Съдебна практика

  • Данни за случая
    • Национален идентификатор: Supreme Court, Judgement 6862/2014
    • Държава-членка: България
    • Общоприето наименование:N/A
    • Вид решение: Решение на върховния съд
    • Дата на решението: 14/04/2015
    • Съд: Върховен административен съд
    • Заглавие:
    • Ищец: Germanos Telecom - Bulgaria EAD
    • Ответник: Bulgarian Consumer Protection Commission
    • Ключови думи: commercial guarantee, guarantee
  • Членове от директивата
    Consumer Sales and Guarantees Directive, Article 1, 2., (b) Consumer Sales and Guarantees Directive, Article 1, 2., (c) Consumer Sales and Guarantees Directive, Article 1, 2., (e) Consumer Sales and Guarantees Directive, Article 3, 3. Consumer Sales and Guarantees Directive, Article 6 , 1.
  • Уводна бележка
    (1) The seller’s liability for conformity, pursuant to Article 3 of Directive 1999/44 (implemented into Bulgarian law by Article 105 et seq. of the Consumers Protection Act)(or overall liability for defects), and the liability under a guarantee are two different types of liability of the seller that arise from a different set of facts, although they have the same goal - to ensure the consumer's right to receive goods in compliance with their description in the sale contract.
    (2) The overall liability for defects liability arises by the operation of law. It does not depend on the will of the seller, or on the legal entity that substituted it in a debt. The existence of a consumer sale contract (as per Article 1, §2, letter c of Directive 1999/44, implemented into Bulgarian law by Article 104, Alinea 1 and Supplementary Provision §13, point 2 of the Consumers Protection Act) is sufficient for the occurrence of said liability. This liability is not altered by various arrangements between traders and between the seller and the consumer.
    (3) Liability under a guarantee also arises in existence of a consumer sale contract (as per Article 1, §2, letter c of Directive 1999/44, implemented into Bulgarian law by Article 104, Alinea 1 and Supplementary Provision §13, point 2 of the Consumers Protection Act), but only if the seller has made the relevant statement for undertaking the guarantee - Article 1, §2, letter e of Directive 1999/44 (implemented into Bulgarian law by Article 117, Alinea 1 and 2 of the Consumers Protection Act).
  • Факти
    On 28 March 2011, an individual bought a mobile phone handset from a store located in the city of Varna. The phone was purchased via a lease contract signed between a company named Cosmo Bulgaria Mobile EAD (to whom the plaintiff is a commercial agent) and the said individual. According to Article 2, § 2 of the lease contract the lessee has the right to acquire ownership of the leased device. According to Article 6 of the lease agreement integral part of it are the general terms and conditions of the lease contract for the device. According to Article 4 of the general terms and conditions the lessor must provide warranty and post-warranty servicing of the device, as provided in Article 14 of the Terms. Pursuant to said Article 14:
    a) paragraph 1 - with the signing of the contract the parties agree that the lessor is not the manufacturer of the device, subject to the lease, and not responsible for his condition;
    b) para 2 - the parties agree that transfers to the lessee rights in general and warranty liability of the supplier at the date of acquisition of the use of the device.
    The plaintiff issued a guarantee for the leased goods with the content and scope: - 24 months for the "nonconformity due to a manufacturing defect, which was evident during the warranty period" and repair free of charge. The guarantee explicitly states: "Despite this commercial guarantee, the seller is responsible for the lack of product conformity with the sale contract pursuant to the Consumer Protection Act".
    The handset showed defect and the consumer placed five claims with the defendant for alignment of the mobile phone with the sale contract (on 27 December 2011, 27 February 2012, 23 April 2012, 30 July 2012 and 9 October 2012). Despite the attempts for removing the incompliance, the handset kept showing defects.
    Therefore, on 8 October 2012 the consumer submitted a request to the Bulgarian Consumer Protection Commission asking for assistance with the replacement of the defective hand set.
    The Bulgarian Consumer Protection Commission granted the consumer’s request and issued mandatory instructions to the plaintiff. Pursuant to said instructions by 5 November 2012 the plaintiff must have fulfilled its obligations under Article 3, §3 of Directive 1999/44 (implemented into Bulgarian law by Article 112, Alinea 1 and Alinea 2 of the Consumers Protection Act).
    The plaintiff submitted to the Varna Administrative Court the mandatory instructions for judicial review but the court denied the plaintiff’s appeal and upheld the mandatory instructions of the Bulgarian Consumer Protection Commission. As a final resort, the plaintiff appealed the first instance court’s judgment to the Supreme Administrative Court.
  • Правен въпрос
    (1) Do the seller’s liability for conformity, pursuant to Article 3 of Directive 1999/44 (implemented into Bulgarian law by Article 105 et seq. of the Consumers Protection Act) (or overall liability for defects), and the liability under a guarantee arise from a different set of facts?
    (2) Is the overall liability for defects (that arises by the operation of law) altered by the various arrangements between traders and between the seller and the consumer?
    (3) What are the preconditions for the liability for defects under a guarantee?
  • Решение

    (1) Since both the overall liability for defects and the guarantee statement aim at the satisfaction of the consumer’s interest to receive a compliant good, then the achievement of this via one of these two liabilities aim results in the elimination of the other. Otherwise the consumer receive unjust enrichment, because they would have received twice the intended result - a good that is in conformity with the sale contract, respectively satisfactory replacement or refund of or reduction in the purchase price.
    (2) A lease agreement was executed between the consumer and Cosmo Bulgaria Mobile EAD. The mobile phone device subject to the lease agreement qualifies as consumer good pursuant to Article 1, §2, letter b) of Directive 1999/44 (implemented into Bulgarian law by Article 106, point 3 and of the Consumers Protection Act). The lease agreement provides for an option for acquisition of the title over the mobile phone device. Hence, Cosmo Bulgaria Mobile EAD is qualified as seller pursuant to Article 1, §2, letter c) of Directive 1999/44 (implemented into Bulgarian law by Article 104, Alinea 1 and Supplementary Provision §13, point 2 of the Consumers Protection Act). However, Article 14, para 2 of the lease agreement provides that the “seller” (Cosmo Bulgaria Mobile EAD) shall be substituted for the “supplier” (the plaintiff) as far as the overall liability for defects is concerned. Thus the plaintiff shall be deemed liable for the defects towards the consumer on the grounds of said substitution.
    (3) Based on the substitution, the plaintiff issued a guarantee statement and namely the plaintiff is liable under said guarantee. All conditions for the occurrence of said guarantee liability are met: (i) there is a lease agreement between Cosmo Bulgaria Mobile EAD and the consumer with option for acquisition of the mobile phone device, (ii) the plaintiff substituted Cosmo Bulgaria Mobile EAD in its obligations under the lease agreement and (iii) the plaintiff issued a statement of guarantee in favour of the consumer.

    URL: http://www.sac.government.bg/court22.nsf/d038edcf49190344c2256b7600367606/8e32d0fd84221f4ec2257e1c004684e0?OpenDocument

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  • Свързани случаи

    Няма налични резултати

  • Правна литература

    Няма налични резултати

  • Резултат
    The court repealed the first instance court’s judgment that awarded the plaintiff’s appeal.