Loading ...EU right to repair: Sellers will be liable for a year after products are fixed
Europe’s right-to-repair rules will force vendors to stand by their products an extra 12 months after a repair is made, according to the terms of a new political agreement. Consumers will have a choice between repair and replacement of defective products during a liability period that sellers will be required to offer. The liability period is slated to be a minimum of two years before any extensions.
“If the consumer chooses the repair of the good, the seller’s liability period will be extended by 12 months from the moment when the product is brought into conformity. This period may be further prolonged by member states if they so wish,” a European Council announcement on Friday said.
So the maximum warranty period that needs to be priced in by a manufacturer becomes 3 years — 24 month normal + 12 month extension(if item was fixed on last day of normal warranty)????
Instead of letting the consumer decide a product shouldn’t get support by withholding purchase (consumer reports/research etc.), longer term this policy will decrease the number of goods generally available. It fosters a consumer culture where they can unjustifiably file legal complaints against a producer – the gov’t can then pick and chose which industries/products/producers it wants to assist or destroy. If I were a communist bent on destroying a free market this is what I’d do.