Warranty over, now what?

In short

Your appliance breaks after 2 years and the shop says "warranty over"? You are often still entitled to a solution. The seller has to sort it out and can’t just send you to the manufacturer.

Checked on 20 October 2026 · sources: Government of the Netherlands, Consumentenbond (Dutch consumer association)

Why "warranty over" isn’t the whole story

  • The "2-year warranty" from a shop or manufacturer comes on top of your legal rights. When those 2 years are over, your legal rights simply remain.
  • In the Netherlands there is no fixed legal warranty period. How long a product has to last depends on the type of product, the price and what you could expect.
  • According to the Dutch government, a washing machine motor that breaks after 2 years of normal use falls under the legal warranty. A light bulb in the fridge doesn’t.

How to tackle it

  1. Find your proof of purchase and check whether the manufacturer gives its own, longer warranty. For more expensive appliances that’s often 3 to 5 years.
  2. Report the defect to the seller and ask for free repair or replacement. You don’t have to accept a credit note, and you don’t have to pay extra.
  3. No solution? Then send a written complaint (email or letter) with a reasonable deadline by which the seller has to solve it, and what you will do after that. Keep everything.
  4. Does the seller not respond, or refuse? Then you have options: suspend payment (only if you haven’t paid everything yet), have another company repair it at the seller’s expense (report this in writing first), or dissolve the purchase and get your money back. Get advice on this first.
  5. Is the seller a member of De Geschillencommissie (the Dutch disputes committee)? Then you can file a complaint there, but only after you’ve reported it to the seller in writing. Otherwise the route is the court.

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Who has to prove what?

  • Within 12 months of purchase, the seller has to prove that the problem was caused by you.
  • After that, you have to show that the product is at fault. A written assessment from an independent repairer ("defect in part X, no user damage") helps with that.
  • Normal wear and tear and damage you caused yourself are not covered.

You don’t have to pinpoint the exact cause yourself, like "it’s the motor". What matters is that the product doesn’t do what you could expect from it.

Example email to the shop

Change the details in brackets and send the email in a way that lets you prove you sent it.

Most Dutch shops are happy to deal with you in English. If you’d rather write in Dutch, the Dutch version of this page has the same email in Dutch. Garantie voorbij, wat nu?

Subject: Complaint about defective [appliance], bought on [date] Dear Sir or Madam, On [date] I bought a [appliance] from you for € [amount] (proof of purchase attached). On [date] it broke, even though I used it normally. It therefore does not meet what I could reasonably expect from a product at this price. I am invoking my legal rights as a consumer and ask you to repair or replace the appliance free of charge. I do not agree to paying extra or to a credit note. I do not accept being referred to the manufacturer: my contract is with you. I expect a response from you no later than [date, for example 14 days from now]. If I don’t receive one, I will take the matter to an organisation that can help me further. Kind regards, [name]

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Where to get help

  • ConsuWijzer ›The Dutch government’s desk for consumers. Information and advice about your rights, also for a defective product. The website is in Dutch.
  • Juridisch Loket ›The Legal Services Counter, for legal questions. Handy if you’re unsure about your next step with an expensive appliance.
  • De Geschillencommissie ›The Dutch disputes committee, only if the seller is a member. First report your complaint to the seller in writing and give them time to respond (often 4 weeks). After that you can file a complaint for a complaint fee (usually a few tens of euros, refunded if you’re proven right). The ruling is binding. You often have to file within a year of your complaint to the seller; check the exact deadline with the committee.

Frequently asked questions

Can a shop say the warranty is over after 2 years?

The warranty from the shop or manufacturer comes on top of your legal rights. When that warranty is over, your legal right to a good product remains. In the Netherlands there is no fixed legal warranty period: how long a product has to last depends on the type of product, the price and what you could expect.

Do I go to the manufacturer or to the shop?

To the seller. They have to solve the problem themselves or bring in the manufacturer. They can’t just refer you to the manufacturer.

Who has to prove that an appliance is really defective?

Within 12 months of purchase, the seller has to prove that the problem was caused by you. After that, you have to show that the product is at fault and not you. A written assessment from an independent repairer helps with that.

Where can I go if the shop keeps refusing?

ConsuWijzer (information and advice for consumers), the Juridisch Loket (legal questions) and, if the seller is a member, De Geschillencommissie. Otherwise the court.

Warranty per shop: bol, Coolblue, IKEA, Decathlon, Wehkamp, Gamma, Karwei, Praxis, HEMA ›