After-sales service, especially for electronic and household appliances, is a regulated area at European and national level. The regulations are different depending on the type of product and the country. They aim to protect the customer (law, health and safety of the consumer) and reflect the wider issues of our time: economic, environmental, consumer association etc. As a result, regulations change and it is important to be aware of them in order to avoid any recourse.
Some regulations in force
- Decree no. 2021-609 of 18 May 2021 sets out the categories of goods for which the billing document (such as the sales receipt or invoice) given to the customer must mention the existence and duration of the legal guarantee of conformity of at least 2 years. These include:
- household appliances, computer equipment ;
- consumer electronics products;
- telephony devices ;
- cameras;
- appliances, with an electric or internal combustion engine, intended for DIY or gardening;
- games and toys, including video game consoles;
- sports goods;
- watches and clock products;
- lighting products and fixtures;
- sunglasses;
- furnishings.
- Any warranty is extended for the duration of the downtime of a product during its repair.
- A solution must be found for the customer within a maximum of 21 days in order to avoid a costly procedure (the customer has the right to request a refund after this period).
Regulations and their evolution: tangible effects on after-sales service management
Any change in current regulations, particularly those concerning legal warranties of conformity or latent defects, will have a direct or indirect impact on all after-sales management and all players: customers, retailers, repairers, suppliers...
These effects will be felt in particular on:
- The processes to be implemented: exchange, repair, delays, reimbursement, etc.
- The information system and tools that manage the after-sales service: database, updating, monitoring, etc.
Yes, but in concrete terms?
- The obligation to mention the end of guarantee date on the sales receipts implies that the after-sales service department has to manage and have quick access to the guarantee periods of each product.
- Any repair on an asset extends the warranty period by 6 months, which requires the IS to integrate the repair history of each product and update the warranty period.
In addition to this impact on the service chain, ignorance of the regulations and their current status can have a financial impact on the players in contact with the customer, particularly the salesperson or distributor, who may be subject to penalties.
As part of a European or even global movement, new laws are appearing and require the adaptation of one's after-sales service: this is the case of the AGEC 2022 anti-waste law which will come into force in January 2022.
Monitoring regulations and adapting to changes in them: saving and performing
From January 2022, the warranty period for connected objects purchased in 2022 or later will be extended from 2 to 3 years. Since a connected object is any good that communicates with a smartphone via Bluetooth, the products concerned are numerous: headphones, earphones, smarthome, speakers, coffee machines, etc. It will therefore be important to define and manage the diversity of warranty periods that you will have for the same product.
In order to respond to regulatory issues and legal developments, Platana closely monitors regulatory news via a structured watch. We analyse the effects of regulatory changes on the after-sales service business and react to ensure that none of your products are in breach of them. What's more, we anticipate the actions required in the wake of any new legal developments right from the design of our tools to ensure greater responsiveness. In short, with our customisable and scalable tools, you will be ready for the future of regulation!
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