Legal warranty, hidden defects, withdrawal: 2026 deadlines

Publié le 30 octobre 2026

Sales receipt and bank card on a table illustrating buyers’ rights and warranties

Updated October 30, 2026. Every period and amount in this guide comes from an official source, cited at the bottom of the page with its verification date. Latest change: the ordinance of January 5, 2026 strengthens the rules governing distance marketing of financial services from June 19, 2026.

Buying a dishwasher, booking online, having a phone repaired: French law sets precise deadlines for each step. You still need to know them: a seller advertising a “one-year warranty” often fails to mention that the law protects you for twice as long. This guide brings together all official periods and amounts in one table, then explains each mechanism.

Complete guide to deadlines in 2026

Right	Period	Starting point	Legal basis
Statutory conformity guarantee	2 years	Delivery of goods	French Consumer Code, Art. L217-4 et seq.
Presumption that a defect existed earlier (new goods)	2 years	Delivery of goods	French Consumer Code
Presumption that a defect existed earlier (used, refurbished)	1 year	Delivery of goods	French Consumer Code
Repair or replacement deadline	30 days	Buyer’s request	French Consumer Code
Guarantee extension after repair	+12 months	Repair	French Consumer Code
Refund after contract termination or price reduction	14 days	Seller notified	French Consumer Code
Penalties for late refunds	10 to 50%	End of the 14-day period	French Consumer Code
Claim under the hidden-defects warranty	2 years	Discovery of defect	French Civil Code, Art. 1641 et seq.
Absolute limit for hidden defects	20 years	Sale	French Civil Code
Withdrawal from a distance purchase	14 days	Contract concluded or goods received	French Consumer Code, Art. L221-18
Returning goods after withdrawal	14 days	Withdrawal notice sent	French Consumer Code
Refund following withdrawal	14 days	Seller notified	French Consumer Code
Referral to consumer mediation	1 year	Written complaint to trader	French Consumer Code, Art. L612-8
Completion of mediation	90 days	Notification of referral	French Consumer Code, Art. R152-2

Statutory conformity guarantee: 2 years, even for used goods

Every professional seller owes this protection to every private consumer, free of charge and without conditions. It applies when goods are defective at the time of delivery: early breakdown, an item that differs from its description or a missing advertised feature. It lasts 2 years from delivery, whether the item is new, second-hand or refurbished, and also covers paid digital services.

A lesser-known point: throughout this period (reduced to 1 year for used or refurbished goods), the defect is presumed to have existed at the time of purchase. The seller must prove otherwise; you do not have to obtain an expert report. After the first year for used goods, the guarantee still applies, but you must prove that the defect already existed.

What you can demand, and how quickly

Repair or replacement, chosen by the buyer, within 30 days of the request, with no shipping, labour or parts charges. If the two options differ obviously in cost, the seller may insist on the cheaper one.
A 12-month extension: if you choose repair, the original guarantee is extended by one year. If the seller imposes replacement when you requested repair, the guarantee starts again for 2 years from replacement.
A full or partial refund if repair or replacement is impossible, takes more than a month after your complaint or causes major inconvenience. The refund must be made within 14 calendar days of your decision.

What if the seller delays? Late-payment penalties are added to the refund: 10% for 14–30 days of delay, 20% for 30–60 days and 50% beyond 60 days. Few buyers know this, and few sellers advertise it.

Two limits matter: the statutory conformity guarantee does not apply to sales between private individuals, public auctions, pets or free digital content. For private-to-private sales, the hidden-defects warranty provides protection instead.

Hidden defects: protection extending up to 20 years

Older and less familiar, the hidden-defects warranty (Article 1641 of the French Civil Code) applies even to sales between private individuals when a defect not apparent at purchase makes the item unfit for use or reduces its value so severely that you would not have bought it, or not at that price.

Remember two deadlines: you have 2 years from discovering the defect to bring a claim, subject to an absolute limit of 20 years after the sale. It covers defects that emerge late, such as an original manufacturing flaw in a vehicle or a hidden ground defect affecting a house. Unlike the conformity guarantee, the buyer must prove the defect, using a repair estimate, a professional statement or an independent assessment.

Online withdrawal: 14 days to change your mind

Any distance purchase, whether online, by phone or by catalogue, can be cancelled without giving a reason within 14 calendar days. The seller must tell you about this right before ordering; otherwise, the period may be extended by up to 12 months.

In practice, you send your withdrawal notice (the website must provide a form or address), return the product within 14 days of that notice and receive a full refund, including delivery costs, within 14 days of your decision. Only the direct return shipping costs may remain yours, and only if the seller informed you before purchase.

Some exceptions apply (personalised goods, unsealed CDs/DVDs/software, perishable products and services fully performed at your express request). If unsure, check the terms of sale: they must clearly list exclusions. We discuss secure merchant payments in our article on paying online directly on the merchant’s website.

Commercial warranties: an extra, never a substitute

“Five-year manufacturer warranty” and “paid extended warranty” refer to optional commercial warranties whose duration and scope can vary. They supplement statutory protections and cannot reduce them: a one-year commercial warranty does not release a seller from the two-year statutory guarantee. Ask for the written contract, which must specify what is covered (parts, labour, travel) and excluded; battery exclusions are common.

If a dispute arises: free, regulated mediation

Before going to court, take two steps. First, submit a written complaint to the trader (by registered post with acknowledgment of receipt or through customer service). If the response is unsatisfactory, you can contact the consumer mediator free of charge. The trader must appoint one and provide contact details. You must apply online within one year of your written complaint. The mediator decides admissibility within three weeks and issues an opinion within a maximum of 90 days. The opinion is not binding, but it affects the trader’s reputation and may inform the court if the dispute continues.

How we monitor the rules

We review this guide at the start of each school year and whenever new legislation appears. The periods shown are those in force on October 30, 2026, drawn from the official information sheets below, each of which we read in full without relying on intermediary websites. Any change triggers an update to the table and the revision history at the bottom of the page.

Official sources

Statutory conformity guarantee: service-public.gouv.fr fact sheet F11094, checked August 17, 2026.
Hidden-defects warranty: service-public.gouv.fr fact sheet F11007, checked November 25, 2025.
Right of withdrawal: service-public.gouv.fr fact sheet F10485, checked January 1, 2026 (DGCCRF).
Commercial warranty: service-public.gouv.fr fact sheet F11093, checked September 2, 2025.
Consumer mediation: mediation-conso portal FAQ from the French Ministry of the Economy.

Last verification of all deadlines: October 30, 2026. Next review planned for the first quarter of 2027, or as soon as legislation amending the Consumer Code is published.