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Scope of the guarantee
28/09/2004 The Star Articles of Law with Bhag Singh
 

The word guarantee is so widely used that almost everyone has heard of it. Apart from its very wide usage it is a word which will bring a degree of satisfaction to a person.

 

The Little Oxford English Dictionary says guarantee is a promise that certain things will be done or that a product will remain in working order for a particular length of time or something that makes a particular outcome certain or an undertaking to pay or do something on behalf of someone if they fail to do it.

 

In general conversation the word is used very casually. A shop assistant is likely to use the word freely about products he sells and those involved in marketing services of various types will freely talk of guaranteed satisfaction and enjoyment.

 

However the word guarantee is also used in more specific ways in laws and provisions. It is in such circumstances that the word is clearly defined and its implications clearly stated.

 

Arising out of such a definition it is possible to determine the extent and scope of the guarantee that is involved and to which parties have subjected themselves.

 

Where a guarantee exists in such circumstances the effect of the guarantee would have to be considered in the context of the related clauses as well as preconditions and qualifications that are set out.

 

The use of the word guarantee may be divided into three categories. One is where the word is used as defined in the Contracts Act 1950. The second would be where it is used in the sense of a product warranty. The third is where the word is used casually without intending to be serious about the representation or even being bound.

 

The concept of a guarantee in the Contracts Act 1950 involves three parties. This is because two parties actually enter into an arrangement or transaction and the third party undertakes to assure the fulfilment of the obligation by a party to the basic arrangement in the event of default.

 

This emerges clearly from the description of a guarantee under the Contracts  Act 1950 where the word is defined in Section 79 in the course of which the elements and parties who are involved and their relationship are set out:

"A contract of guarantee is a contract to perform the promise, or discharge the liability, of a third person in case of his default. The person who gives the guarantee is called the surety, the person is respect of which default the guarantee is given is called the principal debtor, and person to whom the guarantee is given is called the creditor. A guarantee may be either oral or written."

 

A person who gives such a guarantee and is usually referred to as a guarantee is usually referred to as a guarantor in the language of the Contracts Act 1950 is also referred to as a surety. In this connection it is relevant to note that according to section 81 of the Contracts Act, the liability of the surety is coextensive with that of the principal debtor, unless it is otherwise provided by the contract.

 

In this sense therefore there cannot be a guarantee unless three parties are involved. This contrasts with a guarantee which is given by a trader or manufacturer to a buyer of the product.

 

Even though it is the trader who assures the buyer that the product is guaranteed the actual assurance is likely to be issued by the manufacturer and therefore the right of the buyer would be against the manufacturer.

 

Since the warranty is in writing, the buyer would be able to assert his rights against the party who has clearly given the guarantee or warranty.

 

On the other hand with respect to oral utterances made involving sale of items or property or services the sale person may make statements that there is a guarantee of a panoramic views, satisfaction on using the product or happiness on using the service.

 

Such statements if they are relied upon are of little value though in the course of the conversation the word "guarantee" may be used very generously and have considerable impact on the consumer.

 

There are several reasons that the use of the such words in conversation may be of very little value.

 

This would be because in some cases there may be written document drawn up before the actual transaction is formalised which contains the terms and conditions. Many statements made earlier would not even be in the agreement.

 

An example would be purchase of landed property. The brochure, the scale models and claims by a sales person may give the feeling that all that is said is part of the deal.

 

However much of this may not be reflected in the Sale and Purchase Agreement which will become the binding contract and evidence of statement made earlier on would be inadmissible under rules of evidence.

 

Another aspect is that guarantees of satisfaction, happiness or panoramic view would be incapable of precise definition and therefore under principles of contract would be vague and of little or no legal effect on account of uncertainty.

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