Sellers of refurbished smartphones or tablets do not always comply with consumer information rules, according to the General Directorate for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF), which investigated the subject in 2020 and 2021 and which published its findings on Monday March 7.
“The use of the term “reconditioned” implies that the functions of the device have been tested and that it has been repaired if necessary”explains the DGCCRF, which investigated 84 stores and online sales sites and found anomalies “more or less important” in 62% of the establishments inspected. Among these anomalies, according to the instance: the insufficiency of justification of the checks and tests carried out, which would make it possible to distinguish reconditioned products from simple second-hand goods.
27 injunctions and 26 warnings
Additionally, the information “pre-contractual information on the condition of refurbished consumer electronics and communication products” is sometimes insufficient. The Consumer Code requires professionals to provide information prior to the sale to the consumer on the essential characteristics of the good, and not only summary information such as ” very good state “ Where ” in a perfect state “.
Last highlight of this survey carried out “primarily for exploratory purposes” : information on the legal warranty is often inaccurate, absent or sometimes even misleading, notes the DGCCRF. The duration of the legal guarantee of conformity is thus two years for second-hand products as well as for new products. “The information provided was often such as to create confusion between the legal guarantee, which is compulsory and free, and the commercial guarantee, which is often paid for”notes the DGCCRF, which issued twenty-seven administrative injunctions and twenty-six warnings following this investigation.