When Warranty date start counting?

When we buy a consumer product, one of the concern we have is the warranty period. In the former days, warranty card was a essential in verifying the date that the product was sold and the warranty period.


A typical warranty card will consist of two copies. One for consumer copy while another to post it to the manufacturer for documentation. On the sent out copy, will have the company stamp of the shop that sold you the product with a date written by hands. Most of the time however, the date was not written as the shop would want to be nice for consumer to fill their own date in and sent it off later. Because of this, consumers who plan on reselling in the near future will not want to fill the warranty card as it would fetch a better price in the open market.

Not knowing that the time has change, many second hand buyers still buy into the fact if the warranty card is unfilled, the product manufacturers will honor the warranty.

In truth today, products manufacturers have a way to know the actual day that the product was sold and start to count the warranty period. As the shop often send in their order and status of stock to the supplier, the manufacturer now can monitor their product by serial number. In this ways, the consumer may no longer need to send their warranty card and in return fair to the manufacturers as well.

So next time when you want to buy something second hand and warranty is a concern to you. It is best to ask the seller for receipt and the actual date when he/she bought the product. Warranty card may not be filled but that does not mean it is still under warranty.

Comments

khengsiong said…
Here in Malaysia, Canon asks us to keep the receipt. And there is date info on the receipt.
LEon said…
Khengsiong over here the merchant will update the manufacturer when the product is sold by giving them the stock order as they re-order as some are selling by consignment. As such the manufacturer will start counting the day of warranty period in their database.
[SK] said…
yeah, you are true, with all the electronic technology now, tracking has come so simple and easy.. and of course manufacturers will get the benefit out of it for their own interests..
[SK]@ i am much concern with your point of view.