Christopher W. Carmichael is a Partner in our Chicago office.
President Barack Obama has signed into law the E-Warranty Act of 2015.
The E-Warranty Act, which took effect Sept. 24, allows sellers of consumer goods to place warranty information online and satisfy the disclosure requirements of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. Key provisions of the E-Warranty Act include:
Publish Warranty Terms Online
The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act requires a seller of consumer goods to disclose the terms of a product warranty in a clear and conspicuous manner. With the E-Warranty Act, that can now be accomplished by a disclosure on the product packing that:
- states that the warranty terms are available on the manufacturer's website
- provides the website where the terms can be located
Provide Paper Copies Upon Request
The E-Warranty Act still requires that sellers make paper copies of the warranty available to consumers by providing a phone number, postal address or other "reasonable means" of obtaining the warranty terms.
Pre-Sale Disclosure by Electronic Means
The E-Warranty Act also allows a seller to comply with the pre-sale disclosure of warranty terms by electronic means at the location of sale.
Text of the Act
The full text of the E-Warranty Act can be found at: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1359/text.
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