In 2024, the Anti-Fraud Agency (DGCCRF) controlled more than 300 establishments selling second-hand or refurbished items and arrested a third of them, in particular for not informing the consumer about the legal guarantee and the condition of the batteries. Two separate investigations were carried out, the DGCCRF states in a press release published on Tuesday. One focused on refurbished phones, computers and tablets.
In particular, “deficiencies” in the “information to the consumer about the existence and modalities of application of the legal guarantee and about the condition of reconditioned products”, in particular the condition of the battery, specifies the General Directorate of Consumer Affairs, Competition and Fraud Control, adding that “many products indicated a 1-year guarantee instead of the 2 years provided for by law.” finger, some “devices have been subject to superficial reformatting (…) instead of true data erasure.
A second survey with similar results
The second survey focused on various second-hand products: textiles, bicycles, smartphones, sports equipment, tools, video games, household appliances.
In this context, nearly 300 establishments were inspected, of which, again, a third of the inspected establishments received a court order or an administrative fine, “mainly for breaches of legal and commercial guarantees.” And “about 100 notices were sent to remind professionals of the regulations.”
The legal guarantee of conformity, in particular, is presented to consumers in a misleading way, “with a duration less than the legal one, which is two years”, or “only partially covering the product”, regrets the DGCCRF.
Source: BFM TV
