Lemon laws are U.S. state laws that offer remedies to consumers for products such as boats, cars, computers, motorcycles, refrigerators, RVs, etc. that frequently fail to meet the set standards of quality and performance. These products are commonly referred to as “lemons”. There are both state and federal lemon laws that protect the interests of consumers. The rights afforded to consumers by lemon laws may exceed any warranties expressed in purchase contracts.

The California Lemon Law states that if a purchased vehicle turns out to be defective in the warranty period rendering it unfit for use or inflicts some serious injuries to the user, then the consumer has every right to ask for refund or replacement.

If you purchase or lease a vehicle in California and then discover that it has defects that substantially affect its safety, use or value, California State Lemon Law may help you gain satisfaction from the vehicle's manufacturer. Under the California Lemon Law, new cars, leased cars, pre-owned cars, RV's, motor homes, motorcycles, boats and other consumer vehicles qualify for protection if they were accompanied by a written warranty. While the law cannot help everyone with a "lemon", and some people may have to hire an attorney to get their cases resolved, the law does create important rights for the consumers.

Circumstances in which the consumers seek protection under California Lemon Law:

The defect of the product is a manufacturing defect
The vehicle has been repaired at least four times and still the defect persists.
The defect is detected but not repaired within the period of 18 months or 18,000 miles.

There are several steps that the consumer must take to effectively use the lemon laws of California State. (1) Keep a detailed repair record, complete with dates of the repair attempts, when the vehicle was out of service, and a list that explains exactly what the trouble is, such as "cutting off" or "stalling"; (2) send a certified, return receipt requested letter to the manufacturer's consumer relations office and the manufacturer's nearest regional office listed in your manual; (3) after you have followed the previous steps and met the criteria as defined by your state's lemon law, request a refund or replacement, less depreciation, of the vehicle.

Differing from some laws in other states, the California Lemon Law allows unsatisfied car buyers to sell the defective vehicle, or to trade it in for a different automobile. To preserve the consumer rights outlined in the California Lemon Law, vehicles with warranty defects offered for sale must be accompanied by a written disclosure that declares the owner is aware of the automobiles defects (a written statement from a professional inspector is better), and the vehicle's manufacturer needs to be notified of the unsatisfied buyer's intention of sale or trade.

By: Ronaldo Wagh
Visit http://www.LemonLawAmerica.com for more information on State Lemon Laws and consumer protection tips from the well experienced attorney’s.

What is California Lemon Law ?

California Lemon Law is a state granted consumer-right that safeguards consumers against purchases of faulty or defective (Lemon) products. Although the product may be anything, the California Lemon Law bears a special allegiance to faulty, malfunctioning automobiles.

Main-points of California Lemon Law

Also known as Motor Vehicle Warranty Rights Act, the California Lemon Law states that if a purchased vehicle turns out to be defective in the warranty period rendering it unfit for use or inflicts some serious injuries to the user, then the consumer has every right to ask for refund or replacement. The Lemon Law holds the manufacturer responsible for all the defects and problems in a Lemon Vehicle. Once the flaws are brought to the notice of the manufacturer, the manufacturer is bound to do the repair-works. In case the manufacturer fails to set the problem right even after some genuine attempts, the company must either replace the defective vehicle or refund the consumer's money.

The Law also empowers the customer to file a Lemon Lawsuit in any Court of Law if a manufacturer denies to comply with the repair / refund / replacement plea even after the snags in the automobile are detected and proved. Additionally, refund for expenses incurred on various heads like repairing charges, rental vehicle charges and even your lawyer's fees are secured under the California Lemon Law.

The same set of laws is applicable for leased vehicles as well.

Under What Circumstances Can Consumers Seek Protection Under The Lemon Law In Calfornia?

California Lemon Law permits buyers and renters of both new and used vehicles to demand for full refund or replacement when the vehicles are declared 'Lemons' - faulty and unfit for use. However, this declaration calls for the following proof:

- The defect is a manufacturing defect and is certainly not a result of mishandling.
- The vehicle has been repaired at least four times and still the defect persists. (In case of serious defects that can lead to injuries and death, the number of repair attempts has been lowered to two repairs).
- The defect is detected but is not set right within the period of 18 months or 18,000 miles (whichever is earlier).

What The Consumers Need To Do?

The California Lemon Law truly protects the rights and interests of consumers. However, the customers need to attend specific requirements like:
- Abide by the instructions in the User's Manual while driving or handling the vehicle.
- Take the vehicle only to authorized service centers for all repair-works and servicing.
- California Lemon Law only recognizes a written complaint sent to the manufacturer as a formal legal notice. For added safety, you may send the complaint through certified mail.
- All the vehicle documents, all repair records, technical reports, etc. should be kept handy because lodging a complaint or filing a case calls for accurate proof.

Unless and until you fulfill all the above requirements, you will not be able to enjoy the benefits and protection offered by the California Lemon Law.

By: Kevin Bishop
Summary of author: Kevin Bishop is a successful writer and publisher of legal issues, for more informative articles go to http://www.lemonlawmoney.com.

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Buying a used car from either an individual or a professional car dealer can be a bit of a scary experience. Used car buyers have the protection of auto lemon laws in all fifty states. If the car turns out to be habitually defective, buyers have recourse and can receive either a refund or a replacement vehicle. Used car buyers have no such assurances. Unless the dealer offers a written warranty, the buyer is stuck if anything goes wrong, even if it happens five minutes after the car leaves the dealer's lot.

