Merchants and manufacturers that guarantee the availability of parts, services or information must not hinder the repair of your goods.

Reasonably priced parts and services 

The price of parts and services must be reasonable, i.e., it must not discourage you from purchasing them.

A price could be deemed unreasonable, as in the following examples:

• A part is sold at $200 for the repair of an item that initially cost $250.
• A part is sold at a much higher price than its actual value.

Free information 

The information required for the maintenance or repair of an item must be available free of charge when it is accessible online, via software or through an application, for example. However, reasonable fees may be charged for an automobile's data.

Commonly available tools

A person must be able to install replacement parts using commonly available tools and without causing irreversible damage to the item.

Commonly available tools are those that:

• can be found in most hardware stores;
• can be obtained remotely (online, by telephone, etc.) at a reasonable price and within a reasonable time frame;
• are provided free of charge with the item.

How to assert your rights 

Has the merchant or manufacturer guaranteed the availability of a part, service or information, but you find the price unreasonable? Or you are unable to find the tool required to install a replacement part?

First, try to reach an agreement with the merchant or manufacturer. The section titled Resolve a Problem With a Merchant presents the various steps to achieve this. If the negotiations fail, you can send the merchant or manufacturer a formal notice and, ultimately, file a claim in court.