Consumer Rights When Buying Used (Second-Hand) Products
Automatically translated summary. The full text is available in Romanian.
An information note produced by the Independent Think Tank “Expert-Grup” explains the rights of consumers in Moldova who buy second-hand products, whether in physical shops, online or from other sellers. It forms part of the National Consumer Information Campaign “Consumer rights are my rights!”.
When buying second-hand goods from a trader, consumers should verify the seller’s IDNO, state registration and types of activity. They cannot request replacement of the product and have no right of withdrawal for distance, online or off-premises contracts. A statutory guarantee of at least one year applies to products with an operating life of more than 2 years, giving the right to free repair or, if repair is impossible, a refund.
No non-conformity exists if the consumer was explicitly informed of a deviation and expressly and separately accepted it when signing the contract. Traders must clearly state that a product is used or refurbished, whether it shows signs of wear, the guarantee period and any missing parts or accessories. Refurbished products are not new: they were returned or defective, then repaired and resold, and consumers are often misled.
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