On Tuesday, September 8, 2015, the House passed the E-Warranty Act of 2015, which, if enacted, would require the FTC to revise the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act to allow manufacturers to satisfy the Act’s requirements by digitally posting consumer product warranties on their websites.
The E-Warranty Act would permit manufacturers to provide warranty information online only, if done in a “clear and conspicuous manner.”
The Senate unanimously passed this bill, and it now heads to President Obama. Passage seems likely. Product manufacturers and sellers should be taking steps now to prepare to convert their warranty worlds to the Internet age—with easily accessible web platforms, warranty text that is both clear and reader-friendly in electronic form, and related actions to move swiftly and smartly away from the paper world.