Warranty Policy
Table of Contents
- 1. When does the two-year legal warranty start?
- 2. Who to contact: retailer or manufacturer?
- 3. Product failure after one year
- 4. Cross-border purchases and repairs
- 5. Return rights for online purchases
- 6. Event tickets and digital content
1. When does the two-year legal warranty start?
The two-year period starts from the moment you receive the product:
- If you bought a product in-store, the warranty period starts from the date of purchase.
- If you paid for a product but received it later, the two-year period starts from the delivery date.
Therefore, you should always keep all purchase and delivery receipts.
2. Who to contact: retailer or manufacturer?
It depends on which type of warranty you wish to invoke: the legal warranty or the commercial warranty?
The legal warranty is binding on the retailer. It is valid for two years and covers products purchased anywhere within the EU.
The retailer or the manufacturer may also provide (or sell) you an additional commercial warranty, whose terms are outlined in the warranty contract. The commercial warranty terms may sometimes be more advantageous for you.
A commercial warranty does not replace your two-year legal warranty. Even if a one-year commercial warranty is provided when buying the product, you still retain your two-year legal rights for issues arising within that timeframe.
3. Product failure after one year
The legal warranty covers defects that are assumed to have existed at the time of delivery and become apparent within two years.
- Any defect appearing within the first year is presumed to have existed at delivery. The seller must repair, replace, or refund the item free of charge if repair or replacement is not possible.
- After the first year, you can still invoke the legal warranty, but the seller may require proof that the defect existed at the time of delivery. This may require an expert’s assessment.
4. Cross-border purchases and repairs
If you purchase a product in another EU country, it must match the description, be fit for purpose, and show satisfactory quality and performance.
- First, contact the seller, explain the issue, and request repair or replacement. If that’s not possible, ask for a refund.
- If unsatisfied with the seller’s response, you can contact your national or the seller’s national European Consumer Centre (ECC).
- Regarding shipping costs: If a product is defective within the legal two-year period, repair, replacement, or refund must happen free of charge, including shipping fees both ways.
5. Return rights for online purchases
After receiving a product or service purchased online, you have 14 days to decide whether to keep it.
- Exceptions: perishable goods, unsealed items that cannot be returned, event tickets, hotel bookings, car rentals, and catering services for specific dates.
- For digital content (like music or video downloads), once the download or streaming starts, you lose your right of withdrawal if you agreed to it beforehand.
6. Event tickets and digital content
Some exceptions apply:
- Purchases of entertainment services (concert tickets, theater tickets) for specific dates are not refundable under EU withdrawal rules.
- For online purchases of digital content, you cannot cancel once the download or streaming starts if you previously agreed to that.
- Check carefully the terms of the seller—sometimes they allow partial or full refunds voluntarily.
