Law and guidance checked on 21 October 2026.
Temporary replacement goods during a Russian repair are supplied on the consumer’s request, not necessarily automatically at handover. Consumer Protection Law Article 20(2) requires a durable item with the same essential consumer properties, free of charge within three days, with delivery paid by the responsible party. Some goods are excluded: the current list under Government Decree No. 657 has applied since 1 September 2026.
Make a request
Evidence the separate temporary-goods demand and its receipt.
Three days
The period follows the request, rather than the end of the repair.
Check exceptions
The loaner list differs from the list of satisfactory goods excluded from exchange.
When the right arises
This guide concerns remedying defects in consumer goods under Article 20. Do not automatically extend it to every paid diagnostic service or independently arranged repair of an old item. Keep the repair acceptance document and identify the proper recipient: manufacturer, seller or authorised organisation or individual entrepreneur.
The label “service centre” alone does not establish authorisation by your seller or manufacturer. If an intermediary took the goods, establish who received the demand and is responsible for it. A temporary loaner differs from permanently replacing the purchased item with a new one.
Deadline, properties and delivery
The statute sets three days after the consumer presents the demand. Evidence receipt instead of relying on an oral promise. Article 20 does not list a shop’s lack of its own loaner stock as a standalone exception.
The temporary item must have the same essential consumer properties. Identical brand, colour and appearance are not universal tests. Describe the essential functions and compare the offered item: communication, necessary file formats or food storage depend on the type of goods.
Supply is free and delivery is at the responsible party’s expense. If paid rental is offered instead, request written legal grounds. Record use and return conditions so a new dispute about the loaner does not obscure the original repair.
Exceptions applicable from September 2026
| Group under Decree No. 657 | Practical check | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Cars, motorcycles and other listed transport goods | No general statutory promise of a replacement car | The list contains a qualification for goods intended for disabled users |
| Furniture | A sofa under repair | Voluntary contractual replacement may still exist |
| Listed personal-care and medical household electrical appliances | Hair dryer or electric toothbrush | Check the appliance’s precise purpose |
| Appliances for thermal food processing and cooking | A cooker or comparable appliance | Not every household appliance falls in this group |
| Weapons; listed precious articles and materials | Compare the goods with the full list | Separate exception categories apply |
| Building water, drainage, heating and ventilation equipment requiring installation or removal | Check purpose and installation requirements | Paragraph 7 of the current list |
This table is abbreviated; the full list appears in the sources. A phone, laptop or refrigerator cannot be treated as excluded solely because it is technically complex. Check the actual goods against the relevant list, rather than a different list governing exchange of satisfactory products.
Documents and a request template
- Prepare the agreement or receipt, model details and repair handover record.
- Check exceptions and describe essential properties of the temporary item.
- Send a written demand to the responsible party with receipt evidence.
- Keep the response, loaner offer and actual handover documents.
To [seller/manufacturer/authorised organisation]. From [name and contact]. Item [type and model] was handed over for defect remedy on [date and document reference]. Under Article 20(2) of the Consumer Protection Law, I request a free temporary item with the same essential consumer properties [list] within three days, delivered at your expense to [address]. If refused, please identify the specific legal ground and applicable list provision. Date and signature.
Accepting and returning the temporary item
At handover, check functions, accessories, serial number and condition. Record them in an act, photograph existing scratches and keep a copy. If essential properties differ, describe the particular shortcomings in writing rather than merely disliking the model.
When the repair ends, arrange return, document it and retain confirmation of any condition remarks or their absence. Remove your data and sign out before returning a phone or computer; do not leave passwords behind. Check that a handover form does not also waive unresolved rights concerning the original purchase.
If no loaner is supplied
Record the demand date, deadline expiry, non-delivery and response. Article 23 provides a daily penalty of 1% of the goods’ price for failure or delay in meeting the temporary-equivalent-goods demand. The current wording caps the penalty at the amount paid under the sale contract unless another law provides otherwise; a court may reduce a clearly disproportionate penalty.
Hypothetical example: an applicable price of RUB 20,000 and five substantiated late days give 20,000 × 0.01 × 5 = RUB 1,000. Verify dates, price, cap and applicability separately; recovery is not guaranteed.
A Rospotrebnadzor complaint does not replace a monetary claim. Assemble evidence against the correct defendant. The repair deadline, loaner demand and another remedy for defects are assessed separately.
Check your temporary-goods request
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a separate request?
Document the demand. Repair handover alone does not always establish that you asked for temporary goods.
Can I insist on the same brand?
The statutory test concerns essential consumer properties. The brand alone is not a universal mandatory condition.
Is having no loaner stock an exception?
Lack of stock alone does not replace a legal ground for refusal. Ask for the precise provision and check the list.
Must a replacement car always be supplied during warranty repairs?
No. Transport goods appear in the exception list with qualifications. A separate contractual service or manufacturer programme needs its own assessment.