Guarantee or warranty – what is the difference?
Who does not know it: A device is defective or even gives up the ghost, one turns during the warranty period to the point of sale or the manufacturer and then it is said that it is not a warranty case. So what exactly is the warranty, when is the manufacturer liable and when am I stuck with the repair or replacement costs??
In this article we explain where the Difference between a warranty and a guarantee of the situation and how you can protect yourself from unnecessary expenses by Electronics insurance or a Warranty extension can protect.
When can I claim a defect under warranty?
The warranty is Obligation of the dealer to act in a certain way in certain cases to eliminate damage covered by this warranty. The issuance of a warranty is always on a voluntary basis and serves primarily the purpose of the inspire customer confidence and to strengthen.
However, this often backfires, as many consumers first make the blanket assumption that any defect can be handled via the warranty. Dfar from it!
Because which damages and defects are covered by the warranty are defined by the guarantor and therefore often rather sparse. In addition, damages caused by own fault such as incorrect operation, water or fall damage No warranty claims. In addition, the warranty is always limited in time and usually runs for a maximum of 24 months. If your device breaks down after the warranty has expired, you have no claims whatsoever to the guarantor. As we all know – often from our own experience – electrical appliances usually unfortunately go out of warranty broken after the expiration of the warranty.
Even if the warranty is a voluntarily given promise, the dealer (or the one with whom the purchase contract was concluded and from whom the warranty was given) must fulfill the performance in the event of a claim. The Duty of replacement is legally regulated in § 444 BGB (German Civil Code), so that the obligation to pay compensation cannot be evaded.
Which damages are covered by the warranty?
In contrast to the guarantee, the warranty is regulated by law. It is mandatory and goes automatically from the purchase contract hervor, which does not require explicit naming. In the §§ 434, 435 BGB is defined what exactly represents a damage, such as when a product is does not correspond to the agreed procurement or not suitable for the usual or contractually agreed use.
A material defect that falls under the warranty can be legally claimed by the user. The claimant has several options Defect rights of the BGB at the disposal. In the case of warranty, the duration is also regulated by law and must be at least 24 months are. According to this, the seller is liable for all defects that existed at the time of the conclusion of the contract (purchase), even if these are not immediately recognized were or could be.
What is it about the product liability?
In contrast to the warranty and guarantee, claims arising from product liability are not directed at the dealer but to the producer or manufacturer of the defective product. These defect claims include, for example, damage to health and life as well as property and other legal assets caused by the defectiveness of the goods.
What is the difference between an extended warranty and an electronics insurance??
The biggest difference is in the scope of the service – the difference can be quite large. The benefits of the extended warranty are very similar to those of the guarantee. So they usually only include Design, material, calculation and assembly defects as well as engine and bearing damage and no defects due to own fault.
The electronics insurance is more diversified and covers a wider range of damages. This includes among other things damage caused by falls, breakage and water damage as well as operating errors, short circuit and overvoltage. But also material and construction defects are covered by the electronics insurance. Depending on the tariff Theft can also be insured – thus the essential difference is, as already mentioned, in the scope of performance and especially in defects from own fault.