An action for breach of warranty of quality and fitness prescribes two years after delivery of the object to the buyer, even if he does not discover the defects until later, unless the seller has assumed liability under warranty for a longer period.
The period amounts to five years where defects in an object that has been incorporated in an immovable work in a manner consistent with its nature and purpose have caused the work to be defective.
In the case of cultural property within the meaning of Article 2 paragraph 1 of the Cultural Property Transfer Act of 20 June 200376, actions for breach of warranty of quality and fitness prescribe one year after the buyer discovered the defect but in any event 30 years after the contract was concluded.
An agreement to reduce the prescriptive period is null and void if:
the prescriptive period is reduced to less than two years, or less than one year in the case of second-hand goods;
the object is intended to be used by the buyer or his or her family; and
the seller is acting in the course of his or her professional or commercial activities.
The defence of defective goods remains available to the buyer provided he has notified the seller within the prescriptive period.
The seller may not invoke the prescriptive period if it is proved that he wilfully misled the buyer. The foregoing does not apply to the 30-year period under paragraph 3.