That situation will improve in California as the state has put into effect a car buyer's Bill of Rights. This new law offers a number of protections for buyers of used cars. The bill isn't perfect; like all such legislation, compromise was required. It is a step in the right direction, though, and one that would be nice to see in all fifty states.

There are numerous provisions to the bill, but perhaps the most significant is the option offered to buyers to return the car to the dealer within two days if they are not satisfied with it. There need not be anything wrong with the car; buyers may return it for any reason or no reason at all. This will protect buyers against any problems that "magically" show up right after the car leaves the dealer's lot. The dealers are permitted to charge a fee for the return privilege; buyers may elect to skip it or may negotiate the price for it. The price will range up to $250 for cars priced at up to $30,000. Cars priced at higher values are exempt from the law. There is also an additional charge for returning the car, which dealers say is necessary to prepare the car for resale. While the option to return the car is not free, it is available, and many buyers will be grateful for that.

Other provisions of the law require dealers to show prospective buyers price lists for the vehicle both with and without any additional options the buyer may wish to purchase. The law also restricts the amount of money that the dealer may make from financing a vehicle through a third party.

California's passage of a lemon law in the early 1980's helped spur the creation of similar laws in other states. Car buyers everywhere would benefit greatly if the other states paid attention to California's used car protections. While the law isn't perfect, it does represent a step in the right direction for which all used car buyers should be grateful.

By: Charles Essmeier
©Copyright 2006 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including LemonLawHelp.net, a site devoted to information regarding lemon laws for automobiles and Car-Insurance-Help.net, a site about car insurance.

Featured by California Personal Injury Attorneys, a California personal injury attorney / accident lawyer directory, listing hundreds of links to California personal injury attorney / accident lawyer websites and over 1,000 non website courtesy listings.

The information contained in the above post is not intended as a source of legal advice. You should not act upon or rely on information in this or any other post without the advice of competent legal counsel.

Comments: For those of you that would like to comment on this or any other post in this blog, go to the Contact me link on the upper right hand side of this page and send your comment via that link. If your comment is on topic, and even fairly well written, we will post it with the article. If you have a site that you would like to be linked to your comment please supply it and we will include that link.

What is California Lemon Law ?

California Lemon Law is a state granted consumer-right that safeguards consumers against purchases of faulty or defective (Lemon) products. Although the product may be anything, the California Lemon Law bears a special allegiance to faulty, malfunctioning automobiles.

Main-points of California Lemon Law

Also known as Motor Vehicle Warranty Rights Act, the California Lemon Law states that if a purchased vehicle turns out to be defective in the warranty period rendering it unfit for use or inflicts some serious injuries to the user, then the consumer has every right to ask for refund or replacement. The Lemon Law holds the manufacturer responsible for all the defects and problems in a Lemon Vehicle. Once the flaws are brought to the notice of the manufacturer, the manufacturer is bound to do the repair-works. In case the manufacturer fails to set the problem right even after some genuine attempts, the company must either replace the defective vehicle or refund the consumer's money.

The Law also empowers the customer to file a Lemon Lawsuit in any Court of Law if a manufacturer denies to comply with the repair / refund / replacement plea even after the snags in the automobile are detected and proved. Additionally, refund for expenses incurred on various heads like repairing charges, rental vehicle charges and even your lawyer's fees are secured under the California Lemon Law.

The same set of laws is applicable for leased vehicles as well.

Under What Circumstances Can Consumers Seek Protection Under The Lemon Law In Calfornia?

California Lemon Law permits buyers and renters of both new and used vehicles to demand for full refund or replacement when the vehicles are declared 'Lemons' - faulty and unfit for use. However, this declaration calls for the following proof:

- The defect is a manufacturing defect and is certainly not a result of mishandling. - The vehicle has been repaired at least four times and still the defect persists. (In case of serious defects that can lead to injuries and death, the number of repair attempts has been lowered to two repairs). - The defect is detected but is not set right within the period of 18 months or 18,000 miles (whichever is earlier).

What The Consumers Need To Do?

The California Lemon Law truly protects the rights and interests of consumers. However, the customers need to attend specific requirements like: - Abide by the instructions in the User's Manual while driving or handling the vehicle. - Take the vehicle only to authorized service centers for all repair-works and servicing. - California Lemon Law only recognizes a written complaint sent to the manufacturer as a formal legal notice. For added safety, you may send the complaint through certified mail. - All the vehicle documents, all repair records, technical reports, etc. should be kept handy because lodging a complaint or filing a case calls for accurate proof.

Unless and until you fulfill all the above requirements, you will not be able to enjoy the benefits and protection offered by the California Lemon Law.

By: Kevin Bishop
Kevin Bishop is a successful writer and publisher of legal issues, for more informative articles go to www.lemonlawmoney.com.

Featured by California Personal Injury Attorneys, a California personal injury attorney / accident lawyer directory, listing hundreds of links to California personal injury attorney / accident lawyer websites and over 1,000 non website courtesy listings.

The information contained in the above post is not intended as a source of legal advice. You should not act upon or rely on information in this or any other post without the advice of competent legal counsel.

Comments: For those of you that would like to comment on this or any other post in this blog, go to the Contact me link on the upper right hand side of this page and send your comment via that link. If your comment is on topic, and even fairly well written, we will post it with the article. If you have a site that you would like to be linked to your comment please supply it and we will include that link.