Product Warranty

[Scuba]

All I been able to ascertain is that dealers are not obligated contractualy to honor a manufacturers warranty. At least I don't know of any who demand this of their authorized dealers under contract.

As jeffsterinsf said:

warranty is between the manufacturer of the product and you

. With the following warning: not necessarily.

After looking at various web sites I found the following with respect to manufacturers warranties.

Some recomend you take product back to:

place of purchase.

an authorized dealer.

that you mail it to them.

Some mention how if you purchase their product that they (or their distributor) sold to an internet business to sell to the public, and may have a warranty card, is null and void. No warranty. Tough love.

This is what I call, really, really standing behind their product. Sarcasm at my expense. With this example why the heck would I believe that they are going to honor the warranty from an authorized dealer in the first place.

Another one states how highly they value their customers. As proof of that, they provide no customer service contact, only an address for you to mail your gear. They will then determine in a few weeks time if they deem your product to be covered under their warranty and they feel so inclined and gracious as to repair or exchange the product with no input from you.

Others, well, don't provide warranty information. They are working on it.

Geez, I am glad they value my business. Just imagine otherwise.

Bottom line, if you have an interest in a products warranty, ask your retailer exactly what he will do in case of defect and any charges you may accrue. Whether it happens on your first trial dive or during the so called warranty period.

I think many of us have become spoiled by the large chain stores who give us 30 days money back guarantee, no questions asked. Is it any wonder they have become some of the largest, most profitable businesses in their industry. They obviously found a way to give the customer what they want and make a profit at it.

Vote with your efforts and your wallet or don't complain.

 

[Genesis]

and just getting started

 

[MikeFerrara]

I think the ones that direct you back to the place of purchase depend on the dealer to pitch in some labor at no cost or at least to inspect the product and work with the manufacturer to decide what should be done. I takes time and labor to do this and, therefore, represents a cost to us. In the old days when the margin was descent and you purchased from a DS this was considered a cost of doing business. Now that we are either not selling the things in the first place or the margin is almost non-existant it just represents another loss. Nothing like working all day with zero dollars comming in. If you think about it the services that are relied on most from a DS are things we never get paid for. Yes this is a flaw in the model but it used to work. I am kept busy many hours a week by divers who spent the real money elsewhere and believe me they do not want to hear that I don't want to donate that time. They want/demand customer service but they forget that spending money is somewhere in the defenition of customer.

 

[Genesis]

that you do warranty work and not bill it back to them is one you should not carry.

LDS have an option you know. Its called purchase power and pressure. If you are getting jacked to this degree, then why not buy YOUR stock from LP (or where THEY get it from!), mark it up however you want, and the he|| with the manufacturer.

You say you can't make it on a 20% markup? Ok. I buy that. But are you trying to tell me that you're marking up your regs ONE HUNDRED percent or more? Because LP's about half the local shop cost, you know - which is a 100% markup.

Silence and consent, and worse, trying to discourage the purchase of things from competitors at a lower price by refusing to service those items looks to me like active participation in the scheme.

If its not, then as a LDS, show me. Show me that you are interested in taking care of me as a customer more than you are in taking care of a manufacturer's whim and wherewithall. Serve me - well - rather than trying to restrain trade.

If you're not getting what you want as a retailer, then why cooperate with the manufacturers? Go your own way. Band together and sue under the existing anti-trust laws to get access to service manuals and parts on an open, equal-access basis if you must. I suspect that the mere threat of such a thing would stop that nonsense immediately; there was already an association that had a default judgment entered against them and who apparently died over this. Its not like the case isn't well known to the FTC....

Actions speak louder than words.

Let's see some actions.

Are you, the LDS owner, complicit in this scheme or are you a victim of it?

How you, as a LDS, act in this regard will tell me all I need to know.