Warranty rules will also apply to digital purchases

The Hague (ANP) – The European Union will amend statutory guarantee rules next year to include digital purchases such as e-books and broadcast subscriptions. Products with a digital element, such as smart products, will soon be included. Consumers should be better protected with the new rules, according to the Dutch Consumers and Markets Authority (ACM).

According to the regulatory body, the consumer is entitled to a well-performing product. “This right applies to all products and soon also to digital products and services,” says Edwin van Houten, Consumer Director at ACM. Therefore this product must be of good quality and safe to use and this applies to the whole natural life of the product. So product suppliers such as smart thermostats or smart watches must also provide updates, and so do game makers, if there are other weaknesses.

For digital services and digital content such as e-books, movies and games, the protection does not apply only if users pay for it. Even if consumers have to provide data to get something for free, companies must still abide by escrow rules

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If companies believe this is the consumer’s fault, they should be able to prove it themselves in the first year after purchase. Previously, there was a period of six months. With ongoing services like a streaming subscription, the entrepreneur must always prove that their product is sound if they don’t want to be reimbursed.

ACM wants entrepreneurs to start preparing for the new rules. It is not yet known when exactly this will be applied. It depends on when the amendments were incorporated into Dutch law.

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Holland, Europe, United States, European Union