SACRAMENTO – Today Governor Gavin Newsom signed consumer protection legislation that will, beginning on July 1, 2023, require all express warranties to start no earlier than the date of delivery rather than the date of purchase. An express warranty guarantees a certain expectation of quality or functionality for a specific period of time. Authored by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), AB 2912 will ensure that consumers receive the full benefit and duration of these warranties regardless of the type of consumer product.
“It makes no sense for a warranty to begin at the time of purchase if the product takes days, weeks, or even months to arrive,” said Assemblymember Berman. “This was a problem before the pandemic, but has only grown more evident with supply chain issues. AB 2912 is a win for consumers and will ensure that Californians receive the entire guaranteed length of their warranty. I am grateful that Governor Newsom signed AB 2912, making California one of the first states—if not the first state in the nation—to require all express warranties to begin on the date of delivery for every consumer product.”
The pandemic and supply chain issues have highlighted the need for change to protect consumers. For example, if a consumer buys a product with a one-year warranty, but the consumer does not receive the product for six months, then the consumer has essentially lost half of the warranty.
There is precedent for having warranties begin on the date of delivery. Carpet installers, for example, typically operate this way. Additionally, in California warranties for wheelchairs and hearing aids are already required to start from the date of delivery. While other states similarly have warranties for specific products begin on the delivery date, California now goes further to provide this consumer protection for any product that has an express warranty.
AB 2912 received bipartisan support in the Legislature and was supported by numerous consumer protection organizations.