Guarantee Information
Guarantees for the Witter Towbar, Bike Rack and Approved Fittings
All towbars, bike racks and related electrical equipment purchased directly from Witter Towbars (or a recommended supplier) (Goods) come with a 2 Year Guarantee (Guarantee), in accordance with the terms set out below. The Guarantee can be extended by 1 year for an additional charge.
In addition, for 6 months from the date of the fitting of the Goods (6 Month Guarantee), Witter Towbars also guarantees such fitting provided that the fitting was booked via www.witter-towbars.co.uk/towbar-fitting with an Approved Fitting Centre or Mobile Fitter (Approved Fitter). The fitting of Goods without the use of this website (regardless of the fact that an Approved Fitter may have been used) are not covered by this 6 Month Guarantee.
If you have any queries in relation to the Guarantee or how to extend the Guarantee, you can contact us at uk-ecommerce@horizonglobal.com.
In this Guarantee, the customer is below referred to as you/ your, and CP Witter Ltd t/a Witter Towbars is referred to as us/ our/ we.
A. 6 Months Guarantee for Fitted Goods
If, within 6 months from the date of the fitting, you discover a fault with the fitting of your Goods and the fitting was booked via www.witter-towbars.co.uk/towbar-fitting with an Approved Fitter, you must immediately inform us and the relevant fitter of the issue. We will then, on your behalf, liaise with the relevant Approved Fitter to arrange (at no cost to you) to resolve your issue either via replacing the Goods or rectifying the relevant fault.
Any issues with the fitting of the Goods that arise after the initial 6 month period are not covered by this 6 Months Guarantee.
B. Guarantee for Delivered Goods
1. The First 6 Months from Delivery
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA), you have an early right to reject goods that are of unsatisfactory quality, unfit for purpose or not as described, and get a full refund. This right is limited to 30 days from the date you took ownership of the goods. If a Good is faulty and needs to be returned, then we will also pay your reasonable postage costs within the United Kingdom for the return of the faulty Good. If you would like to return a Good that arrived damaged, not as described or faulty, then we will refund the total cost of the return.
In addition, if you discover a fault with the materials or workmanship of your Goods and inform us about it during the first 6 months from delivery of your Goods, you have further rights under the CRA. These rights will apply if any fault in the materials or workmanship of your Goods means that your Goods are not of satisfactory quality, or do not conform to specification. In these circumstances we will repair or replace your Goods (or the relevant part) free of charge and we will also pay your reasonable postage costs within the United Kingdom of returning the Goods to us. However, if our costs of repairing or replacing your Goods are disproportionately high then we may choose to refund the price of your Goods, or part of the price reflecting the cost to you of the fault, instead.
2. After the First 6 months from Delivery
If you discover a fault with your Goods and inform us about it after the first 6 months from delivery, we will investigate the fault and, if the Goods are found to be defective, your Goods will be covered by the Guarantee which commences on the day of delivery of the Goods, subject to the conditions and exclusions described in the Guarantee.
The Guarantee will only apply for as long as the vehicle remains in the ownership of the individual who purchased the Goods or who first had the Goods fitted (if not the purchaser). The Guarantee cannot be transferred to subsequent owners of the vehicle. Subject to the Goods being used and cared for as set out in the Guarantee, we will replace or repair free of charge any parts of your Goods which are faulty because of materials or workmanship during the first 2 years. We will also pay your reasonable postage charges within the United Kingdom of returning the Goods to us.
Detachable towballs purchased directly from us (or a recommended supplier) (Towballs) are guaranteed for two years from date of purchase as long as the vehicle remains in the ownership of the individual who purchased the Goods or who first had the Goods fitted (if not the purchaser). The Guarantee may be extended by a further year to a total of 3 years for an additional fee (please see our Registration Page for details). If a Towball has not been registered online, proof of purchase must be produced to us in form of a purchasing receipt, invoice or fitting documentation. The Guarantee cannot be transferred to subsequent owners of the vehicle.
Bike racks purchased directly from us (or a recommended supplier) are covered under a Guarantee of two years from delivery against manufacturing defect as long as the bike rack remains in the ownership of the individual who purchased the carrier. Proof of purchase must be produced to us in form of a purchasing receipt, invoice or fitting documentation. The Guarantee cannot be transferred to subsequent owners of the bike rack.
