Brussels want to ‘harmonise consumer guarantees issued on equipment purchased from Portugal’s retailers.
Under new proposals, Portugal’s current two-year product warranty will be halved to 12 months, after which it is down to the consumer to bin a defunct piece of equipment, pay for it to be repaired or buy another one.
Portugal’s Association for Consumer Protection, aka DECO, has noted that EU 'harmonisation' in this instance, means stripping existing rights from consumers with nothing in return.
The process through the corridors of Brussels has just started but manufacturers will be lobbing hard to reduce warranty periods where, by law, they are longer than the 12 month norm.
The question regarding the warranty period when purchasing equipment does not have to be agreed by all member countries but DECO says that the measures constitute a "clear setback for consumer rights" and that it will do everything to ensure that those rights are protected.
