Last reviewed: 30 September 2026

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Can you read a product's warranty before you buy it?

Yes: for a consumer product with a written warranty that costs you more than $15, an FTC rule requires the warranty text to be available to read before you buy.

Why it matters

A warranty is part of what you are paying for, but it is usually a few lines on a box or a page of fine print you see after checkout. The federal rule exists so you can read the terms first: how long coverage lasts, what is excluded, what you must do to make a claim. That makes a warranty something you can compare while shopping, rather than something you discover when you need it.

Who has to do what

• Seller in a store: make the warranty text readily available for examination by displaying it close to the product, or by furnishing it on request before sale and placing signs, in prominent locations in the store or department, advising shoppers that warranties are available on request (§ 702.3(a)).¹
• Warrantor (usually the maker): supply sellers with the materials, by one of four means — a copy with every product; a tag, sign, sticker or label carrying the full text; the text printed on the package if it is normally used for display; or a notice, sign or poster (in the last two cases a copy must also accompany the product) (§ 702.3(b)(1)).¹
• Warrantor, website option: as an alternative, post the terms in an accessible digital format on its website. It must then tell you, clearly and conspicuously in the manual or on the product or packaging, the website address and a phone number, postal address or other non-Internet way to request a copy; provide a hard copy promptly and free on request; keep the terms posted and accessible; and let you identify the terms that apply to your specific product (§ 702.3(b)(2)).¹
• Catalog and mail-order sellers: for an offer that includes ordering instructions not requiring a visit to the seller's establishment, disclose either the full text of the warranty, or the warrantor's website address plus a statement that the warranty can be obtained free on request with an address or phone number to ask, placed in close conjunction with the product description or in a clearly referenced information section (§ 702.3(c)).¹
• Door-to-door sellers: before the sale is completed, tell you orally, and in any written materials shown to you, that the representative has copies of the warranties for inspection during the presentation (§ 702.3(d)).¹

What the rule does not do

• It does not apply to cheap products. The threshold is products actually costing the consumer more than $15.00; the FTC's guide says the same.¹⁴
• It does not apply to commercial purchases. Part 702 excludes products purchased solely for commercial or industrial use (§ 702.1(b)).⁵
• It does not make a service contract a warranty. Federal law lets a seller or warrantor offer a service contract in addition to or instead of a written warranty, if the contract fully, clearly and conspicuously discloses its terms in simple, readily understood language (15 U.S.C. § 2306(b)).⁶ Per the FTC's guide, the company that makes the service contract is responsible for that disclosure, not the seller unless they are the same company.⁴ State service-contract laws add their own disclosure rules; see our home warranty and vehicle service contract comparison guides.

Practical steps

1. In a store, look for the warranty on a tag, sticker or the package, or a sign saying warranties are available on request — then ask.
2. Online or by catalog, look near the product description for either the full text or a link or address for it. A warranty that is only reachable after you have paid is worth asking about first.
3. Once you have the text, check the label ("full" or "limited") and any condition such as a registration card.
4. Save a copy. The FTC's advice: save a copy of the warranty, print or download it if you shop online, and keep the receipt with it.²
5. If a company does not resolve a problem, the FTC's consumer page says you can report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general.²