Read the fine print in the warranty when buying a gadget this Diwali

Warranties are cleverly worded, and many repairs and replacements will be at the company's discretion. If the warranty doesn't mention product replacement, it is subject to various conditions

Diwali is a good time to go gadget shopping, as you can get great deals and steep discounts. However, the festive euphoria tends to make the consumer a little less evaluative. One aspect that is easily ignored while buying a gadget is the warranty on the item. 

Advocate Pratibha Bangera of Mumbai-based Top Rite Juris says, “Just because you get a warranty card doesn’t mean you can get an item repaired or replaced. A warranty is always cleverly worded, and many repairs and replacements will be at the discretion of the company. When the warranty doesn’t mention product replacement, it is subject to various conditions.” 

In short, read the terms of the warranty. Ashita Aggarwal, Professor-Marketing at SPJIMR says, “The definition of warranty does not change for the consumer, regardless of whether the purchase is made online or offline. However, while buying online, the consumer needs to read the warranty conditions very carefully. Offline, you have a chance to interact with the sales person and are well informed about the warranty features and get clarity on what is covered and what isn't.” 

According to a report by Statista, India’s total retail e-commerce is estimated to rise 23 per cent by 2021. Mobile phone and consumer electronic goods like laptops, tablets, and digital cameras are popular with online shoppers. 

Always ensure that the warranty card has the stamp, the dealer's signature and the date of purchase mentioned on it. Bangera says,” If you are buying online, you often get a warranty card without any stamp, which might become a problem later. Always preserve the bill, irrespective of whether the warranty card is stamped or not. This applies to online as well as online purchases.”

With many products, just getting a warranty card is not enough, and you need to register with the manufacturer or company as well. For many items, the warranty starts from the date when the product is sold by dealers, but there are many items where it is mandatory to register for the warranty to start.

Another thing to keep in mind especially when buying online is the geographic location of your warranty. S Jain, a Mumbai-based Mobile store owner and online reseller, says,” If you buy online and the seller has bought the product from a foreign location, there’s a possibility that the warranty will not work here. In that case, you need to buy a separate warranty in India.” Even when you go abroad and buy items there or from duty-free shop, ensure they are covered under warranty in India. Popular items bought abroad are smartphones, gaming systems like Nintendo Switch, gaming laptops, smart watches to name a few.

Aggarwal of SPJIMR says, “Generally it is not easy for companies to execute global warranties. Mostly items that you take along with you have global warranties -- like cameras and mobiles. That’s what draws globally mobile high end-consumers to such brands.” Remember that for most global warranties too, you need to register the purchase with the manufacturer or company. Aggarwal aads, “Registration helps the company maintain the database, as consumers won’t carry the warranty card everywhere they go. The company also knows that almost 50 per cent of the consumers won’t register, which means the cost for the company comes down.” 

It isn't as if the company will make it difficult for you to get a warranty, but adding an additional step of registration to activate the warranty surely works in the company’s favour.

Another important thing is extended warranties. These are a good idea for expensive products that have high usage. For instance, it may not make sense to pay for an extended wwarranty on a mixer costing Rs 3,500, but you might want to take one for a Rs 60,000 dishwasher. Aggarwal says, “Sometime ago, many brands decided to not give customer support when the product was bought online, as they were sold at a substantial discount.”  Read the user manual carefully before using the product, as the user instructions, repair guidelines, regular service at authorised centres will impact the warranty. For instance, for many gadgets, the warranty becomes void is if the equipment has been opened by a non-authorised agency.

This Diwali if you plan to gift a gadget to someone, make the bill in the receiver’s name so that she can use the warranty. The truth is there are several reasons the warranty can become void. If nothing works, your final resort is the consumer court, and that’s quite cumbersome.

Checklist for buyers

• Check if stamp, date, dealer’s signature and serial number are missing on the warranty card 
• Never go to a non-authorised agency for repairs
• Use products, according to instruction and user manual guidelines 
• Use the optimal power supply. An erratic power supply may result in the cancellation of the warranty 
• Check the geographic location of warranty when buying online or in international markets