Request for repair or replacement under the legal guarantee of conformity (France)
Published byDocMuse
This document is in French
The PDF you download is in French — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.
For a consumer in France whose purchase from a business breaks down or is not as promised within two years of delivery: you ask the seller, not the manufacturer, to repair or replace it free of charge under Articles L. 217-3 and L. 217-8 of the French Consumer Code, within thirty days. The letter cites the 24-month presumption (12 months for second-hand goods) and the six-month extension after a repair. In French, to send by registered post with proof of receipt, with the proof of purchase.
- Made for use in France
- Last updated October 13, 2026
When to use this document
- Something you bought from a shop in France has broken down and you want the seller to repair or replace it.
- The item you ordered online does not match the description or does not work as promised.
- The seller sends you to the manufacturer and refuses to deal with the fault.
- You want to ask the seller in writing for a free repair or replacement under the legal guarantee.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Customer
- Customer's address
- Trader
- Trader's postal address (customer service)
- City
- Date
- Invoice number
- Product
- Date of purchase
- Date the goods were received
- Price
- Date the defect appeared
- Defect
- Repair or replacement
Preview
This document is produced for you. Your answers are typed into it and the finished PDF is yours to keep.
Common questions
- Who receives a claim under France's legal guarantee of conformity?
- The business that sold you the item, even if it points you to the manufacturer: the law places the duty on the seller (Article L. 217-3 of the French Consumer Code). The guarantee lasts two years from delivery. A manufacturer's commercial warranty or a paid extension comes on top of the legal guarantee and does not replace it. The DGCCRF's economie.gouv.fr site explains these rules free of charge, and the INC publishes a free model letter; this document is a complete letter in your name.
- Repair or replacement in France: who chooses, and how long does the seller have?
- You choose, unless your choice is impossible or would cost the seller disproportionately more than the other option (Articles L. 217-8 et seq. of the French Consumer Code). Bringing the item into conformity is free and must happen within thirty days of your request (Article L. 217-10). A repaired item gains six months of guarantee. If nothing is done within that time, the defect persists or the seller refuses, you can ask for a price reduction or to end the sale with the letter written for that.
- How is the conformity request sent in France, and what if the seller does not answer?
- No form is required, but registered post with proof of receipt proves the date of your request, which starts the thirty days; as the seller is a business, a qualified electronic registered letter also works. Keep the proof of purchase and photos. If there is no answer, you can go free of charge to the consumer mediator the seller must name in its terms, report the problem on SignalConso, the DGCCRF's free service, and then go to court.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
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