Warranty of good working order: an AI agent to handle repair requests
Since October 5, 2026, a new washer, TV or laptop sold to a consumer in Quebec comes with a warranty of good working order set by law: 3 to 6 years depending on the product, starting from delivery. For customers, that’s good news. For a store, a computer shop or a repair business, it mostly means more requests to read, check and follow up.
That’s a perfect job for an AI agent: repetitive, based on clear rules and on documents you already have. Here’s what the new warranty requires, how an agent can prepare each repair file, and where a person needs to stay in charge.
The warranty of good working order in short
The warranty covers free repair of the item, including parts, labour and reasonable shipping costs. It excludes misuse and normal maintenance. It follows the item if it’s resold, and the merchant can’t ask the customer to waive it. Goods bought before October 5, 2026 aren’t covered, but the other legal warranties still apply.
Length of the warranty of good working order, from the delivery date
Range, refrigerator, freezer, air conditioner, heat pump
Washer, dryer, dishwasher
Television
Laptop or desktop computer, tablet, cell phone, game console
New goods sold or leased long term by a merchant to a consumer from October 5, 2026. Source: Office de la protection du consommateur.
Three details weigh heavily day to day. First, the customer chooses who to contact: the merchant, the manufacturer or both, and neither can send them to the other. Next, the law sets no specific deadline, but the repair must be done within a reasonable time. Finally, the warranty doesn’t restart after a repair, but it’s extended by the time the merchant has the item in its possession. For displays, the merchant must show the length clearly, near the price; the Office recommends spelling out “warranty of good working order” in full.
What an AI agent does with a warranty request
An AI agent is an assistant that reads, sorts and prepares, based on your written rules. Here, it reads the customer’s email or form, finds the invoice, calculates coverage from the category and delivery date, then prepares the next step. Here’s what a file looks like, using a fictional example.
Email received — fictional example
1Hello, the washer I bought from you stopped draining yesterday.
2It was delivered on October 14, 2026, I’ve attached the delivery slip.
3The serial number is WX-0000-EXAMPLE.
Is this covered? Can it be repaired at my place? — Ms. Example
🗂️ File prepared by the agent
Fictional example. The agent doesn’t decide whether damage comes from misuse: it flags the clues for the technician.
The same agent then keeps the tracking board. It knows which requests are complete, which are waiting for a decision, and how many days an item has been in for repair.
Received 2
Washer, delivered Oct. 14, 2026
Email · 10 min ago
🤖 File filled in, coverage calculated, 3 slots proposed.
Laptop, bought online
Web form
🤖 Delivery date missing: polite request sent to the customer.
For a person to decide 2
TV bought Sept. 28, 2026
Before October 5
🤖 Not covered by the new warranty, but the other legal warranties still apply. Sent to the manager.
Cell phone, cracked screen
Photo attached
🤖 Possible accidental damage. The technician decides, not the agent.
Being repaired 1
Refrigerator, at the customer’s home
Day 9
🤖 Follow-up sent to the parts supplier. Reminder to the manager if nothing in 2 days.
Closed 1
Dryer repaired
Warranty extended
🤖 Time spent in the shop logged on the file: the warranty is extended by that much.
Notice the middle column. A purchase made before October 5, damage that looks accidental: these are cases where the agent doesn’t decide. It explains what it saw and hands off. That’s also what protects your business if a customer later disputes it, for example on Parle consommation, the Office’s dispute resolution platform.
Gains and limits
✅ What the agent saves you
- A same-day reply, with the right warranty length for the product.
- Complete files: invoice, delivery date, serial, photos.
- Fewer slips on the “reasonable time” for repairs, thanks to follow-ups.
- Time spent in the shop logged to calculate the extension.
- Replies in French or English, in your store’s tone.
⚠️ What it must not do
- Refuse a claim: a person always decides.
- Judge misuse on its own from a photo.
- Redirect the customer to the manufacturer: the law lets them choose.
- Ask for more information than needed to handle the request.
- Send a message without approval during the first weeks.
If you already do repairs, this agent pairs well with an AI agent for service reports: the technician’s report closes the warranty file. And if your customers call rather than write, a virtual receptionist can create the same request from a phone call.
Getting started in a month, safely
Week 1
Inventory
List your covered product categories and where invoices and delivery slips are kept.
Week 2
Written rules
Lengths by category, what always goes to a person, approved reply templates.
Week 3
Draft mode
The agent reads requests and prepares files. You approve every message.
Week 4
Review
Fix category mistakes, then let acknowledgements go out on their own.
Keep data to a minimum and in tools you control. The agent doesn’t need access to your whole point-of-sale system: the invoice for the customer involved is enough.
Frequently asked questions
Q1. My store mostly sells to businesses. Does this apply to me?
The warranty of good working order covers contracts between a merchant and a consumer. Business-to-business sales aren’t covered. If you also sell to individuals, those sales are.
Q2. I sell online from Ontario to customers in Quebec. What about me?
According to the Office de la protection du consommateur, a merchant outside Quebec who sells online to Quebec consumers must honour this warranty.
Q3. Can the agent refuse a request that’s out of warranty?
It can draft the reply and explain why, but a person should approve it. In Quebec, section 12.1 of the private-sector privacy act, added by Law 25, requires informing a person when a decision about them is based exclusively on automated processing. Keeping a human decision is simpler and fairer.
Q4. What information should the agent keep?
The minimum needed to handle the request: name, contact method, product, serial number, delivery date and a description of the problem. No date of birth, no banking information.
At NeoTech, our AI and automation consulting service starts from your real warranty requests to define the agent’s rules, choose the tools and keep your data under control. You approve each step before it’s automated.
Book a meeting to explore your AI needs
Do you sell or repair appliances, computers or cell phones, and is the new warranty adding requests to your week? Let’s talk about what an AI agent could prepare for you, and what should stay in your hands.
👉 Book a meeting to explore your AI needs
Call us at 438-476-2322 or email info@neotechcloudsolutions.com.
Sources
- Office de la protection du consommateur: New Protections for Consumers
- Office de la protection du consommateur: merchant tools on the warranty of good working order (in French)
- LégisQuébec: Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector (s. 12.1)
Photo: IT services EU, Pexels (Pexels licence).