Brazil established its Codigo de Defesa do Consumidor (CDC, Consumer-Protection Code), Law No. 8078, on September 11, 1990. Home appliances are generally covered by warranty for 90 days from the day of purchase. The repair person came in 2 or 3 days because the washing machine I had bought was just within the warranty period. After looking into it, they said that a part needs to be replaced and they will replace it as soon as they receive it. But after a week, the repair service center still hadn’t contacted me, so I called them and was told that they are still waiting for the part. And then another week passed. Unfortunately, this kind of situation is common in Brazil. You think something will go smoothly, but then something else holds things up. And although I do think that it has become easier to get in contact with repair services and so on, it looks as though the headaches will continue. My washing machine was covered by warranty, so both the part and the repairs were free of charge.
Some products also offer extended warranties, but they differ from company to company. They might ask you at the store when you buy an appliance if you want to extend the warranty, and they let you know how much it costs. It seems to me a good idea to extend the warranty on appliances that are expensive and that you are going to use for a long time, like TVs.
The Consumer-Protection Code is not only a law that protects you when you buy products. It lists a lot of other protections, some of which people don’t know about, such as these:
- If you lose a ticket for parking, the parking lot cannot fine you.
- If you buy something online, the consumer can return that item within 7 days.
- Restaurants cannot stipulate a minimum order.
- If your car (private use) is damaged while parked in a parking lot, the parking lot is responsible, even if the parking lot doesn’t charge a fee.
- If a store bills you improperly, the store must pay you back double the amount.
- If you eat or drink at a movie theater, theater, or event hall, they cannot prohibit you from bringing in food or drink purchased somewhere else.
When I told my acquaintances that there were laws like this, few of them knew they existed. Unless you experience some sort of trouble or incident, you might not know your rights as a consumer.
The current pandemic has meant an increase in people buying things over the internet. According to data from 2020, 40% more Brazilians bought something on the internet. And along with that, there has been an increase in various claims. A 2021 survey found that 82% of consumers had made some sort of claim and 67% of them had been resolved. Despite the existence of the Consumer-Protection Code, it seems people are still having trouble such as not being able to return or exchange items, being billed improperly, or products being damaged.
Have you ever made a claim?
When I was younger, I almost never made a claim. But now, I do. It does take up your free time, so it is a bit of a bother, yet, knowing about the Consumer-Protection Code, I think it is better to get problems like this resolved.
