Warranty Disclaimer Sample: Everything You Need To Know

A warranty disclaimer sample is a statement on a product that says a company will not be held liable for any damages that result from the use of the product.3 min read

A warranty disclaimer sample is a statement on a product that says a company or manufacturer will not be held liable for any injuries or damages that result from the use of the product.

What Are General Disclaimers?

To deter consumers from pursuing a lawsuit, companies tend to include a general disclaimer that attempts to waive any manufacturer responsibility for the product. If these disclaimers enabled companies to avoid liability that easily, there would be little reason for them to provide safe products. As long as a product is used reasonably, the law guarantees safety for the consumer. A written disclaimer given in store from a manufacturer does not waive the manufacturer's responsibility because the consumer was not given the opportunity to bargain for the loss of their warranty rights.

Even though companies are not able to shrug off liability through a general disclaimer, sellers can say that a product must be bought "as-is," meaning that the buyer has a chance to examine the product in the store and then decide if they want to purchase it.

What Are Specific Warranties?

Occasionally, companies choose to use a specific disclaimer that restates the law that a consumer cannot use a product unreasonably and then expect the company to be liable. These specific disclaimers are given a little more consideration in court, even though it won't fundamentally change the case since it's merely a restatement of the law. However, since it does warn the consumer of misuse, a company can argue that the consumer saw the warning and continued to improperly use the product. If the court finds that the consumer assumed the risk, the company is no longer liable for injuries.

Written Disclaimer Clauses

In the case where a consumer buys an item from a store, the product liability disclaimer does not legally protect the manufacturer of the product from liability because general disclaimers are not usually considered valid unless part of a written contract. A disclaimer would only be valid if the consumer had signed a written contract with the manufacturer that had contained a disclaimer clause. Custom-made products and other handmade items are commonly accompanied by written contracts.

Implied Warranty of Merchantability

Consumers have warranty rights when they purchase an item. Under the "implied warranty of merchantability" and the "implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose," manufactures and sellers are obligated to provide products that are safe and can reasonably be used in the manner they were designed. Because these warranties are implied, they do not need to be repeated every time a consumer buys something.

The implied warranties only protect consumers who have used the products in ways that were reasonably foreseeable. If a consumer tries to sue based on an unreasonable idea, such as saying that an iced drink should not contain ice, the company will not be held liable for damages.