C. Use and Care of Goods
While we willingly take responsibility for its materials and workmanship, you could damage your Goods by failing to use or care for your Goods correctly. Therefore, your Goods will only be covered by the Guarantee if you have used and cared for your Goods correctly in accordance with the use and care requirements which are set out in the remainder of clause C below.
C1. Fitting
The vehicle application is stated on the fitting instructions provided with your Goods. However, due to the constantly changing model and vehicle specifications we cannot guarantee that the Goods are suitable for every model variant, especially those not originally intended for the United Kingdom market. If you are in any doubt about fitting of your Goods, please call the Witter Technical Department for advice before commencing fitting.
The following points must be observed during fitting:
- Your Goods must be fitted in accordance with our fitting instructions, unless you have been advised otherwise by the Witter Technical Department. You are responsible for ensuring that the fitting instructions are suitable for your vehicle.
- [NS1] At the time of fitting, the mounting points and adjacent areas of your vehicle must be free of corrosion or pre-existing damage.
- Unless stated otherwise in the fitting instructions all fasteners must be tightened to the following torque settings:
Grade 8.8 bolts: M8 - 24Nm, M10 - 52 Nm, M12 - 80 Nm, M14 - 130 Nm, M16 - 200 Nm Grade 10.9: M12 – 120Nm, M10 – 70Nm M8- 35Nm - Any Towball or coupling device fitted to your Goods must have a 'D' and 'S' value either greater than or equal to that of the Goods, or have a part number as specified in the fitting instructions.
Goods that are faulty or have been damaged due to incorrect or faulty fitting will not be covered by the Guarantee. Goods that have not been fitted by an Approved Fitter will not be covered by the Guarantee.
C2. Paint Finish
Since 2006, we have used a polyester resin powder coat finish which benefits little from additional coating. Where any further paint coatings are to be applied we recommend that you test any coating on a small unexposed area of the Goods before painting the remainder of the Goods.
The Goods are subject to an extremely harsh environment due to it being located 'under body'. Due to the high potential of stone chips, exhaust fume build up etc; we cannot offer any guarantee on how long the Goods will remain free from rust. However, we utilise the most modern and comprehensive pre-treatment and painting systems to ensure that the Goods will remain rust free for the maximum period.
C4. Maintenance of the Towbar
After 500 miles of towing and thereafter every year you must inspect your towbar and:
- Re-torque all fixings to the values specified on the fitting instructions.
- Repair any damage to the paint finish.
- Replace any damaged components. Only genuine Witter parts may be used in order to benefit from the Guarantee.
3D. Inappropriate Use/Care
The following circumstances are likely to cause harm to your Goods through inappropriate use or care and will have the result that your Goods are not covered by the Guarantee:
- If the vehicle on which the Goods are installed is involved in an accident, incident or collision with another vehicle or object.
- If for any reason (either directly or indirectly) an abnormal load / excess weight is applied to the Goods (including nose weight/ vertical load/ horizontal load).
- If the Goods have been damaged (including but not limited to leaving the electrical items exposed to adverse weather conditions for prolonged periods of time), misused or neglected.
- If any changes, modifications or repairs have been carried out to the Goods or any of its components without our prior written consent.
- If the Goods are transferred to another vehicle.
D. Warranty against Theft
We do not offer any type of warranty against theft. The locks on our bike racks and detachable towbar necks are designed to deter vandalism and theft. Detachable necks, bike racks and other property should be removed from the vehicle when it is unattended for any extended period or not in use to prevent any situation that may provide an opportunity for theft or vandalism. We recommend that you check with either your vehicle insurance or homeowners /renters insurance to see if any items on the bike rack, detachable necks or other property is covered.
E. Statutory Rights
The Guarantee is offered as an extra benefit to and does not affect your statutory rights. The Guarantee does not confer any rights other than those expressly set out above and does not cover any claim for indirect or consequential loss or damage.
Nothing in the Guarantee is intended to limit or exclude our liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.
F. Registration
If you register the Guarantee (as set out in the Product Registration) with us we will be able to provide you with a better service and easily ascertain that you are entitled to the benefits of the Guarantee.
Note: It is a requirement of the Guarantee that the Approved Fitter or third party fitter ensures that the Guarantee information is completed and provided to the vehicle owner, together with any other fitting and usage data supplied with the Goods.