Are furniture and appliance sellers playing the recycling game?
For several years, they have had a legal obligation to get rid of your old washing machines and other used equipment.
Except that we do not see the application on the ground, as noted by TF1’s 8 p.m.
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When you buy a new washing machine, the distributor must normally agree to take back your old appliance. But in reality, it is not that simple, according to the numerous messages on social networks. “Your commitments are not respected, I have just been informed ten minutes before delivery that the return of my old furniture is not possible”laments a customer. “The delivery man refused to take back my washing machine under the pretext that there was water left, this was false. As a result, he left without it”assures another.
“It’s not free, it’s offered”
In a household appliance store where the TF1 news is filming with a discreet camera, as we can see in the video above, the obligation is respected, but it is claimed that it is a commercial gesture… To the question : “Are you taking back the old washing machine?”. The seller responds: “It’s not free, it’s offered.” However, this is a legal obligation, not a gift to you. If you have a household appliance or piece of furniture delivered to you, all distributors are required to collect your used product free of charge. For in-store recovery, with the purchase of new equipment, all household appliance suppliers must also collect the old one if you wish.
For your furniture, on the other hand, only stores with a surface area of at least 200 m² have this obligation. And even without purchasing, your old washing machine must be taken back to a store of at least 400 m². Whereas in the same situation, your old sofa will only be returned to a store with a surface area of at least 1000 m². A little-known possibility for the furniture dealer interviewed by the TF1 news. “There is no law that requires a brand, under the pretext that it sells furniture, to take back without you buying something from us,” maintains a saleswoman, wrongly.
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According to Fraud Control, most often, it is the return obligation without purchase that is not respected. “Professionals have sometimes highlighted the fact that there is no demand for this type of recovery. On the one hand, it is an obligation and on the other hand, we understand that if it is not implemented by professionals, it will not be better known to consumers either.underlines the DGCCRF. If recovery is refused, you can file a report on the signal conso platform.
