Consumers automatically consider price, features and size when purchasing a major appliance, but
warranties should not be overlooked when searching for the best appliance value. What seems like a
great buy may prove to be costly if unexpected repairs are required.
To protect consumers, information regarding warranty coverage must be available at point of purchase
for all products costing $15 or more.
Consumers should add warranties to the list of items to check before purchasing an appliance.
Stores often provide the information in the following locations:
• On the appliance packaging
• Near the appliance display
• In a central binder or filing system, usually kept indexed and updated
If the appliance is ordered through a catalog, the warranty text must be included or available upon
request.
Manufacturers offer two types of warranties.
Full warranties offer the most protection, and require the warrantor to remedy a problem within a
reasonable amount of time and without charge, as long as the warranty is in effect. The warrantor may
not limit the duration of any implied warranty, and must conspicuously list any limitations of exclusion
of resulting damages such as food loss or floor damage. Under a full warranty, consumers must be given
the choice of a replacement or refund if a reasonable number of attempts to correct an in‐warranty
problem fail.
Limited warranties cover only what the manufacturer outlines in the terms, and must be studied
carefully to determine what the warrantor will provide and what costs the consumer will bear. Some
warranties require the consumer pay for diagnosis or labor costs. Also, implied warranties may be
limited to the duration of the written warranty.
