2yr by default but I got 5yr extended warranty.
What does the extended warranty agreement say about labour costs?
I am not sure. The only thing I got from Osim was an e-invoice which says '5yr limited warranty'. So I don't know what it covers tbh…
I mean the chairs are like 5k+
I guess you could argue under accc as it should last longer? Fwiw the 2k ebay one I got is still going 3 years later…
Thankfully the chair is still under warranty.
I paid more than $7k and the leather started to peel off after a year or two.. smh
How old is your chair?
As per @Hybroid reply, OSIM's website says their extended warranty covers the labour costs. I've emailed OSIM the link and will update once I hear back from them.
Not so happy with OSIM's customer service..
A quick search and it appears other people have had the same problems as you.
https://www.productreview.com.au/listings/osim
Looks like you might need to go to fair trading. Reading the other reviews I’d be asking for a refund, don’t sound like a good mob to deal with.
I had a similar thing with LG NeoChef microwave. The Inverter is advertised with a 10 year warranty on all propmotional material and by the sales people, but in the warranty document it says 'pay labour after the 2 year microwave wattery period'.
I opened a chat with LG to see where to get it repaired and reminded them that it is against consumer guarantees to add warranty stipulations after purchase.
Was there any promotional materialor salesperson advice saying that only parts are covered under warranty with the owner having to pay labour?
If not I would suggest a threat of approaching fair trading if they can't resolve it.
If it was mentioned at time of purchase you will have to pay.
Did you end up getting the labour costs covered? My LG NeoChef just died on the weekend and was told the same about labour costs which is a bit disappointing given its only 5 years old.
Hi Cabrinha I have just ran into the same problem with LG refrigerator, can you advise if you eventually get labour covered for the fix?
It was repaired fully under warranty (with an inspection deposit (refunded) of $55). I am in sydney (northern beaches) and had to schlep it over to Lane Cove West for repair.
Complaint here without reading ur warranty terms?
So after a few email exchange, they agreed to waive the labour fee. Thanks everyone for the replies especially @Hybroid - I didn't know Osim had their warranty terms on their website (silly me..).
Just an update on the repair - OSIM refused to waive the price of cable replacement and now asking $180 for it.
Sent them a screenshot of their extended warranty t&cs on their website plus more than 10 emails but they wouldn't budge at all.
Called ACCC and Consumer Affairs but they said I can only lodge a claim through VCAT which will cost me $60 so I decided to just pay for the repair and call it a day.
Not a happy customer here and will never buy Osim again.
For any future Osim buyers out there, this is what they said re their 5 'limited' warranty:
*The Extended Warranty stated on the website is different from the 5-year limited Warranty. As explained in our email dated on 14/7/2022, is the 5th year. In the 5th year warranty, the cost for structural parts is covered under warranty while the labor fee and structural parts will be charged after onsite repair service.
Please refer to below in regards to the warranty terms and structure warranty,
5 years limited :
1st year: comprehensive warranty
2nd and 3rd year: major defects covered (‘major defect’ refers to warranty cover for all repair works required except for upholstery replacement)
4th and 5th year: structure warranty only
Structure warranty generally includes
- All the chair metal or plastic frames, joins, structure framing connecting parts, non-massage function relating parts of the chair, but not including
- Outer casing, upholstery, non-electrical components relating to function of extending or reclining.*
There is a 0% chance those warranty terms hold up in a tribunal hearing. For chairs this expensive there is a reasonable expectation of quality and lasting a hell of alot longer than those timeframes. Companies like this count on the apathy of their customers, not willing to go through a Tribunal process and just pay the fees. You'd undoubtedly win in court, but then I guess you have to ask, what value do you put on your time and effort? For larger/more expensive problems, I would definitely consider going the tribunal route.
Yeah, if it was something like >$500, i would take it to a tribunal hearing but for 180, i thought it wasnt worth the time and effort..
https://www.osim.com.au/pages/osim-cares-warranty
Pretty clear.
Did you get Extended Warranty? That covers labour too on the same page.
LG does the same for some 10 year appliance warranty. Parts covered, not labour.