How will the EU's regime on the sale of goods to consumers differ from the UK's?

What is its aim?

To harmonise rules on:

• conformity of goods with the sales contract
• remedies in the event of non-conformity and how to exercise those remedies
• commercial guarantees.

What does it cover?

The Directive applies to business-to-consumer contracts for the:

• sale of any tangible moveable items (goods)
• supply of goods to be manufactured or produced
• sale of any goods that incorporate or are inter-connected with digital content or a digital service (eg smart fridges and TVs).

What is excluded?

The Directive does not apply to: 

• contracts for the supply of digital content or digital services
• any goods sold by way of execution or otherwise by authority of law
• any tangible medium which serves exclusively as a carrier for digital content.

Therefore, goods such as DVDs and CDs will likely escape the remit of the Directive and instead be regulated under the Digital Content Directive. Member States may also exclude from the scope of the Directive contracts for the sale of second-hand goods sold at public auction and living animals.

Subjective requirements for conformity

Goods must:

• Match the description, type, quantity, quality, functionality, compatibility, interoperability and any other features as set out in the contract.
• Be fit for any particular purpose the consumer requires and which they have made known to the seller by conclusion of the contract and which the seller has accepted.
• Be delivered with all accessories and instructions as required by the contract.
• Be updated in accordance with the contract.

Objective requirements for conformity

In addition, to conform, the goods must:

• Be fit for purposes for which that type of good would normally be used.
• Be of the quality and correspond to the description of a sample or model the seller made available to the consumer before conclusion of the contract.
• Be delivered with any accessories or instructions the consumer might reasonably expect.
• Be of the quantity and possess the qualities and other features normal for goods of the same type and which the consumer would reasonably expect. This includes taking into account public statements including on labelling and in advertising unless the seller was not and could not reasonably have been aware; or the statement had been corrected by conclusion of the contract; or the consumer's decision could not have been influenced by the statement.

Updates

To ensure continuing conformity in the case of goods with digital elements, the seller must inform the consumer of and supply them with updates, including security updates, for as long as:

• Two years from the time when the goods are delivered, where the supply of digital content or service is continuous or over a period of time less than two years.
• The digital content or service is to be supplied, where the supply is continuous or over a period of time more than two years.
• The consumer may reasonably expect relative to the type and purpose of the goods and digital elements and the contract terms, in relation to a single act of supply.

The seller will not be liable where the consumer fails to install or properly install an update within a reasonable time as long as the consumer was warned about the consequences of not updating, and the failure was not due to inadequate installation instructions.

No lack of conformity

There will be no lack of conformity if the consumer was specifically informed about a particular deviation and then expressly and separately accepted it when concluding the contract.

Incorrect installation

Any lack of conformity arising as a result of incorrect installation of the goods will be regarded as a lack of conformity if the seller installed it or was responsible for the installation, or the installation instructions for the consumer were insufficient.

Third party rights

If the consumer cannot use the goods at all or in conformity, as a result of any third party rights (including intellectual property rights), the consumer will be entitled to remedies for lack of conformity under the Directive, unless national law provides for the nullity or rescission of the contract in such cases.

Liability of the seller

The seller will be liable for any lack of conformity at the time of delivery or which becomes apparent, within at least a two year period from the time of delivery or, in the case of goods with digital elements, during the time the digital content or service is to be supplied, where the supply is continuous or over a period of time more than two years.

Burden of proof

Any lack of conformity which becomes apparent within one year of the time of delivery shall be presumed to have existed at the time the goods were delivered, unless proved otherwise or unless this presumption is incompatible with the nature of the goods or the nature of the lack of conformity. Members States may introduce a period of two years from the time when the goods were delivered.

In the case of goods with digital elements, where the supply is continuous over a period, the burden of proof for conformity is on the seller in relation to any non-conformity which becomes apparent during:

• two years from the time when the goods are delivered, where the supply of digital content or service is continuous or over a period of time less than two years, and
• the time the digital content or service is to be supplied, where the supply is continuous or over a period of time more than two years.

Obligation to notify

Member States may introduce provisions providing that, to benefit from the consumer's rights, the consumer has to inform the seller of a lack of conformity within at least two months from the date the consumer detected such lack of conformity.

Remedies for lack of conformity

Remedies for lack of conformity are:

• to have the goods brought into conformity
• a proportionate price reduction
• termination.

To have the goods brought into conformity, the consumer has the right to choose between repair and replacement unless the remedy chosen would be impossible or would impose disproportionate costs on the seller, taking into account all factors including the value of the goods if there had been no lack of conformity and the significance of the lack of conformity and whether the alternative remedy could be provided without significant inconvenience to the consumer. 

The conformity must be brought about within a reasonable time from when the seller is informed of the issue, for free and without significant inconvenience to the consumer.

The consumer is entitled to either a proportionate reduction of the price (where one was paid) or to terminate the contract where:

• The seller has not brought the goods into conformity.
• It would be disproportionate or impossible to bring the goods into conformity.
• The seller has tried and failed to bring the goods into conformity.
• The lack of conformity is sufficiently serious to justify immediate price reduction or termination.
• The seller has declared, or it is clear from the circumstances that the seller will not bring the goods into conformity within a reasonable time or without significant inconvenience to the consumer.
• The consumer shall not be entitled to terminate if the lack of conformity is only minor. If the consumer exercises the right to terminate, they must make a statement to that effect to the seller.

Commercial guarantees

Commercial guarantees shall be binding on the guarantor under the conditions in the guarantee statement and associated advertising available at the time, or before the conclusion of the contract. Where a producer offers a commercial guarantee of durability for certain goods for a certain period of time, the producer shall be liable directly to the consumer during the entire period of the commercial guarantee of durability for repair or replacement of the goods. The producer may offer more favourable conditions in the guarantee of durability statements.

If the conditions in the guarantee statement are less advantageous than those in the associated advertising, the guarantee shall be binding under the conditions in the advertising, unless before the conclusion of the contract, the advertising was corrected in the same way or in a comparable way to that in which it was made.

The guarantee statement shall be provided to the consumer on a durable medium at the latest at the time of delivery of the goods. It shall include the following: 

• a clear statement the consumer is entitled by law to remedies from the seller free of charge in the event of non-conformity
• the goods and those remedies are not affected by the guarantee
• the name and address of the guarantor
• the procedure to be followed to obtain the implementation of the guarantee
• the designation of the goods to which the guarantee applies, and
• the terms of the guarantee.

Right of redress

The seller may seek redress for liability to the consumer down the supply chain according to national law.

Enforcement

Member States must ensure adequate and effective means to ensure compliance with the Directive in accordance with national law. This may include allowing public bodies, consumer organisations, and professional organisations to take action before the courts or competent administrative bodies.