The union will take care of your washing machine and other equipment. Sellers will have no choice
The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament have reached a provisional agreement on the R2R directive. This is a huge change for consumers.
Already in early February, the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament reached a preliminary agreement on the R2R directive, also known as the right to repair. What does this mean in practice? Consumers will have the right to have the device repaired even after the warranty expires. Removing the fault will also be much easier and cheaper, even in unauthorized services – reports Rzeczpospolita.
Repair instead of replacement
The directive obliges sellers to repair damaged equipment if the consumer requests it. Initially, the regulations assumed that this was to be the default option, but consumer organizations also won the possibility of replacing the device if it was more profitable.
The consumer cannot say in advance that the replacement will be cheaper or will interfere less with the goods. The seller knows whether it is enough to replace one part or whether the entire product needs to be replaced
– explains Michał Herde, president of the Warsaw branch of the Consumer Federation.
Cost-effectiveness is to be the key aspect of the entire procedure. Officials want to encourage consumers to repair it, which is expected to be much cheaper than replacing the device.
The European Union will force manufacturers to provide detailed information about spare parts on their websites. Parts are also to be available to all services at reasonable prices. Companies will also not be able to block the use of these used or non-original substitutes. In addition, the consumer will have to get a replacement device for the duration of the repair. The obligation to provide a one-year warranty from the time the defect is removed is also important.
This is to strengthen the position of consumers so that even after the warranty or guarantee period, there will be somewhere to repair the item. At the same time, there is an obligation to provide spare parts in certain industries (e.g. household appliances), standard repair forms, the ability to find a workshop to perform repairs, and to compare prices.
– adds Michał Herde.
Pursuant to the directive, the European Union is to provide a platform where consumers will be able to find services dealing with specific equipment.
