EU stores will display a new guarantee notice starting September 27

From September 27, 2026, shoppers in the European Union will begin seeing a new standardized notice in stores about their warranty rights. It is meant to remind them that goods sold in the EU are covered by a legal guarantee of conformity for at least two years. In some countries, national law provides for a longer period.

The new rules will apply to both physical stores and online trade. In physical locations, the notice must be displayed in a prominent place—for example, near the cash register or on a wall. In online stores, the corresponding reminder must be available on the seller's website.

If a purchased product does not match the stated characteristics or does not work properly, the seller, within the legal guarantee, must provide a free repair or replacement. Under certain conditions, the buyer may also receive a price reduction or a refund.

At the same time, the EU is starting to use a new GARAN mark. It is intended for products for which the manufacturer voluntarily provides a commercial durability guarantee of more than two years. Such a guarantee must be provided free of charge and cover the entire product, not just individual components.

The GARAN mark will indicate the manufacturer's guarantee period in years. It will also contain the guarantee designation, a reminder of the buyer's legal rights, and a QR code with additional information. In the case of online sales, the mark may be placed next to the image of the specific product.

The European Commission explains the innovation as a desire to make warranty rights clearer for buyers and to facilitate comparison of products by durability. This is about implementing the EU directive on empowering consumers in the transition to a greener economy. The rules and approved design of the notice and mark will start applying from September 27, 2026.

For Ukrainians living in EU countries, the innovation does not create a separate new guarantee, but should make existing buyer rights more visible directly at the time of purchase.

Based on materials from: European Commission, EUR-Lex