Hardware warranties play a massive role in minimising early start-up
expenditure. They provide not just after-sales value, but also security
against future unexpected costs.
A 2009 survey conducted by Lexmark (State of Printing)
suggested that 78 per cent of customers expected to have to replace
their printer within five years. Printer manufacturers have attempted to
assuage these consumer fears by providing guarantees lasting up to five
years for most popular printers (excluding budget sub-£50 machines).
It stands to reason that you are going to want to protect this, so
you’ll need to know how the terms of your warranty are affected.
Your warranty will typically be void if:
- damage is caused by you attempting to repair a hardware fault yourself
- modification of the hardware
- use of the product in unsuitable environment (eg very hot, sub-zero or dusty conditions)
- acts of God or nature
- unreasonable print volumes for the printer in question.
Although it is slightly annoying to know my Oki isn’t covered for
lightning bolts or flash floods, these are nonetheless reasonable terms.
However, there is one area of huge controversy that can affect your
warranty – using third party printer consumables
Third party cartridges, as feared by the vast majority of customers,
can have implications for your warranty, wholly dependent on the stage
of the warranty you are in.
Standard warranty
Standard warranty typically covers the first year’s performance of
your printer (or a high volume number of prints stated in the warranty
conditions, whichever occurs first). It is illegal for a manufacturer to
void this standard warranty because of third party cartridges. Rest
assured, they’ll try to tell you they can, but you’re protected by this
piece of legislation:
Magnuson-Moss Warranty Improvement Act Chapter 50 – Section 2302
(c)
No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied
warranty of such product on the consumer's using, in connection with
such product, any article or service (other than article or service
provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is
identified by brand, trade or corporate name; except that the
prohibition of this subsection be waived by the commission if:
- The warrantor satisfies the Commission that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and
- the Commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest.
Extended warranties
Typically requiring registration with the manufacturer to activate,
it is hazy at present whether these optional, manufacturer-provided,
warranty extensions are exempt from the aforementioned Act. Do not be
surprised if legislation soon moves to block this common practice by
making the Act clearer.
This is unavoidable and places even more importance on the retailers
from whom you source consumables. Always check for evidence of quality
testing, performance guarantees and testimonials on customer service
before buying. You are paying money in a highly competitive environment;
these should be provided as standard.
Ultimately, third-party cartridges should be perfectly reliable (it’s
so rare I have only encountered it once in the past year) you just need
to be careful shoppers.
Working towards better warranties
At my company, Stinkyink.com, we are in contact with manufacturers
for explanation of how they can legally enforce this, and we will get
back with their response if they ever do provide a straight answer.
Have you had a bad experience with a manufacturers terms and
conditions? Post below and see if anyone else has not only gone through
the same thing, but if they have suggestions to help.
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