There should be a reform of the “statutory warranty obligation”. The Federal Association of Consumers (VZBV) has now warned that this could lead to a deterioration in claims. The association warns that this should “not become a sham”.
No sham – are consumers being ripped off?
“The Federation of German Consumer Organizations (VZBV) has warned of a worsening of claims under the statutory warranty obligation. “The right to repair must not become a sham,” said Elke Salzmann, VZBV consultant for resource protection, the newspapers of the Funke media group (Wednesday editions).
“We need an effective right to repairs that strengthens manufacturers’ competition for products that are easy to repair and durable. Of course, no consumer rights may be restricted for this.” If devices break down after purchase during the warranty period, according to plans by the EU Commission, customers should no longer be able to choose between getting a new device or having the old device repaired by the manufacturer. Rather, repairs should always have priority if the costs for a replacement product would be higher or just as expensive as a repair, according to a proposal by the EU Commission for a directive to promote the repair of goods. “With the planned new regulation, consumers’ right to choose will be significantly restricted,” criticized Salzmann. Not the customer, but the seller would have the right to choose how to act in the event of a defect. “This would restrict an important consumer right without making a contribution to the increased production of repairable goods.”
Rather, consumer advocates are demanding an extension of the warranty, which should be linked to the lifespan of the products. Every retailer is now legally obliged to give their customers a two-year warranty on new goods. In principle, consumer advocates welcome the fact that the EU is campaigning for a new obligation to repair. “We need an effective right to repairs that strengthens competition between manufacturers for easily repairable and durable products,” says Salzmann. But from the point of view of consumer advocates, the EU Commission is not tackling the core problem of excessive repair costs in its initiative. “Too high costs are the main reason for not having products repaired,” said Salzmann. In particular, repairs to cheaper devices are often not worthwhile. The consumer advice center therefore proposes financial support for repairs. This could be done by reducing VAT for repairs or through support systems.”
Report with material from the dts news agency
Photo: Verbraucherzentrale-Bundesverband, via dts news agency