The regulations cover warranties and after-sales service.
Acting Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor Ehud Olmert has signed consumer protection regulations (warranties and service after sale).
Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor deputy legal advisor Adv. Michael Atlan said the new regulations were originally intended to replace the Supervision of Commodities and Services Ordinance, which partly covered warranties and service under emergency regulations legislation, and applied to only a very few products.
The new regulations are needed in view of the great many consumer complaints about varied ways of evading responsibilities. The regulations comprehensively cover the issue to meet Israeli fair business practice standards.
Passed by the Knesset in December 2005, the consumer protection regulations will come into effect six months from the date of publication. The regulations impose various obligations on manufacturers and importers, the most important of which are as follows:
- Every electrical, electronic or gas product costing more than NIS 150 will be covered by a warranty of at least one year.
- Any defect or product failure during the warranty period must be repaied, except for instances of deliberate damage by the consumer. If it is necessary to replace a part, the manufacturer must provide a new and original part for free.
- Any faulty product must be repaired within ten days of delivery by the consumer to the collection point, from which the manufacturer will collect for repair. This obligation does not apply to certain products, such as refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners, which the manufacturer must fix at the consumer’s home, within one to three days, depending on the product. If the product cannot be repaired, the manufacturer must provide the consumer with a new product or refund the amount paid for it.
- If the manufacturer proves that the damage was caused by force majeur or negligence by the consumer, the manufacturer is still responsible for repairing the product, but may charge the consumer for the repair or replacement.
- Spare parts must be supplied throughout the warranty period. Product spare parts costing more than NIS 300 must be supplied for one year beyond the expiration of the warranty period, and for six years for 11 basic home appliances, including refrigerators, televisions, dishwashers, washing machines, and air conditioners.
- These obligations will apply on the seller of goods if the manufacturer or importer cannot be found.
- Concerning service after sale, the new regulations set reasonable standards, including no more than two hours waiting time for a technician, rapid repair of essential products, and gathering points for broken products located throughout the country, including, in some cases, at the stores where the product was purchased
Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor director general Raanan Dinur said he hoped that Israeli consumers would use the new regulations and exercise their consumer rights, either individually or through consumer organizations. The Ministry of Industry’s Commissioner of Consumer Protection will handle gross breaches of the regulations through administrative orders, and, if necessary, through criminal proceedings.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on March 12, 2006
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