Legal guarantee vs manufacturer warranty, by country
Legal guarantees are statutory rights that cannot be excluded; commercial warranties are optional guarantees offered by manufacturers. Both can apply, but they are separate.
| Country | Legal guarantee | Commercial/manufacturer warranty | Do both apply? |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | Statutory guarantee of conformity, cannot be excluded | Optional guarantee offered by seller/manufacturer | Yes, legal guarantee is automatic; commercial warranty is additional |
Under review
The statute text for these countries has changed since we last checked it, so their figures are hidden until we review them again: Germany, Spain, Austria, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Australia, Japan.
Country by country
France
- Rule
- Code de la consommation L217-1 et suivants
- Legal guarantee of conformity (garantie légale de conformité) is compulsory and free; commercial warranty (garantie commerciale) is optional and may have fees
L'existence et les modalités de mise en œuvre des garanties légales, notamment la garantie légale de conformité et la garantie légale des vices cachés Countries not in this table yet
No additional live countries are missing for this guide.
How this table was built
Every row is taken from the official, consolidated text of the statute, which LawAsked loads from each government’s legislation service.
Each figure is tied to a passage quoted word for word from that text. When the page is served, it checks that every quoted passage is still in the current text of a law that is in force; if a law is amended and its wording changes, that row is hidden until a person reviews it again.
The table shows the statutory minimum only. Collective agreements, awards and individual contracts often give more than the statute, and some countries let a collective agreement set different terms.
Use this data
The table and the CSV are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: credit LawAsked and link to this page. Quoted statute text stays under the terms of its official source.
How to cite this page
LawAsked, “Legal guarantee vs manufacturer warranty, by country”, https://lawasked.com/guides/guarantee-vs-commercial-warranty (reviewed October 25, 2026).
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General legal information, not formal legal advice. The information provided on LawAsked does not constitute formal legal advice and creates no attorney-client relationship. If you require legal assistance, please consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction.