A FRIEND recently came here from England to visit me. She wanted to buy a C.D. player, but found that none of the big name manufacturers would offer any guarantee longer than three months valid outside of Hongkong.

Surely there is a case here for the Consumer Council and the Tourist Authority to take up.

Some of the smaller, less reputable shops offered excellent prices, but the machines, instructions and guarantees were all in Japanese, leading me to suspect that these machines had been rejected on quality grounds in Japan. Caveat emptor, yes, but surely pressure could be brought to bear on reputable shops to offer decent international guarantees.

STEPHEN PATRICK MURPHY Sai Ying Pun