european-union germany warranties
What are customer laws about clothes warranty in Germany?
<p>I live in a Germany for half of year now, and it's relatively difficult to understand all local laws and regulation, especially if you don't speak German.</p>

<p>I bought new sneakers in the large retail shop (Outlet) in the spring. This morning I've noticed that the sneakers started to tear near the heels. It's been 3.5 months from the purchase day.
I tried googling some laws about refunding or warranty repairment of clothing and shoes in Germany, but achieved no success. 
What are the laws in this field in Germany? Are there any overall EU laws about it? Does the new "2 years warranty" EU customer law is applicable in this situation or not?</p>

<p>There is potentially a two-year warranty (Gewährleistung) but after six months the consumer must show that the flaw in the good existed at the time of sale. There are also special rules for parts subject to routine wear and tear. If the shoes look as if you have worn for 100 days, the seller might well try to argue that you wore them out. If they look new, otherwise, your chances are better.</p>

<p>There is also the possibility of additional consumer rights in the contract (Garantie) where the manufacturer gives better protection than under Gewährleistung.</p>
