EU legal guarantee on appliances, and keeping receipts

Your washing machine is two and a half years old and suddenly stops draining. The manufacturer’s warranty ran out after two years, so that is that? Not necessarily. Across the European Union, consumers have legal rights that are separate from, and often broader than, the warranty printed on the box. But to use them, you need to be able to show what you bought, where and when.

This guide explains how the legal guarantee works in the EU, how it differs from a manufacturer’s warranty, and how to keep receipts and warranty papers so you can find them when it matters.

Two things called “guarantee”

The legal guarantee is your right to a product that matches the contract and does what you can reasonably expect of it. Lawyers call this conformity. You always have this right, it is owed by the seller, and a shop cannot exclude or shorten it in its terms.

The commercial guarantee or manufacturer’s warranty is an extra promise, such as “2-year warranty” or “10 years on the motor”. It comes on top of your legal rights, never instead of them.

So your manufacturer’s warranty can have expired while your legal guarantee still applies.

How long does the EU legal guarantee last?

Under the EU Sale of Goods Directive (2019/771), the seller is liable for defects that become apparent within at least two years of delivery. That is a minimum. Member states may go further, and some do: a few have longer periods, and the Netherlands, for example, has no fixed term at all but links the guarantee to the product’s expected lifespan.

For a durable appliance like a fridge or washing machine, that means the practical answer depends on where you bought it. Two years is the floor everywhere in the EU; in some countries you may be covered for longer.

Who has to prove what?

The key moment is the first year after delivery.

• If a defect appears within one year, it is presumed to have existed at delivery. The seller has to prove otherwise, for example that you misused the appliance. Some countries, such as France and Portugal, extend this to two years.
• After that period, the burden shifts to you: you have to show that the defect was already there, or at least that it is not the result of misuse.

That is exactly why keeping your purchase details and the manual pays off. They show when you bought the appliance and that you used it as intended.

Who do you contact?

Your legal guarantee is with the seller: the shop or web shop where you bought the product, not the manufacturer. The seller may not simply send you away to the brand. You can go directly to the manufacturer if you want to use its commercial warranty, under the conditions attached to it.

Report a defect as soon as you notice it, preferably in writing so you have a record of when you did.

Bought from a seller in another EU country and getting nowhere? The European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) gives free help with cross-border complaints.

What the EU right to repair changes

In 2024 the EU adopted a directive on the right to repair. One part of it: if you choose repair instead of replacement during the legal guarantee, the guarantee is extended by twelve months. Member states had until 31 July 2026 to put it into national law, and not all of them made that deadline. How and from when it applies depends on your country, so check with your national consumer authority.

Do you need the receipt?

The law does not require a paper receipt as such, but you do need to be able to show that you bought the product from that seller, and when. Several things can serve as proof:

• the receipt or invoice;
• a bank or card statement showing the payment;
• the order confirmation email or your order history with a web shop;
• a photo or scan of the receipt.

A manufacturer can set its own conditions for its commercial warranty, such as registering the product within a set time or keeping the original warranty card. Read those at purchase.

How to keep receipts and warranty papers

Photograph receipts on day one

Receipts printed on thermal paper often fade within a few years, which is exactly the period in which you need them. Take a photo or scan on the day you buy something and store it digitally.

Keep everything per appliance

A receipt in a folder does not help much if you no longer know which appliance it belongs to. For each appliance, keep:

• brand, model and serial number (on the rating plate, often behind a door or on the back);
• purchase date and shop;
• the receipt or invoice;
• the end date of the manufacturer’s warranty and any extended warranty;
• the manual.

The manufacturer or repair technician will almost always ask for the serial number. The rating plate tends to sit somewhere awkward, so it helps to have it written down already.

Register when it earns you extra cover

Some brands add extra warranty if you register the appliance within a certain period. Do it straight away and note the new end date.

Set a reminder before the warranty ends

Shortly before the manufacturer’s warranty runs out is a good time to check that everything still works. A small fault reported then is still covered by the manufacturer.

Is an extended warranty worth it?

Shops often offer an extended warranty on large appliances. Keep in mind that your legal guarantee already covers part of that period. Check what the extended warranty adds, such as call-out costs, accidental damage or a replacement appliance, and weigh that against the price.

Maintenance matters too

An appliance maintained according to its manual lasts longer and leads to fewer arguments when something fails: cleaning the washing machine’s pump filter, descaling the dishwasher. A home maintenance schedule helps you remember.

And if you sell your home later, receipts and warranties for built-in appliances are a useful part of your home file.

How Domeaz helps

In Domeaz you record brand, model, serial number, purchase date and warranty end date for each appliance, with the receipt attached. You do not have to type out the rating plate: with Smart Scan you take a photo of it and the app fills in the details. It can then look up the manual for you.

Before a warranty expires you get a reminder, as far ahead as you choose. And if something breaks, the repair help gives a first view of likely causes and what you can safely check yourself.

Domeaz is free to start, has no ads, and keeps your data in the EU. See how it works.