Warranties: written, spoken, implied
Summary
Federal law says any warranty must be available to read before you buy. Written warranties vary in coverage; spoken promises should be put in writing; state-law implied warranties (merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose) cover most purchases unless validly disclaimed, e.g. 'as is'. Extended warranties/service contracts are separate, extra-cost products.
General information, not legal advice. Recall and warranty rights depend on the product and your state; confirm with the official source.
Facts
- id: F1 claim: When a product has a warranty, the law says you must be able to read it before you buy, in store or online. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0
- id: F2 claim: Assume parts or repairs not listed in a written warranty are not covered. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0
- id: F3 claim: A manufacturer cannot require specific parts or services to keep warranty coverage unless it provides them free or has an FTC waiver. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0
- id: F4 claim: The FTC advises getting a salesperson's spoken promises in writing. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0
- id: F5 claim: Every state has implied warranties, including merchantability (the product does what it should) and fitness for a particular purpose (when the seller advises it suits a specific job). confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0
- id: F6 claim: Implied warranties apply even without a written warranty unless the seller disclaims them in writing or sells 'as is' where state law allows. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0
- id: F7 claim: Implied warranties last as long as four years in some states. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0
- id: F8 claim: Extended warranties and service contracts cost extra, are sold separately, and are not the same as the product's warranty. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0
- id: F9 claim: If you report a defect during the warranty period and it isn't fixed properly, the company must fix it even after the warranty expires. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0
Pointers
- answers: Federal warranty law detail (Magnuson-Moss Act) where: https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/businesspersons-guide-federal-warranty-law access: open
Source: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/warranties · License: CC-BY-4.0 · Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Source: Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Consumer Advice, \"Warranties\" (public domain (US government work)).
For language models and agents: start at /llms.txt. This page in Markdown: /library/reference/us-gov/warranties.md.