A merchant can offer you an additional warranty for purchase. In case of a defect, the additional warranty allows for replacement or a refund. In general, there are 2 types of additional warranties:
- The extended warranty. This warranty extends the duration of the warranty that is offered free of charge by the merchant or the manufacturer. This type of warranty is honoured by the merchant that sold the product to you or the manufacturer that made it.
- The “insurance” type of warranty. This protection is additional to the warranty that is offered free of charge by the merchant or the manufacturer. It is usually honoured by a third party.
Coverage offered by an additional warranty
Always read the warranty contract carefully to learn:
- what is covered;
- what is not covered (the exclusions);
- the conditions of application.
How to have an “insurance” type of warranty enforced
If an “insurance” type of warranty covers a product you bought, you must follow these steps to make sure your rights are respected:
- Inform the warranty provider of the problem;
- Ask the warranty provider to have the product repaired, or request their authorization to have it repaired yourself;
- If they refuse, send a formal notice to request the repair of the product. Please see Formally notifying a merchant, which explains how to do so.
You must demonstrate that:
- the product has a defect that is covered by the additional warranty;
- you have respected the terms of your contract.
How to have an extended warranty enforced
If the product you bought is covered by an extended warranty, you must follow certain steps to make sure your rights are respected. First, you need to ask the merchant or manufacturer to have the product repaired or request their authorization to have it repaired yourself.
You must also demonstrate that:
- the product has a defect that is covered by the extended warranty;
- you have respected the terms of your contract.
If the merchant or manufacturer refuses to honour the warranty, you should first try to reach an agreement. The Negotiating with a merchant page provides details on the procedure.
If the negotiation fails, you can send a formal notice to the merchant or manufacturer. The Sending a formal notice page provides details on this subject.
If the merchant or manufacturer fails to respond to the request indicated in your formal notice, you can initiate court proceedings. The small claims court page provides details on the procedure.
If the company goes out of business
The law does not provide rules about protection for sums paid to purchase an additional warranty. If the company that provided a warranty that you purchased goes out of business, you may not be able to recover the amount you paid for the protection.
Additional warranty offered online
Before offering you the chance to purchase an additional warranty online, a merchant must inform you of existing legal warranties offered for free by the manufacturer and what these cover. For more information about the merchant’s obligations, see Being aware of legal warranties.
Last update : May 25, 2021
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The information contained on this page is presented in simple terms to make it easier to understand. It does not replace the texts of the laws and regulations.
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