Repairman Late? Company Will Pay Big Penalty

The Knesset has passed on its first reading an update to the “technician’s law,” in which companies will be penalized for making customers wait for visits by repair personnel. Forcing customers to wait beyond an hour of the promised time for arrival could cost companies that send out repair people between NIS 300 and 600.

The original law was passed in 2015, but was not specific enough in its language, and enabled companies to set a large window for the arrival of a repair person – forcing customers to wait for half a day or more for the arrival of personnel to fix items under warranty. The change will require companies to give a specific time for the arrival of a repair person, and impose penalties if the repair person is late.

The law also covers personnel sent to remove old appliances and furniture, which companies are required to remove when a customer buys a replacement.

The legislation passed unanimously on its first reading, and will now be sent to the Knesset Economics Committee for preparation for its second and third reading. Commenting on the law’s approval, MK Eitan Cabel, sponsor of the legislation, said that “the days of customers being held hostage by technicians and service personnel are over.”