On 01 February 2022, the Consumer Protection Authority (the “CPA”) issued decree no. 1/4 of 2022 (the “Decree”) on the lifespan of the products, obliging producers, importers and suppliers to announce the products’ shelf life in a clear and readable manner. Furthermore, suppliers are obliged to provide maintenance services and spare parts centres for the products during their lifespan and inform consumers of such centres.
No, the general obligation to announce products’ lifespan and provide maintenance services and centres is already imposed under the Consumer Protection Law no. 181/2018 and its executive regulations (the “CPL”).
However, the CPA issued this Decree to curtail consumers’ immense increase in complaints concerning the difficulty of finding spare parts and service centres for their products.
The Decree introduces a new requirement to display a product’s lifespan on all advertisements, warranty certificates and operating manual. This is in addition to the existing requirements under the CPL, which include displaying the product’s lifespan on the product itself and the relevant invoice.
The CPL and the Decree define the product lifespan as the period to provide after-sales service that is commensurate with the nature of the product to continue its performance. A products’ lifespan begins as of the date of the consumer’s receipt or the date of activating the warranty for products that need installation.
The Decree further details that the duration of a product’s lifespan shall be determined by the product’s producers, importers or suppliers. In all cases, the general provisions and periods stipulated under the CPL on maintenance shall be considered.
The Decree grants a three-month grace period to comply with its provisions, starting as of 02 February 2022.
Failure to comply with the Decree results in imposing monetary fines amounting to EGP 2,000,000.
