The warranty of good working order: what changes on 5 October 2026

Verified 13 August 2026Version 1.0

On 5 October 2026, fourteen categories of new goods will carry a warranty of good working order provided by the law itself. That warranty does not exist yet. The sections creating it are already enacted and published, with their coming-into-force date written in the statute. This page quotes them word for word.

The goods, as the Act names them

“The following new goods that are the object of a contract of sale or long-term contract of lease carry with them a warranty of good working order: a range, a refrigerator, a freezer, a dishwasher, a washing machine, a dryer, a television set, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, an electronic pad, a cellular telephone, a video game console, an air conditioner, a heat pump and any other goods determined by regulation.”

Source: Consumer Protection Act, s. 38.1 · marked “In force: 2026-10-05” · read on 13 August 2026.

What the warranty covers

“The warranty provided for in section 38.1 covers parts and labour.” It “takes effect upon the delivery of the goods”.

And for repairs: “the merchant or the manufacturer shall assume the reasonable transportation or shipping costs incurred in respect of the performance of the warranty”; the merchant or manufacturer “shall carry out the repairs to the goods and assume their cost or shall permit the consumer to have the repairs carried out by a third person and shall assume their cost”.

Source: ss. 38.2, 38.4 and 38.5 · read on 13 August 2026.

What it does not cover

“The warranty provided for in section 38.1 does not cover (a) normal maintenance service and the replacement of parts resulting from it; (b) damage resulting from abuse by the consumer; or (c) any accessory other than that determined by regulation.”

Source: s. 38.3 · read on 13 August 2026.

It follows the goods, even when resold

“The merchant or the manufacturer is liable for the performance of the warranty provided for in section 38.1 to a consumer who is the subsequent purchaser of the goods.” In other words: buying such an item second-hand does not extinguish the warranty.

Source: s. 38.6 · read on 13 August 2026.

The advertised price will have to state the duration

“The merchant must indicate the duration of the warranty of good working order of the goods referred to in the first paragraph of section 38.1 near their advertised price or, in the case of a long-term lease of the goods, near their retail value, in a prominent manner.”

Source: s. 38.8 · read on 13 August 2026.

The duration: what this page will not tell you

Section 38.1 ends this way: “The duration of the warranty for the goods referred to in the first paragraph is determined by regulation.” The number of years is therefore not in the Act.

We read the regulation made under the Consumer Protection Act as it stood on 13 August 2026: it sets no duration for this warranty. Until a readable regulation is published, this page will not put forward any figure. A guide that says the duration will be set by regulation is useful to you; a guide that invents three years harms you on the day you rely on it.

What this page does not do

It does not say whether your situation falls under any of these sections, nor what you should do. It reproduces the text of the law and shows where to read it. For advice on your own case, consult a lawyer or a notary; legal aid and the community justice centres also exist.