There are goods that are a collection of various components and mechanisms, for example, a computer, a car, a refrigerator, etc. In practice, when disputable situations arise regarding the shortcomings of such complex goods, many questions arise about whether it is possible to return the entire product if only part of it is out of order; how to make claims if components have different warranty periods, etc.?
Component parts of a product, or, as stated in the Law "On Protection of Consumer Rights", component parts are elements of a thing that, together with its other constituent parts, are used for their general purpose.
The Civil Code of the Russian Federation states that the warranty period established for a complex product as a whole applies to each component part of this product. In addition to this, the Law "On the Protection of Consumer Rights" stipulates that warranty periods can be set separately for components and components of the main product. At the same time, it is the right and not the obligation of the seller to determine the warranty periods for the constituent elements of the goods. The exceptions are cases when after the expiration of the warranty period, the product may be dangerous.
The named warranty periods begin to run from the moment the goods are handed over to the buyer and are suspended for the period of elimination of the deficiencies identified in them.
If a separate warranty period is not established for the component parts of the product, the buyer may demand the return or exchange of a defective item during the entire warranty period for the product as a whole. There are times when a warranty period is set for individual component parts of the product than for the entire product, therefore, such components can be exchanged or returned within these longer periods.
However, most often the seller sets a reduced warranty period for components. And in such cases, it is necessary to be guided by the text of the sales contract. If it clearly states that after the expiration of the warranty period for the component parts of the goods, the seller is released from warranty obligations (free repair, exchange, return), then the buyer can only declare claims that are not related to the warranty and only if significant deficiencies are identified in parts of the commodity.
It should be noted that due to the discovery of a deficiency in a component part of the product, during the warranty period for it, the entire product can be returned or exchanged.
Considering that the legislation does not oblige the seller to simultaneously establish warranty periods for the product and its component parts, there may be cases when the warranty period is determined only for components, and there is no warranty period for the product as a whole.
If the consumer has made a demand for the exchange of a component part of the product, the seller sets a new warranty period for it.
