A bill to provide disclosure standards for written consumer product warranties against defect or malfunction and to define Federal content standards for such warranties.

Summary

Provides that any supplier warranting a consumer product in writing shall fully and conspicuously disclose in simple and readily understood language the terms and conditions of such warranty pursuant to any rules issued by the Federal Trade Commission in accordance with this Act. Authorizes the Commission to prescribe rules for determining the manner and form in which information with respect to any written warranty of a consumer product shall be clearly and conspicuously presented or displayed so as not to mislead the reasonable, average consumer, when such information is contained in advertising, labeling, point-of-sale material, or other representations in writing. States that, in order to incorporate the Federal minimum standards for warranty, a supplier warranting a consumer product in writing must, as a minimum, undertake the repair or replacement, within a reasonable time and without charge, of such consumer product in the case of a breach of such written warranty. Provides that the warrantor shall not impose any duty other than notification upon any consumer as a condition of securing repair of replacement of any consumer product which does not conform to the written warranty unless the warrantor can demonstrate that such a duty is reasonable. Provides that nothing in this Act shall prohibit the selling of a consumer product which has both full and limited warranties if such warranties are clearly and conspicuously differentiated. States that nothing in this Act shall be construed to prevent a supplier from selling a service contract to the consumer in addition to or in lieu of a warranty in writing if such contract fully and conspicuously discloses in simple and readily understood language the terms and conditions of the service contract. Provides that there shall be no express disclaimer of implied warranties to a consumer if any express warranty of a consumer product is made by a supplier to a consumer in writing. Declares it to be the policy of Congress to encourage warrantors to establish procedures whereby consumer of disputes are fairly and expeditiously settled through informal dispute settlement mechanisms. Provides that it shall be a violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act for any person subject to the provisions of this title to fail to comply with any requirement imposed on such person by or pursuant to this Act or to violate any prohibition contained in this Act. Allows the Commission and the Attorney General to bring civil actions for violation of this Act in an appropriate U.S. district court or in any court of competent jurisdiction in any State or the District of Columbia. Provides that nothing contained in this Act shall be construed to repeal, invalidate, or supersede the Federal Trade Commission Act or any statute defined therein as an antitrust act or any remedies otherwise available under State law.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

1. 1 March 1973

   Introduced

   Referred to House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 1 March 1973

   Introduced

   Introduced in House

   Source: IntroReferral

3. 1 March 1973

   Introduced

   Introduced in House

   Source: IntroReferral

Votes

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Versions

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Documents

1 official file

• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 1 March 1973

  Open at official source

Sponsors

• Rep. Broyhill, James T. [R-NC-10] · R · Sponsor
• Rep. McCollister, John Y. [R-NE-2] · R · Cosponsor
• · hsif00 · Standing

Related records

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