Tech warranty in SA — your CPA rights.

The CPA fundamentals — Section 56 explained

The South African Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 rewrote consumer rights in this country. The key section for tech warranty is Section 56(2), which gives every consumer an implied warranty of quality:

In plain English:

• Six months from delivery — not from when the warranty card was registered, not from when you opened the box. From delivery.
• Without penalty — no restocking fees, no "we'll deduct depreciation".
• At the supplier's risk and expense — the retailer pays courier costs, not you.
• At the direction of the consumer — you choose repair, replace or refund. The retailer can't unilaterally insist on repair-only.

Crucially: this right is mandatory. A store can't make you sign it away, can't put up "no refunds" signs, can't claim manufacturer-only support. CPA Section 51 explicitly voids any contract clause that tries to override Section 56.

The fit-for-purpose clause — Section 55

Section 55 of the CPA establishes the quality standard that goods must meet. It's the legal backbone that Section 56 enforces. The act says every consumer has the right to receive goods that are:

• Reasonably suitable for the purposes for which they are generally intended — a TV must work as a TV, a phone must make calls.
• Of good quality, in good working order and free of any defects.
• Useable and durable for a reasonable period of time, having regard to the use to which they would normally be put.
• Compliant with applicable standards — SABS, ICASA approvals for radio equipment, etc.

For tech this means concretely:

• A monitor advertised as 240Hz must actually do 240Hz consistently.
• An SSD advertised at 7000MB/s must deliver around that under typical workload.
• A "gaming" laptop sold as such must not throttle to 30fps after 2 minutes of gameplay.
• A 65W charger must safely deliver 65W to a compatible device.

If marketing claims aren't met, the consumer has CPA grounds to return for refund. The burden of proof for "fit for purpose" is on the retailer, not the consumer — at least within the first 6 months.

Parts vs labour — what's covered

Within the 6-month CPA window, both parts and labour are covered — the retailer handles repair fully at their expense. Outside the 6-month window, you fall back on the manufacturer's warranty, which varies:

The practical reality: SSD and PSU warranties are some of the longest in tech (5-10 years). GPU warranties are usually transferable with proof of purchase. CPU warranties are technically 3 years but rarely needed — modern CPUs almost never fail outside of overclocking abuse.

The "wear and tear" exclusion

CPA Section 56(3) explicitly excludes normal wear and tear from warranty coverage. This is the most-contested category and the area where retailers and consumers most often disagree.

What "wear and tear" typically means in tech:

• Keyboard switches rated at 50-100 million presses — failing after that is wear, not defect.
• Mouse buttons rated at 20-100 million clicks — same.
• Cooling fan bearings rated at 50,000-100,000 hours — failing after 6+ years of 24/7 use is wear.
• Battery degradation in laptops — typically 500-1000 charge cycles, around 30% capacity loss after 3-4 years is normal.
• Screen burn-in on OLED monitors after years of static UI elements.

What's NOT wear and tear (so still covered):

• Keyboard switch failing after 6 months of typing (wildly below rated lifespan).
• SSD throwing read errors at 50TBW out of a rated 600TBW endurance.
• GPU fans seizing after 12 months of normal use.
• PSU shutting down under load at 50% of rated wattage.
• Laptop battery falling to 50% capacity in under a year.

The "reasonable consumer expectation" standard is what arbitrators use. If a product fails dramatically before its rated lifespan, it's a defect — not wear.

Parallel imports vs authorised dealer warranty

A parallel import is a product legally imported into SA outside the manufacturer's official distribution channel. They're not illegal — they're not counterfeit — but they're not what the manufacturer expected to sell in SA.

The headline trade-off:

Who's selling parallel? The CPA requires retailers to disclose if a product is a parallel import or grey-market. Reputable SA retailers (Evetech, Wootware, Incredible Connection, Game) explicitly label these — sometimes in a separate "Imports" category. If a price seems suspiciously low compared to elsewhere, ask the seller directly whether the product is local or imported.

If a retailer refuses — the escalation path

Sometimes a retailer refuses a legitimate CPA claim. SA has a clear, free, well-defined escalation path:

1. Step 1 · DIY · same week

   Written complaint to the retailer

   Email the customer service department with: invoice, photos of the fault, a clear statement of the CPA Section 56 right you're invoking, and the remedy you want (repair, replace, refund). Keep email records. Give them 7-15 working days to respond.
2. Step 2 · CGSO · 30-60 days

   Consumer Goods and Services Ombud

   Free service. Lodge online at cgso.org.za. The CGSO contacts the retailer formally and mediates. Most disputes resolve here. The CGSO has no enforcement power but retailers usually comply because the next step is the NCC.
3. Step 3 · NCC · 60-120 days

   National Consumer Commission

   Statutory enforcement body. Lodge at thencc.gov.za. The NCC can issue compliance notices, refer matters to the National Consumer Tribunal, and impose administrative fines. This is the proper end-of-the-line for unresolved disputes.
4. Optional · Public pressure

   Hello Peter, social media

   No legal authority but real public pressure. Many disputes resolve quickly after a public Hello Peter post because retailers fear the reputation damage. Use as a parallel pressure tool, not as the sole remedy.

What NOT to do: don't sue in small claims court without first going through CGSO. Don't post abusive or defamatory content publicly (you lose the moral high ground and the retailer may counter-claim). Don't return a faulty product without keeping detailed records and photos.

Evetech's CPA-compliant warranty stance

Our warranty policy at Evetech is published openly at evetech.co.za/warranty and complies fully with CPA Section 56. The headline:

• 6 months CPA no-fault on everything we sell — repair, replace or refund at your direction.
• Component manufacturer warranty beyond 6 months — typically 2-3 years for GPUs and motherboards, 5-10 years for SSDs and PSUs.
• Service bench warranty of 6 months on labour and workmanship for every custom-built PC.
• Local Centurion RMA processing — no overseas shipping. Average diagnosis: 3-5 working days. Average replacement turnaround: 7-9 working days.
• No signed waivers — we don't ask you to sign away CPA rights. Cannot be done legally anyway.
• All warranty terms public — written, dated, version-controlled. Whatever applied at time of purchase is what we honour.

What's not covered: physical damage from drops, water, electrical surges outside reasonable mains tolerance (loadshedding-induced surges are covered if you used the system normally — we expect SA power conditions and design accordingly). Overclocking beyond rated CPU/GPU limits voids component warranty per manufacturer rules. Software-caused issues (malware, OS install errors) aren't warranty issues but we'll do paid service.

Recommended next steps when warranty bites

Key takeaways

1. CPA Section 56(2) gives every SA consumer a 6-month no-fault warranty. Cannot be waived.
2. Within 6 months: repair, replace or refund at your direction, with retailer paying costs.
3. Fit-for-purpose (Section 55) means advertised specs must be honoured.
4. Wear and tear is explicitly excluded — but premature failure below rated lifespan is a defect, not wear.
5. Parallel imports lose manufacturer warranty access — cheaper upfront, painful long-term.
6. Escalation path: written complaint → CGSO (free) → NCC (statutory power).
7. Loadshedding damage is a SA-specific grey area; line-interactive UPS removes the ambiguity.

Frequently asked questions

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