EU Repair Information Form: The 30-Day Binding Offer
Since 23 July 2026, anyone offering a repair to a consumer in Germany can do so with an official template: the European Repair Information Form under Art. 245 of the Introductory Act to the German Civil Code (EGBGB) and its Annex 19. The form is voluntary. But a repairer who issues it is bound by its offer for 30 calendar days and cannot get out of it through contract terms. For repair shops and manufacturers with their own repair service, this is above all a costing question.
We covered the overall framework of the new rules in our article Right to Repair in Germany: What Changed in July 2026. This article focuses on the form. The template itself comes from Annex I of Directive (EU) 2024/1799; what follows describes how Germany has implemented it.
Voluntary, even if the customer asks for it
Art. 245 § 1 EGBGB says that repairers "may" use the form. The explanatory memorandum to the bill is more explicit: "There is no obligation." Neither the act nor the Directive gives customers a right to receive the form. If earlier summaries told you the form was mandatory "on request", that requirement is not in the adopted text.
A repairer is any trader that provides repairs, expressly including the manufacturer and the seller of the goods (§ 1(2)). The rules only apply to repair contracts with consumers. If a retailer has devices repaired by a service provider, the form plays no role.
What the form must contain
If you use the form, you must fill it in completely (§ 3(1)):
- name, address, telephone number and email address of the repairer, plus any other online contact channels
- the goods, the type of defect and the proposed repair
- the price or, if it cannot be calculated in advance, the calculation method and a maximum price
- the duration of the repair, stated in days under Annex 19
- whether a temporary replacement device is available and what it costs
- the place where the customer hands over the goods
- ancillary services such as removal, installation or transport, with their costs
- the period of validity, at least 30 days
- any additional information
The form must be provided free of charge, on a durable medium and within a reasonable time after the request, before the customer is bound by a contract (§ 2(1)). The place of handover can also be a shipping address. According to the explanatory memorandum, the customer does not have to bring the device in person.
The payoff for the effort is in § 4: a complete and correct form fulfils the pre-contractual information duties on main characteristics, identity and contact details, price, and the arrangements and timing of performance. It covers nothing beyond that. If the contract is concluded by email or online, the rules on distance contracts with a right of withdrawal may also apply (Sections 312c, 312g BGB). Information on the right of withdrawal is not among the duties that § 4 deems fulfilled.
The 30-day binding period
A form with all mandatory information is an offer to conclude a repair contract. The repairer is bound by this offer for 30 calendar days after the customer receives it and may set a longer period (§ 3(2)). The explanatory memorandum classifies the form as a legally binding offer within the meaning of Section 145 BGB. If the customer accepts within the period, the contract is concluded on the terms of the form. If the repairer then does not carry out the repair, it is liable under the general rules of Sections 280 et seq. BGB.
Terms that work against the customer will not help. The repairer cannot rely on agreements that deviate from §§ 2 and 3 (§ 5). A "subject to change" note, a shorter period or a price adjustment clause in your terms and conditions is therefore unlikely to have any effect where the form is used; no court has ruled on this yet. If you do not want to be bound, issue an ordinary cost estimate instead of the form.
What this means in practice: if you cannot hold parts prices or delivery times for 30 days, work with a calculation method and a maximum price. Because the period starts on receipt (Section 130 BGB), document receipt and record the end of the period in your system. Note that the customer's request does not commit them to anything. They are only bound once they accept, whereas the repair shop is bound from the moment the form is received.
Diagnostic costs
If a diagnosis is needed to assess the defect, including an on-site or remote check, the repairer may charge the necessary costs. It must tell the customer before carrying out the diagnosis and before issuing the form (§ 2(2)). According to recital 12 of the Directive, this includes labour and transport costs. If the customer goes ahead with the repair, the repairer can deduct the diagnostic costs from the repair price.
Without the form, general German law on contracts for work applies: a cost estimate is, in case of doubt, not chargeable (Section 632(3) BGB). Either way, diagnostic costs should be quantified and agreed before the device reaches the test bench.
Form, cost estimate, indicative price
| European form (Art. 245 EGBGB) | Cost estimate without the form | Indicative price (Section 479d(2) BGB) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandatory? | voluntary | voluntary | mandatory for manufacturers of Annex II goods |
| Addressed to | consumers only | consumers and businesses | consumers, published |
| Binding effect | offer, 30 calendar days from receipt, cannot be contracted out of | depends on wording; binding effect can be excluded (Section 145 BGB) | none, general price information |
| Price | fixed price or calculation method with maximum price | estimate; if a substantial overrun is likely, notify without delay, customer may terminate (Section 649 BGB) | "from" price for typical repairs (explanatory memorandum) |
| Costs | form free of charge, diagnosis only after prior notice | in case of doubt not chargeable (Section 632(3) BGB) | free of charge on a freely accessible website |
The indicative price is not an offer for an individual case. The German government understands it as the minimum price, including all price components, for a typical repair, and the repair must actually be feasible at that price. The German Price Indication Ordinance (PAngV) continues to apply alongside it. A non-binding price quote over the phone is not a form within the meaning of Art. 245 EGBGB.
Checklist for repair shops and service partners
- Decide on the principle: form or no form, possibly per product group
- Create a template based on Annex 19 with all items and a validity of at least 30 days
- Define your pricing logic: fixed price or maximum price, and secure parts prices for 30 days
- Quantify and communicate diagnostic costs before the diagnosis, and set out how they are deducted if the repair goes ahead
- Record receipt of the form in a way you can prove, and store the end of the period
- Check your terms and conditions for clauses that weaken the binding effect or the price
- For contracts concluded by email or online, provide withdrawal information separately
- In manufacturer programmes, decide in advance who is the customer's contracting party and who issues the form
Putting it into practice with PST
PST handles intake, diagnosis and cost estimates for manufacturers and retailers as part of its after-sales service, at its site in Heiligenhaus, Germany, with more than 500,000 service cases a year. PST can operate defined repair, spare-parts, logistics and documentation processes, provided that scope, authorisation and responsibilities have been agreed. This includes deciding with you whether and in what form the European form is used in your repair process. Find out more on our Right to Repair page, or contact us directly via our contact form.
This article reflects the legal situation in Germany as of 3 October 2026 and does not constitute legal advice.