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Question about warranties.

Discussion in 'Other Off Topic Forum' started by Systo, Jun 15, 2008.

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  1. Systo

    Systo Karting

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    #1 Systo, Jun 15, 2008
    I purchased a product in 2006 from a large electronics retailer with a warranty. If the warranty is revised and slightly updated the following year (2007) should I expect the terms of the warranty to be that of the current revision in use for new products or the terms of the warranty I purchased the product under?

    I've read through both revisions and cannot find anything indicating for or against the warranty updating to the current revision while the warranty is 'active'. Unless I'm missing something inherent with warranties?
     
  2. PeterS

    PeterS Five Time F1 World Champ
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    #2 PeterS, Jun 15, 2008
    Last edited: Jun 15, 2008
    What you are missing is that you should of not purchased a warranty in the first place. What a awful waste of money, as it probably makes up 90% of the sales persons commission! (Sorry, this is just a sore subject with me!). Take all the stuff you purchase that you could have got a warranty on and put half of the warranty amount under your mattress. When (and if) something breaks, take some of the mattress money out and replace the item. You will be ahead in the long-run:)
     
  3. Systo

    Systo Karting

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    #3 Systo, Jun 15, 2008
    Last edited: Jun 15, 2008
    Yes, I've learned my lesson.

    Without going into specifics, my parents purchased an electronics device on sale as an early birthday present for me (when asked the salesperson said it was at normal retail value {I had no way of looking it up}) and the electronics device stopped functioning this year. Under conditions of old warranty they are to replace the product with something in the same price range (which there isn't anything that comes close). The 'new' warranty states that they will replace the product with something of equal or similar features regardless of brand or 'current retail purchase price.' However as multiple store managers have tried to explain to me that provision is because of advances in technology make things cheaper. However in this particular 'market' the prices have stayed roughly the same and none of the managers/stores have any intentions of sending the device off to repair (I'm forking over the cash to ship it to the manufacturer) or replacing it with a product with similar or equal features regardless of price.

    (Forgot to include that in the original post, thunderstorm knocked off my power for a bit)
     
  4. PeterS

    PeterS Five Time F1 World Champ
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    #4 PeterS, Jun 16, 2008
    Last edited: Jun 16, 2008
    My angle on the warranty includes the fact that if an item has a year factory warranty (Like the HP laptop I just purchased), if it does not die in the first 30 days (That would be replaced in-store), it's not going to die for at least three years. With electronics nowadays, two years is about right until you toss it.

    I see all the corners that manufacturers cut to cheapen......I mean Make their product less expensive. It gets worse too! At the contract manufacturing level for the electronic companies, some will replace any part with a cheaper one if they can get away with it, approved by the OEM or not!
     
  5. SRT Mike

    SRT Mike Two Time F1 World Champ

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    #5 SRT Mike, Jun 16, 2008
    Not being a lawyer, my best educated response is that the terms of the warranty apply as they did when you purchased the unit. What you paid for was the unit, plus the warranty that went along with it. They cannot legally change what they sold you after the fact.

    Now, the original warranty may say something like "warranty terms may be amended at any time without notice". But I would guess that a clause like that in the warranty is probably not enforceable.

    It sounds like you bought something, it broke, and under the old warranty you get a replacement of similar price.

    But under the new warranty you get one of similar FEATURES meaning you would get a much higher PRICED item because there is not one in the original price range with the features your item had.

    Is that about right? So basically you are trying to get them to give you a better and more expensive unit under the "new" warranty and they are telling you that you don't get the new warranty, you get the old one, and the old one doesn't cover giving you a better unit, is that correct?

    If that's the case, I tend to think you will not have much luck. If you are talking a major chain like Best Buy or Circuit City, you could try a few different stores, as usually the manager makes the call. Or perhaps they will let you apply the price of the old item to the new one.

    But if push comes to shove, I don't think you have much ground to stand on to demand a higher priced unit if the warranty you bought stated they only cover similar priced replacements.
     
  6. Systo

    Systo Karting

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    #6 Systo, Jun 16, 2008
    Last edited: Jun 16, 2008
    That's exactly right. One of my friends had a problem with the same company over an item on sale and that's why I asked if the items that were going to be purchased were on sale. The problem with the only two stores in 50 miles (living in middle of nowhere for the loss) is that both of them were quoting from the old warranty without knowing anything about the date of sale or the specific model number. I've referred both store managers to the companies website under its 'warranty' page and they both said that section was put in because as the years go on technology gets cheaper - not stay the same or get more expensive. Basically they're telling me there's no way I could even get the same product if they had it in stock because I paid less than suggested retail price.

    Personally I don't feel like giving this particular company an additional $200+tax to get a product with similar or equal features and functionality.
    ---
    I have struck gold
    Did a bit more research and found out that I and managers were both wrong in our material being used. The website, buried deep down, has a page dedicated to the different warranties and the dates they applicable on - none of us have read through this particular, older, document that covers when I purchased this item.
    Does that last part scream ambiguity to anyone else? As in it could be higher or lower? Prior to that it mentions the equal or similar features and functionality. I think I finally have some ground to stand on. I knew I forgot something - this company has only been offering me a gift card for the original purchase price because there really wasn't anything with similar or equal features and functionality.
     

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