Often when buying a non-food product, the buyer hears from the seller: "Keep the receipt and you will have a 30-day guarantee." At the same time, it is not entirely clear what kind of guarantee it is, who installed it and why this particular period was chosen?
The Consumer Protection Law stipulates that the manufacturer must ensure the proper functioning of his product throughout its entire service life. But at the same time, the Law contains a number of norms that enshrine the rules for establishing also a warranty period for goods.
The significance of the warranty period lies in the fact that in the event of a breakdown of the goods during the warranty period, the buyer does not have to prove that the defects appeared through no fault of his. The seller must confirm that the product was improperly used or transported by the consumer, or it was subjected to mechanical impact (shock, fall, etc.).
If the warranty period has already expired at the time of the discovery of defects in the product, then the buyer himself is obliged to establish the reasons for the breakdown before filing claims with the seller.
The starting point for the warranty period is determined as follows: either it is the day following the day of purchase; or the first day of the season (this can be seen in the relevant regulations of the authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation), if we are talking about a seasonal product, for example, a fur coat; or the day following the day of transfer of the goods, if purchased remotely; either from the moment of assembly or installation of the product.
It is important to know that the seller's claim that products sold at a discount are not covered by the warranty is a violation of consumer rights. Exceptions are cases where the product is discounted due to a defect that the buyer has been warned about prior to purchase. That is, if the buyer purchases a thing, the price of which has been reduced due to deficiencies in its quality, the buyer will not be able to make claims related to these shortcomings. However, if new defects are found in such a product, which the seller kept silent about, the buyer has the right to use all methods of protecting his interests in accordance with the Law "On Protection of Consumer Rights".
The warranty period is extended for the period of repair of the product and starts flowing again if the defective product is replaced with a new one. Another feature of the guarantee is the non-binding nature of its establishment. That is, if the manufacturer is obliged to establish the service life, then the warranty period is determined at his request or at the initiative of the seller. In this case, the seller can establish a guarantee if the manufacturer did not do it or if the seller himself wished to establish additional warranty periods for the product and (or) its component parts. At the same time, additional warranty obligations of the seller must be formalized in the form of a separate agreement with the buyer. That is, no inscriptions on the sales or cash receipt, or leaflets with the terms of the guarantee can be considered an additional guarantee established by the seller.
The importance of the guarantee also lies in the fact that in the event of a customer requesting warranty repair of the product, for the period of this repair, he will demand a temporary product for replacement.
