Bill 29: Retailers say Quebec’s right-to-repair law is unworkable

Starting Oct. 5, from toasters to microwaves, retailers and manufacturers in Quebec will be required to tell customers whether parts and repairs are available.

This is all part of changes under Bill 29, a law adopted in 2023 aimed encouraging durability, maintenance, repairability and trying to make sure products don’t become outdated.

Some consumer groups say the changes were overdue and others aren’t so sure how they will all work.

“The information is very limited, in the sense that merchants and manufacturers basically say whether they guarantee the availability of replacement parts, repair services, and information; whether they don’t guarantee it; or whether they guarantee it to some degree—in which case the merchant or manufacturer has to explain what that degree is,” explained Alexandre Fallon, partner at law firm Osler.

“We are in favor of fighting planned obsolescence,” said Damien Silès, general director of the Retail Council of Quebec. “We always start with well-intentioned laws, and everyone agrees with that. But when it comes to implementation, it just doesn’t make sense—and it’s going to be very, very complicated for retailers.”

Manufacturers and retailers, including those headquartered outside Quebec, will now be required to guarantee the availability of spare parts, share key repair information, and respect consumers’ right to choose their own repair provider if their products are sold or distributed in Quebec. 

“The regulation that has been adopted requires retailers to also disclose to consumers what the manufacturer’s disclaimer is—and that’s very complicated for a retailer that may have tens of thousands of products, each requiring them to figure out where the manufacturer’s disclosure is and provide a link to the consumer for that disclosure,” added Fallon. “It’s a huge burden and, frankly, I think it’s impossible for most retailers to comply.”

As Quebec’s Bill 29 approaches implementation, retailers are facing a complex regulatory landscape.

“We’re dealing with tariffs, the loss of de minimis exemption with the United States since Sept. 1, a postal strike, and so on. The demands keep piling up,” said Silès. “What we’re asking is for the government to go back to the drawing board, consult retailers and figure out together how we can make this law work in practice.”

“It’s just an extra step for everyone, and it makes Quebec a riskier place to do business, because this is now a requirement in the Consumer Protection Act,” said Fallon. “The Consumer Protection Act includes monetary sanctions, penal sanctions, and the possibility of class actions—it generally makes Quebec a more difficult jurisdiction in which to do business for local merchants and producers as foreign merchants and producers.”