Last reviewed: 2 October 2026

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Warranty terms glossary: how Quebec's Consumer Protection Act uses them

The same words, "warranty," "guarantee," "service contract," mean different things in different legal systems. This glossary is deliberately narrow: it defines terms only from Quebec's Consumer Protection Act, quoting the statute, and points to our other guides for US federal and other provincial terms.

Terms defined in section 1 of the Act

• Consumer. "A natural person, except a merchant who obtains goods or services for the purposes of his business."²
• Goods. "Any movable property" and, "to the extent required for the application of section 6.1, any immovable property."²
• Manufacturer. "A person in the business of assembling, producing or processing goods," including a person who represents himself to the public as the manufacturer. Where the manufacturer has no establishment in Canada, it includes a person who imports or distributes goods manufactured outside Canada, or who allows his trademark to be used on goods.²
• Used automobile. "An automobile or a motorcycle which has been used for any purpose other than its delivery or preparation for delivery by the merchant, the manufacturer or their representative."²
• Contract of additional warranty. "A contract under which a merchant binds himself toward a consumer to assume directly or indirectly all or part of the costs of repairing or replacing goods or a part thereof in the event that they are defective or malfunction, otherwise than under a basic conventional warranty given gratuitously to every consumer who purchases the goods or has them repaired." In the sections we reviewed (1 to about 180) the phrase "extended warranty" does not appear; "contract of additional warranty" is the Act's defined term.²

Terms the Act uses in its warranty provisions

• Warranty provided by the Act. The Act itself sets baseline warranties on goods. Goods "must be fit for the purposes for which goods of that kind are ordinarily used" (section 37) and "must be durable in normal use for a reasonable length of time, having regard to their price, the terms of the contract and the conditions of their use" (section 38). A warranty in the Act "does not prevent the merchant or the manufacturer from offering a more advantageous warranty" (section 35).²
• Conventional warranty. The Act uses this term for a warranty beyond those the Act provides (for example, section 50 refers to "a warranty provided by this Act or of a conventional warranty"). It does not define the term in section 1 in the text we read. Rules for a written warranty include: "exclusions are prohibited unless they are clearly indicated in separate and successive clauses" (section 44); a writing evidencing a warranty must state the name and address of the person offering it, a description of the goods or services, whether it may be transferred, the obligations of the person granting it, how the consumer is to proceed and who is authorized to carry it out, and its duration (section 45); and the duration "must be determined precisely" (section 46).²
• Warranty of good working order (new goods). Section 38.1 provides that, once in force on 2026-10-05, listed new goods will carry "a warranty of good working order": a range, refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, television set, desktop computer, laptop computer, electronic pad, cellular telephone, video game console, air conditioner, heat pump and any other goods determined by regulation. Duration will be set by regulation. It will cover parts and labour (section 38.2) and take effect on delivery (section 38.4). Sections 38.1 to 38.9 carry the marking "In force: 2026-10-05," a date after this page's review date; check the current text.²
• Warranty on a used automobile. "The sale or long-term lease of a used automobile carries with it a warranty that the automobile will remain in good working order" for a period that depends on the automobile's class (classes A to C; sections 159 and 160).²
• Latent defect recourse. A consumer who has entered into a contract with a merchant may exercise directly against the merchant or the manufacturer "a recourse based on a latent defect in the goods forming the object of the contract, unless the consumer could have discovered the defect by an ordinary examination" (section 53).²
• Repair guarantee (automobiles). In its provisions on automobile repairs, the Act says "repairs are guaranteed for three months or 5 000 kilometres, whichever occurs first," taking effect on delivery of the automobile (section 176). This is the Act's use of the English word "guarantee" for a repair, separate from the warranties above.²

What these terms are not

These are the Act's words as they appear in its English text. Whether a particular contract or product falls within one of them can depend on regulations, case law and your facts, none of which this page covers. The English text is a convenience; the Act also exists in French.

US federal terms and other Canadian provinces

Terms used in US federal law and in other provinces are not defined on this page. For them, see US vs. Canada warranty regulation, extended warranty vs. manufacturer warranty (US), full vs. limited warranty, the Sale of Goods Act (Canada) and Quebec extended warranty disclosure. For your province, contact your provincial or territorial consumer affairs office, which the Office of Consumer Affairs' site directs you to.¹

How this connects to our standard

Point 1 of our standard asks whether contract terms are disclosed in plain language before purchase. Knowing what the law calls a document helps you read it. This glossary does not assess any company or product.

How to verify this yourself

• Read the Consumer Protection Act (reference 2) on Légis Québec, in English or French. Section numbers above are those shown in the text we read; sections can be renumbered by amendment.
• Check the "In force" markings on sections 38.1 to 38.9 against the current text, since they are tied to a date.
• For another province, open your provincial or territorial consumer affairs office (the federal site, reference 1, lists them).

What this page is not

This is general information, not legal advice. It reproduces definitions and does not interpret them for your situation. It does not define US federal terms or other provinces' terms. For your own contract, ask your provincial consumer affairs office or a lawyer.