How long is the statutory warranty in Germany?

Two years from delivery for consumer purchases. In the first twelve months the law presumes a defect existed at delivery, which shifts the burden of proof to the seller.

Can the statutory warranty be excluded for consumer sales?

No. For new goods sold to consumers in Germany the two-year statutory warranty is mandatory and cannot be waived by contract.

Does a non-EU manufacturer need a German office to handle warranty cases?

No. The practical requirements, a German return address, German-language support and case handling, can be operated by a local after-sales partner working white-label under the manufacturer brand.

Guide · Updated August 2026

German Statutory Warranty for Non-EU Manufacturers

The short answer: every consumer purchase in Germany comes with a two-year statutory warranty (Gewährleistung) by law. It cannot be waived, it applies in addition to any voluntary manufacturer guarantee, and German customers actively use it. If you sell into Germany, someone must receive the claims, assess them and resolve them, in German. This guide explains what the obligation covers and the practical ways to handle it from abroad.

Warranty vs. guarantee: two different things

German law separates two concepts that are often mixed up in translation:

Concept	Who owes it	How long
Gewährleistung (statutory warranty)	The seller, mandatory by law	2 years from delivery
Garantie (guarantee)	Voluntary, usually the manufacturer	As promised, freely defined

The statutory warranty covers defects that existed at delivery. In the first twelve months the law even presumes a defect was present at delivery, so in practice most claims within the first year are resolved in the customer's favour.

What a claim looks like in practice

The customer contacts the seller, usually expecting German-language support by phone or e-mail.
The seller may assess whether the defect is covered. This requires inspecting the device.
If covered, the customer is entitled to repair or replacement at the seller's cost, including shipping.
If handled badly or slowly, customers escalate: negative reviews, chargebacks, or legal action through consumer-friendly German courts.

The practical problem for non-EU sellers: shipping a defective device to Asia and back can take weeks and costs more than the device. That is why professional sellers work with a swap model: a German warehouse holds replacement units, the customer gets a working device within days, and defective units are recycled locally with the proceeds credited back.

Three ways to handle it, compared

Model	Speed for the customer	Cost reality
Ship each device to the factory and back	Weeks	Two international shipments per case, high damage risk
Own German subsidiary with staff	Fast	High fixed costs; only pays off at very large volumes
Local after-sales partner with swap warehouse	Days	Monthly base fee plus a flat rate per case, scales from device one

What to prepare as a manufacturer

Written assessment guidelines: which defects are covered, which point to misuse.
A pool of replacement units and spare parts stored in Germany.
Technical documentation for the inspection team.
A decision on what happens to defective units: return shipment or certified local recycling with credited proceeds.

Want this handled for you?

FBB-Service Management runs complete after-sales operations in Germany for international manufacturers: phone, e-mail, warranty, swap logistics and certified recycling, white-label under your brand.

Request a proposal