First step should be the retailer who sold you the receiver.
The steps you can take
1. Contact the retailer's head office: You won't get any joy from youthful shop staff or call centres. Be firm and explain you think your product hasn't lasted a reasonable amount time. You want it to be investigated and repaired, or replaced if it turns out to be faulty.
2. Get an independent report: A major retailer is likely to have its own repairs centre or an arrangement with the manufacturer, but this may result in sky-high call out charges. Contact an independent repairer and ask it to produce a report. Most of the independents we contacted charged between £30 and £40 to visit and many would write a short report as part of the cost. You can claim back up to £200 for the costs of the repairer's bill.
3. Commission a repair: Ask the retailer to repair or replace the goods. If the repair cost is disproportionate the retailer can offer a refund of the original purchase price, though probably not a full refund. If the shop makes life difficult you can ask go to an independent repairer and reclaim the whole cost. Make sure they provide evidence of the fault.
4. Be prepared to battle: The company could refuse to refund the repair cost, leaving you to chase them through the small claims court. A judge can order the retailer to settle the claim - up to £5,000 - and pay legal costs. For information on taking a case to the small claims court, read our guide published last week (guardian.co.uk/money). Consumer Direct is the government's new online and telephone advice line. Call an adviser on 08454 04 05 06.
The Department of Trade & Industry says the rules are clear and as long as you have evidence of a fault the judge will be sympathetic. But David Oughton, professor of consumer law at De Montfort University in Leicester, says an EU Directive has muddied the waters. "The presumption underlying the new rules is that you have two years to make a case." He says judges may override the old rules giving protection up to six years.
A spokeswoman for the DTI says: "There is a common misunderstanding that the EU Directive requires a two-year guarantee to be given, but that is not the case. UK law in practice provides better protection for consumers than the two-year minimum required by the EU - consumers are able to pursue relevant claims for up to six years (five in Scotland)."
