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Éducaloi is a non-profit organization whose mission is to inform Quebecers of their rights and obligations by providing quality legal information in everyday language.
La loi vos droits
Clientele : Consumers
Subject : Repairing Household Appliances
Print date : February 7th, 2012
 Consumers
Television sets, washing machines and dishwashers are essential to the daily routines of most Quebecers. When one stops working, it can turn an entire household – and its budget – upside down. The Consumer Protection Act protects you when you do business with people who repair appliances.
In this Infosheet, Éducaloi explains the obligations of people who repair appliances and the warranties on these repairs.   
No. When the Consumer Protection Act only applies to repairs costing more than $50 (parts, labour and shipping) on the following appliances:
Yes. Before going ahead, a repairperson must give you a written estimate explaining the nature of the repairs and the total price. A verbal estimate is not enough. If you don't want a written estimate, you can sign a written waiver saying you don't want one.
The repairman can charge a fee for giving an estimate, but must tell you about these charges before doing the repairs. Also, an estimate is not required when you don’t have to pay for the repairs. This could happen, for example, when the appliance is still covered by a warranty.
An estimate must include the following information:
Once you have accepted the estimate, the repairperson cannot ask you to pay any more that the amount in the estimate. If the estimate doesn’t have all the information required by law and the missing information causes you harm, it is possible to ask a court to cancel the contract.
No. Before doing any repairs not included in the estimate, the repairperson must ask for your agreement, either in writing or verbally.
Absolutely. The repairperson must give you a bill with the following information:
Yes. Appliance repairs come with a 3-month warranty (guarantee) on parts and labour. The 3 months starts as of the day the appliance is delivered. Just to be on the safe side, ask the repairperson to write the delivery date on your bill.
If you see that an appliance repaired recently isn’t working properly, the repairperson must fix it free of charge as long as the 3 months has not run out. This warranty covers only normal use of the appliance. If you misuse the appliance and it breaks, the repairperson is not bound to honour the warranty.
If you don’t pay for your repairs, the repairperson can keep your appliance until you pay.
However, the repairperson cannot keep your appliance if you paid the amount mentioned in the estimate or if the repairperson did not give you a written estimate before repairing the appliance.
If you think the repairperson didn't respect his obligations, you can file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Office.
If you cannot reach an agreement with the repairperson and your claim is less than $7,000, you can take your case to Small Claims Court. Depending on the circumstances, you can ask this Court for:
You can also ask for money if you have suffered a loss because the repairperson did not respect his obligations. In some cases, you can also ask for an extra amount as punishment for the repairperson’s actions. Finally, if you think you were the victim of fraud or attempted fraud, you can contact the police.
Other appliances, such as vacuums, garberators and food processors, are not covered by the Consumer Protection Act. For repairs to these items, the repairperson is not obliged to give you an estimate or a warranty.
However, you can always ask for an estimate and warranty. True professionals will usually not object to this kind of request.
Éducaloi does not provide any legal advice or counseling. The information contained in its website constitutes a general source of information and does not in any way replace the services of a lawyer or notary.
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