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ARTICLE · 12 FEBRUARY 2025

1, 2, 3, And The Dishwasher Goes…

Robinson Sheppard Shapiro
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No, it was not a former Minister of Energy who made it disappear, but rather a planned obsolescence, carefully concealed in the complexities of the manufacturing components...

CanadaConsumer Protection
Léonie Gagné
Léonie Gagné

No, it was not a former Minister of Energy who made it disappear, but rather a planned obsolescence, carefully concealed in the complexities of the manufacturing components so that the product purchased becomes defective, coercing you to replace it sooner. Fortunately, the Government has responded, and we explain how.

Introduction

In June 2023, the Minister of Justice, Simon Jolin-Barrette, introduced Bill 29 , "Act to Protect Consumers from Planned Obsolescence and to Promote Durability, Repairability, and Maintenance of Goods"1.

This Bill included, among other things, amendments to the Consumer Protection Act2 ("C.P.A.") such as enhancing the legal warranties granted to consumers while introducing the concept of planned obsolescence into Quebec law—a technique that involves "reducing the normal operating life"3 of a product.

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