How long does the mandatory warranty last in Hungary?
Two or three years depending on price — Hungary's mandatory warranty is tiered, and it slopes towards the buyer. Durable consumer goods priced from 10,000 HUF (electronics, appliances, furniture, watches, glasses and peers) carry the trader's mandatory warranty: at least 2 years up to 250,000 HUF, at least 3 years above. The warranty's power is the burden of proof: throughout the term the trader must prove the fault is yours — not the reverse. Trump cards: failures within three working days earn replacement (not repair); a third failure under warranty, or repairs dragging past 30 days, earn replacement or a refund. Warranty certificates are mandatory above 100,000 HUF — but the right is enforceable with the receipt alone. And the layer shops forget: alongside the warranty runs the 2-year statutory conformity right — you may always invoke whichever favours you.
📋 The key rules
- Mandatory warranty on durable goods from 10,000 HUF
- Tiers: 10–250k HUF: min. 2 years; above 250k: min. 3 years
- Failure within 3 working days: replacement on demand
- Third failure or 30-day repair overrun: replacement / refund
- The burden of proof stays on the trader throughout
🔓 Exceptions
- Non-durables (clothes, books): no warranty — the 2-year conformity right still applies
- Used goods: no mandatory warranty, (shorter) conformity rights yes
- Warranty certificates are mandatory above 100,000 HUF — but a missing certificate costs you nothing: the receipt carries the claim
⚠️ Penalties
Unlawfully rejecting a warranty claim is a consumer-protection violation: before the conciliation board the trader owes cooperation, the authority can fine, and a lawsuit adds interest. The shop's favourite defences collapse: a missing warranty certificate is its own failure rather than your loss of rights, and the burden of proof sits with the trader throughout — it must show that you caused the fault. What really costs the trader is time: repairs dragging past 30 days and a third failure force replacement or a refund.
📎 Official sources
- Tudatos Vásárló · The new warranty rules — tiers and rights (HU) →
- Adózóna · The mandatory-warranty rules changed (HU) →
- Decree 45/2014 and consumer-protection frames (HU) →
❓ Frequently asked questions
How long is the warranty on my 300k laptop?
At least 3 years — under the above-250,000-HUF tier. The trader must issue a warranty certificate, but if it failed to, your receipt or invoice carries the claim just as well: the missing paper is its problem.
It broke on day two. What can I demand?
Replacement — a failure within three working days earns a new unit rather than a repair, provided the fault arose under proper use. Shop staff rarely volunteer this, so ask in writing.
It's in service for the third time. How long must I tolerate?
No longer: at the third failure under warranty you are owed a replacement, and failing that a refund. The same applies when a single repair drags past 30 days — the service centre's delay is the trader's risk, not yours.
Warranty vs statutory conformity — what's the difference?
Under the warranty the trader carries the burden of proof throughout; under the 2-year conformity right it can flip to you after year one. The two run in parallel, and you invoke whichever favours you.
Does a used phone carry the mandatory warranty?
No — the mandatory warranty covers new durable goods. With second-hand items you keep the (shorter) conformity rights, and the burden of proving the fault shifts to you sooner.
🔎 What people actually search
Real search phrases for this topic.
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