NEWS

The European Parliament gives its approval to the new rules to improve consumer rights throughout the EU.

The plenary session of the European Parliament supported, on March 1, 2018, the new rules on repair and return of products, which allows them to begin negotiating with the Council of the EU, where the member countries are represented.

Currently, EU rules on the return of defective products and repairs vary depending on the member country and whether the purchase has been made online or in a store.

The new rules will provide a uniform approach across the EU and will cover online and in-store purchases. They will also strengthen consumer rights regarding repairs or replacement, and in case of unsatisfactory repairs, price reduction or reimbursement.

On the other hand, consumers will not have to prove that they received the good in a defective state for a period of one year from delivery or purchase.

Practical application

If a customer buys a refrigerator at a local appliance store, according to the new regulations, he would have one year -from the current six months- to request repairs and replacements without charge, without having to prove that the defect was present at the time of the purchase. The same rules will apply if the refrigerator is purchased online.

Under these new rules, the seller remains liable if a defect appears after two years, but buyers may have to prove, in the second year, that the defect is not their responsibility.

The new regulations add to the rules to end, at the end of 2018, with the geographical limitations to the online purchase of certain products.

The new rules guarantee the legal security of sellers. Arimont explains that they establish the same rules of the game for everyone, which facilitates cross-border sales.

"By breaking down legal barriers, we especially support our small businesses, by allowing them to get their fair share of electronic commerce alongside giants like Amazon," he says.

The rules apply to tangible assets. In the case of digital products, the new rules at EU level, launched by the Parliament in November 2017, are already in the negotiation phase between the Parliament, the Council and the Commission. Under these rules, online shoppers will be entitled to repairs or refunds in case games, applications and songs purchased online in the EU do not work.