Hong Kong car warranties stricter than those in most other developed regions, consumer watchdog warns
Consumer Council says city should look to laws in countries that ban harsh requirements for maintenance and repairs
The city’s consumer watchdog warned would-be car buyers to be cautious as Hong Kong was revealed to be the one of the worst among many advanced regions in terms of legal protection against harsh terms and conditions for new car warranties.
It was unreasonable for car dealers to require repairs for all items, as the suggestions often did not involve vehicle parts critical to safety, the council added.
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“Hong Kong should take reference from the laws in other countries,” said Clement Chan Kam-wing, chairman of the council’s publicity and community relations committee. “When car owners are faced with such harshly restrictive warranty conditions, their protection is seriously lagging behind.”
Car warranties usually last for two to five years or before the travel mileage exceeds 60,000km (37,300 miles) to 100,000km, according to the watchdog’s survey of 22 brands.
Other restrictive terms include requiring inspections to be carried out once every six months (for 16 brands) or once every year (for five brands). This could cost anything from HK$2,980 (US$380) to HK$25,000 a year.
The watchdog also found that fewer than one-third of the brands provided detailed warranty terms and conditions online.