Make sure you find out fast if there’s a problem with an appliance

Did you treat yourself to a new air fryer to help make the Christmas dinner a breeze? Have you started the New Year with a new washing machine that means the wash can be done and dusted in 15 minutes? Electrical appliances are great and make our lives easier in many ways, but have you thought about registering your ownership?

In a very small number of cases, manufacturers may identify problems with an appliance, even ones that have been in use for some time. They then need to contact owners to get the fault corrected as quickly as possible.

North Yorkshire Trading Standards service is supporting Register My Appliance, which has been running this week. It is a safety initiative created by the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances to encourage consumers to register domestic appliances with the manufacturer so that they can be informed of any recalls or safety issues as quickly as possible.

You may register older appliances (up to 12 years old since purchase date) and new ones on an online database. It’s quick and easy to complete, simply visit the Register my Appliance website and enter the following details:

• brand
• model name – this may be a name or number
• serial number – usually a long number on a plate attached to the product
• purchase date – don’t worry if you can’t remember the exact moment, an approximate month and year will do, and you don’t need your receipt

It can be very difficult to trace customers as they often do not provide contact details when they buy a product. So as a consumer it is important that you take the responsibility to let manufacturers know that you own the appliance and ensure that they can get in touch directly should they need to. You can also register second-hand items.

It only takes a few minutes to register. After you do, you will know if there is ever a safety repair or recall for your new purchases or older appliances.