Ruling over car-guarantee controversy

Date: 06/05/04

EU CAR companies are acting within the law by offering customers different guarantees for the same vehicle, depending on where they buy it, Mario Monti, the competition commissioner, has insisted.

He was responding to complaints from continental customers of Mercedes-Benz executive cars, who point out that car buyers in the UK get a three-year guarantee on their new "Merc", whereas buyers in the rest of the European Union only get a two-year guarantee.

But Monti said: "The duration of the Mercedes cars warranty depends entirely on the European marketing policy of DaimlerChrysler.

"The Commission does not view a longer duration as a restrictive competition practice which could prevent free trade across Europe," he explained.