Legal guarantee for electrical appliances

When you buy electrical appliances, the seller must guarantee that they will be used for two years devices are to be used properly. If problems arise, you have different rights that you have to exercise in a certain order. Defect-free devices that you simply do not like do not constitute a legal guarantee. However, the law does not use the term "statutory guarantee". The law speaks of "guarantee". A guarantee, on the other hand, is a voluntary service on the part of the seller, which usually goes beyond the mere statutory guarantee.

Check electrical devices immediately after purchase

• You are in an optimal legal position if the error occurs within six months of the purchase being made. In this case, the law assumes that the electrical device was already defective when it was handed over to you.
• So you don't have to prove the mistake. Rather, it is up to the seller to prove to you that they sold you a faultless device and that you yourself caused the fault.
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• You should therefore check the device immediately after purchasing it and always keep the proof of purchase.
• If the error occurs after the six months have elapsed, the burden of proof is reversed at your expense. Now you have to prove to the seller that the error existed when the contract was signed. If you are not able to do so, you will often find it difficult to enforce your claim.


Warranty period for electrical appliances - you should pay attention to this

For electrical appliances, it is important to know how long the warranty period ...

Statutory guarantee justifies warranty claims

• Your warranty claims consist of asking the seller to correct the error or, if so, to do so is not possible or the seller is not interested in providing you with a fault-free replacement device.
• If this subsequent performance fails, you may reduce the purchase price by the amount by which the value of the device was devalued due to the error.
• However, if the device is defective, the reduction will not do you any good. You need a working device. You can then withdraw from the purchase contract, i.e. bring the device to the seller and claim the purchase price back. If the seller refuses to take back the device and reimburse you for the purchase price, you must sue him for better or worse.
• The legal guarantee, especially for electrical devices, is often extended to include a manufacturer's guarantee. Such a guarantee is the voluntary obligation of the manufacturer or the seller, which usually goes beyond the normal statutory guarantee in terms of time.

Manufacturer's guarantee can bring advantages

• With the quality guarantee, the manufacturer promises a certain quality and freedom from defects at the time the contract is concluded. With a durability guarantee, the manufacturer guarantees that electrical devices will remain functional for a certain period of time.
• According to Section 477 of the German Civil Code (BGB), such a declaration of guarantee must be written in a simple and understandable manner. In particular, the manufacturer must inform you about your rights under this guarantee. He must point out that the legal guarantee is not limited by this.
• In addition, you must provide all the essential information that you need to make a warranty claim. You are entitled to have the guarantee statement issued in writing.
• If the guarantee then occurs, you must check whether you are making use of the statutory guarantee for electrical appliances or the manufacturer's guarantee. The point in time at which the error appears is decisive.
• If the electrical device proves to be defective in the first six months after purchase, you should make use of the statutory guarantee for warranty. Because then you don't have to prove that the error already existed on the day of the purchase contract. If the error only occurs after six months, it can be easier to hold the manufacturer responsible. Above all, the manufacturer's guarantees usually only expire after three years.