How do I get a refund or warranty repair for a defective product in Florida?

What Florida law says

For assistive technology devices, if a new device does not conform to an express warranty and the consumer reports the problem and makes the device available for repair within one year after delivery, the nonconformity must be repaired at no charge, and if the problem is not fixed after a reasonable attempt the manufacturer must either replace the device or accept return and refund the purchase price or perform other statutory remedies, with rules about leases and collateral costs: Fla. Stat. § 427.804. For motor vehicles, after three repair attempts for the same defect the consumer must give written notice to the manufacturer by registered or express mail; the manufacturer then has time to respond and a final opportunity to repair, and if it cannot conform the vehicle to the warranty it generally must repurchase or replace the vehicle within the statutory timeframes and include collateral charges: Fla. Stat. § 681.104. Federal warranty law (the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act) requires written warranties to identify the remedy steps, what the warrantor will do, and any dispute procedures, and the FTC and courts may scrutinize mandatory informal dispute procedures: 15 U.S.C. § 2302 and 15 U.S.C. § 2310. Remedies for material misrepresentation or fraud under state law can include the same remedies available for nonfraudulent breach: Fla. Stat. § 672.721. Court decisions have interpreted how warranty terms and available remedies interact, including limits on making a remedy exclusive without clear language: see cases such as American Honda Motor Co. v. Cerasani and Parsons v. Motor Homes of America, Inc.: American Honda Motor Co. v. Cerasani, 32 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 131, 955 So. 2d 543, 2007 Fla. LEXIS 665, 2007 WL 1074922 (Fla. 2007) and Parsons v. Motor Homes of America, Inc., 10 Fla. L. Weekly 576, 465 So. 2d 1285 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1985).

What to do

1. A common first step is to document the defect, repair attempts, dates, and communications with the seller or manufacturer.
2. A common next step is to notify the manufacturer or authorized dealer in writing, offering the device or vehicle for repair and keeping copies of delivery or receipt records.
3. A common option is to follow any written warranty steps for claims and to preserve proof of compliance with those steps, including any required notices.
4. A common next step is to consider using any informal dispute settlement procedure described in the written warranty, noting federal rules may affect such procedures: 15 U.S.C. § 2310.
5. A common final step is to explore statutory remedies for fraud or misrepresentation if the product was misdescribed, as those remedies can supplement warranty claims: Fla. Stat. § 672.721.

Grounded in current Florida law

• statuteFla. Stat. § 427.804
• statuteFla. Stat. § 672.721
• statuteFla. Stat. § 501.615
• statuteFla. Stat. § 681.104
• statute15 U.S.C. § 2310
• statute15 U.S.C. § 2302
• caseAmerican Honda Motor Co. v. Cerasani
• caseSchauer v. Morse Operations, Inc.
• caseFort Lauderdale Lincoln Mercury, Inc. v. Corgnati
• caseParsons v. Motor Homes of America, Inc.

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