Manufacturer warranty (garantía comercial) and extended warranties: do you need them?

Key rules

• Legal guarantee: Any voluntary warranty comes on top of your legal guarantee and never reduces it.
• New goods: The legal guarantee for new goods lasts three years and costs you nothing extra.
• Advertising: If a warranty's written terms are worse than its advertising, the advertising terms prevail.
• Extended cover: Extended warranties mostly overlap with the legal guarantee, so they are rarely worth buying.

Extended warranty prices and terms vary by seller, so check the current price and the policy's exclusions with the seller before you pay.

The short answer

A manufacturer warranty (garantía comercial) and an extended warranty are voluntary extras. They sit on top of your legal guarantee. They never replace it or reduce it, and the legal guarantee stays in force the whole time.

For most purchases, extended cover is rarely worth buying for what the law already gives you.

What the legal guarantee already gives you

New goods bought as a consumer in Spain come with a legal guarantee of three years. It covers goods that do not match what was sold, such as a fault that was there from the start. You do not pay extra for it. The seller is the one you claim against.

What a commercial warranty is

A garantía comercial is a promise made by the manufacturer or the seller, on top of the legal guarantee. It is often free and comes in the box.

• It binds whoever gives it, on the terms of its written statement and its advertising.
• If the written terms are worse than what the advertising promised, the advertising terms win.
• Treat it as a bonus. Use it if it makes a claim easier, but remember you can still go to the seller under the legal guarantee.

What an extended warranty adds

Extended warranties offered at the till usually add one to three years of cover. The price depends on the value of the product and is often a modest share of its price. They commonly cover breakdown, and sometimes accidental damage, theft or screen breakage.

Because the legal guarantee already covers faults for three years on new goods, much of what you would pay for overlaps with it. The extra value is mainly in:

• damage that is not caused by a defect, such as drops or spills
• faster service or a straight replacement
• cover for second-hand goods

The policy's conditions and exclusions decide what it is really worth. Read them before you pay.

Questions to ask at the till

1. What does it cover that the legal guarantee does not?
2. What is excluded, and is there an excess to pay?
3. Who handles a claim, and how long does it take?
4. Does it cost less than a likely repair or replacement?

If the answers are vague, skip it. The decision below walks you through the choice, and the checklist covers what to ask for in writing and what to keep for a claim.

Choosing between options

Should you buy an extended warranty at the till?

• Skip it and rely on the legal guarantee: The cover is mostly for breakdown on a new product. The legal guarantee already covers that at no cost, so paying again rarely makes sense.

• Buy the extended warranty: It covers something the law does not, such as accidental damage, theft or screen breakage, or it offers faster service, a replacement, or cover for a second-hand item.

• Use the manufacturer's free warranty as a bonus: The product comes with one. It is voluntary and sits on top of your legal rights, so keep it but do not treat it as a reason to pay for more.

Buy only if the policy covers something the legal guarantee does not and its exclusions still leave real value for the price. Otherwise skip it.

Before you buy: what to confirm and keep for a guarantee claim

Before you buy: what to confirm and keep

• Ask for the warranty document in writing or on a durable medium, such as a PDF by email, no later than delivery of the goods.

• Check that the warranty is written in plain language and at least in Castilian Spanish.

• Look for a line saying your legal rights stay in place and the warranty does not affect them.

• Read the guarantor's name and address, and how to make a claim.

• Check which goods are covered, how long the warranty lasts, where it applies and its conditions.

• Get any extra promise from the seller, such as free delivery, installation or a longer cover, written on the invoice or in an email.

• Keep the invoice or receipt as proof of purchase, in paper and as a photo.

• Photograph the product's model and serial number, and the box label, and keep them with the invoice.

Frequently asked questions

Does a manufacturer warranty replace my legal guarantee?

No, a manufacturer warranty (garantía comercial) never replaces or reduces your legal guarantee. It is a voluntary extra on top of it. If the warranty's terms are less generous than what the advertising promised, the advertised terms are the ones that count.

What does an extended warranty usually cover that the legal guarantee does not?

An extended warranty mostly adds cover for damage not caused by a defect, such as accidental damage, theft or screen breakage. Some also offer faster service or a replacement, or cover second-hand goods. Breakdown cover largely overlaps with what the legal guarantee already gives you free.

How long does an extended warranty usually last?

Extended warranties sold at checkout usually add one to three years of cover. The price depends on the value of the product. Read the exclusions in the policy, because they decide what you really get.