Замість того щоб замінити товар, продавець обговорює гарантійний ремонт.

Замість того щоб means instead of doing something.

It is a fixed pattern:

• замість = instead of
• того = of that
• щоб = so that / in order to / introducing a subordinate action

Together, замість того щоб + infinitive means instead of + verb-ing in English.

So:

• замість того щоб замінити товар = instead of replacing the product

By contrast, plain замість is usually followed by a noun or pronoun, not directly by an infinitive:

• замість ремонту = instead of a repair
• замість нього = instead of him

If you want instead of doing, Ukrainian commonly uses замість того щоб + infinitive.

Because after замість того щоб, Ukrainian normally uses the infinitive.

So:

• замість того щоб замінити товар = instead of replacing the product

This works much like English instead of doing, but Ukrainian does not use a gerund here. It uses the infinitive construction.

Замінити is perfective, while замінювати is imperfective.

Here, the sentence refers to a single complete action: replacing the item. That is why замінити is natural.

• замінити = to replace, to carry out the replacement fully
• замінювати = to be replacing / to replace repeatedly or as a process

In this sentence, the idea is:

• the seller should perhaps replace the product
• but instead he is discussing warranty repair

That points to a complete result, so замінити fits best.

Because товар is the direct object of замінити.

The verb замінити usually takes the accusative case:

• замінити товар = to replace the product
• замінити деталь = to replace the part

Since товар is an inanimate masculine noun, its accusative singular is the same as its nominative singular:

• nominative: товар
• accusative: товар

So the form does not change.

Продавець is the subject of the main clause, so it is in the nominative case.

The structure is:

• Замість того щоб замінити товар = instead of replacing the product
• продавець обговорює гарантійний ремонт = the seller is discussing warranty repair

So продавець is the person doing the action обговорює, and subjects are normally in the nominative.

Обговорює means discusses / is discussing.

It is:

• 3rd person singular
• present tense
• from the verb обговорювати = to discuss

So:

• продавець обговорює = the seller discusses / is discussing

As often in Ukrainian, the present tense can translate into English as either a simple present or a present continuous, depending on context.

Because гарантійний ремонт is functioning as the direct object of обговорює.

The verb обговорювати normally takes the accusative case:

• обговорювати проблему = to discuss a problem
• обговорювати ремонт = to discuss a repair

Here:

• ремонт is masculine inanimate, so accusative singular = nominative singular
• therefore ремонт stays ремонт
• the adjective agrees with it: гарантійний

So:

• nominative: гарантійний ремонт
• accusative: гарантійний ремонт

The form looks the same.

Гарантійний ремонт means warranty repair or repair under warranty.

It refers to repair covered by the product’s warranty, rather than the customer paying for it directly.

So the sentence contrasts two possibilities:

• замінити товар = replace the item
• обговорювати гарантійний ремонт = discuss repairing it under warranty instead

Because the sentence begins with a subordinate construction:

• Замість того щоб замінити товар = instead of replacing the product

Then comes the main clause:

• продавець обговорює гарантійний ремонт

In Ukrainian, this kind of introductory subordinate phrase is separated by a comma.

So the comma marks the boundary between:

1. the instead of... part
2. the main statement

Yes. Ukrainian word order is fairly flexible, though the original sentence is neutral and natural.

Original:

• Замість того щоб замінити товар, продавець обговорює гарантійний ремонт.

You could also say:

• Продавець, замість того щоб замінити товар, обговорює гарантійний ремонт.

This version puts more focus on the seller.

In general:

• Ukrainian uses word order partly for emphasis
• the original version foregrounds the contrast: instead of replacing the product...

On its own, щоб often introduces purpose:

• Я прийшов, щоб допомогти = I came to help

But in the fixed phrase замість того щоб, it does not primarily mean purpose. The whole expression acts as one unit meaning instead of doing.

So in this sentence, it is best to understand:

• замість того щоб замінити товар = instead of replacing the product

not

• instead of that in order to replace the product

The phrase should be learned as a set expression.

Yes.

Товар usually means:

• an item of goods
• merchandise
• a product in a commercial/customer-service context

That fits very well with a sentence about a seller, warranty, and replacement.

By contrast:

• продукт often means a product, but can sound broader or more technical depending on context
• річ means a thing/item and is more general, less specifically commercial

So товар is the most natural choice here for store/customer-service language.