Did your appliance break? There is a "free service by law" that you should know about

If your refrigerator, washing machine, television, or other equipment breaks down, you can take it to the store and get a new one for free. Additionally, be aware that it is against the law to accept delivery fees, therefore you should decline.

You can take your appliances to any store or ask to have them picked up when the business delivers the new appliance if there is no way to fix it and you choose to purchase a new one instead. According to the consumer protection organisation, these services are legally provided at no cost.

Despite the legal obligation to collect waste free of charge, some stores do not inform about this possibility of extra charges or charge for the service in an indirect manner. If this happens you can file a complaint in this instance by getting in touch with inspection organisations like the Food and Economic Safety Authority (ASAE), the General Inspectorate of Agriculture, the Sea, or the Environment and Land Use Planning. Consumers have rights when it's time to part with their household equipment. The law guarantees them in several situations.

Is it possible for retailers to charge for exchanging a used household appliance?

Stores are required to accept the old home appliance when purchasing another one as a replacement, which is equivalent or fulfils the same functions as the old one, the consumer protection agency explains, making it clear that they cannot.

Stores must also ensure that the replaced equipment is picked up when the sale includes home delivery of the acquired appliance. Additionally, they are unable to charge for this service. The organisation further discloses that anyone who declines to accept delivery of the equipment faces a penalty.

The law does not set deadlines or demand that the dates coincide, so collection only depends on the consumer's wishes and can be scheduled by agreement between the parties.

Therefore, you should be aware of this. Typically, the collection process is completed when the new equipment is delivered.

How about tiny appliances?

The aforementioned regulation is limited to large appliances, such as refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, and televisions.

Small appliances (no external dimension greater than 25 centimetres) – such as toasters, for example – can be delivered free of charge to retail stores with sales areas equal to or greater than 400 square meters, without the obligation to purchase new equipment, the organisation for consumer protection further states.

This situation is valid for purchases made in an online store or in a physical store, serving to purchase a new equivalent device, or due to the failure of the old one, because it is obsolete or because there was a desire to replace it.