Lifetime Warranty???

[DangerSeeker]

Ok, here's another problem I've seen floating around (and have myself). Many of these vendors are making customers agree to their purchase agreement before finalizing their order. Well, here's my anticipated problem: if the retailer is only willing to do a return of any sort within a certain amount of days, say 90, and you have purchased a Samsung PC133 512MB dimm, and for some odd reason it fails in 100 days...you're screwed. What was implied as a Lifetime Warranty, has been turned into 90 days.

I don't know how many of these companies will do consumer warranty replacements/repairr, but SAMSUNG is not one of them (lifetime of the shipping time I guess is what they meant). They told me that they will do NOTHING for my DOA dimm situation, as I must go through the retailer (CNETPC...so I may be stuck with it for life).


All I want is an honest vendor...plllzzz. Is that too much to ask? I'd do it myself...but that requires a bit more capitol than I have.

[TOAD6147]

"I'd do it myself..."
Do WHAT yourself? Most manufacturers will not deal with anybody except the person who bought the RAM from them. In most cases that's a vendor. You should be getting the replacement from your vendor. Have you talked with them and explained the situation? If you are not getting satisfaction you can suggest that you frequent many popular computer forums and one inparticular called Reseller Ratings.com. That should get their attention. In any event, you can rate any vendor that you've had dealings with.

[vfrxsw]

If you want lifetime warranty on mermory buy it from Mushkin
http://www.mushkin.com

[FreakyOCR]

Or buy from Crucial.... click the link in the top right and support TechIMO at the same time!

[Ed_S]

Hello to a fellow St Louisan, and welcome to TechIMO!

Never dealt with Samsung, but I've run into "lifetime warranty" run-a-rounds on lots of products. And NOT just comp-related, either.

Lifetime warranty on comp parts is ludicrous, anyway. Like they're still gonna MAKE it in 20 yrs??? Yeah, right.
Vendors usually tell you the warranty is from the manufacturer - and the manufacturer wants you to pay the shipping & be without the product for the duration! IF they'll even deal with an individual...

IMO, every vendor & store should be the warranty agent for any product they sell for the duration of the warranty period, and a lifetime warranty should be good as long as the product exists, regardless of who owns it when it fails!


I've come to the conclusion that there is only ONE company with a true acceptable lifetime warranty. SEARS CRAFTSMAN TOOLS! Walk in with old one, any age, in any condition - including intentionally modified - and walk out with a new. No reciept required, either. This is how it should be regardless of the type of product, but anybody else puts limitations or stipulations on it.

As to the "purchase agreement" you mentioned, well, that's easy. If you don't agree with it, don't buy from them! But be sure to write or email them that you've taken your business elsewhere due to this.

[DangerSeeker]

That I have done on two occassions thus far: wrote the company to tell them I would be more than happy to purchase from them, under a modified agreement. Of course, no need to respond, as they have plenty of victims already. I will not deal with a company that mentions a 1-yr, 2-yr, or Lifetime warranty in the product description, then states they will have little or nothing to do with the product once it leaves their possesion. And I've even seen some agreements state their sales are final and AS-IS! That's insane...no need to even write them, just to stay away.

And this horrible fad of charging customers for the retailer's own mistakes...that I can not deal with, either. Now, granted, many of the posts I have read around here (such as NewEgg's) seem to be a load of happy customers, but their agreement is still unacceptable for me, therefore I will not yet purchase from them. But anyway, it can be a tough world getting computer parts in this market. It's a battle between profit and ethics...and wouldn't ya know it, the $$$ always wins. But when ya get jypped...that $20 difference turns into $120 difference very quickly if ya get stuck with dry toast.

[Geotpf]

I just read through all of Newegg's (quite long) policy list-nothing really stood out as bad-in fact, it was, quite reasonable. What problem do you have with it???

[voogru]

Originally posted by vfrxsw
If you want lifetime warranty on mermory buy it from Mushkin
http://www.mushkin.com

mushkin pwns all!

[DangerSeeker]

Here are some things I have a problem with. Are they the new standard in PC parts retail? If so...I guess I will have to give in eventually...

1)
"All refunds, including defective and DOA CPU's, will be charged a 15% restocking fee"

Restocking fee on a defective return? No way in hell. The sales man on the phone assured me this was not enforced...but when the guy on the phone contrasts the written agreement, problems WILL arise.

2)
"Customer pays return shipping on all service"

I do not like the idea of paying shipping for an error on their part.

3)
"Restocking Fee
A 15% restocking fee will be applied to all returns for refund. Shipping charges are non-refundable. No refund after 30 days."

This one is standard, but I still don't like it. I know it was designed for preventing loss from returns due to impulse purchases and people who just don't know what they were getting into, but they're taking it too far. This term applies to ALL returns for refunds, so if they ship me a wrong part, then screw something up again (another wrong part, or defective...), that is it for me. If things go horribly wrong like this, I want to be able to return the second screw up, and get my money back so I can go elsewhere with it. Single screw ups happen, and I can deal with them just fine. But if you screw up twice in a row with my order, there are problems that need addressing, and I do not wish to be the beta tester for ironing out these problems. Again, over the phone I was assured this was not the case [it applying to ALL refunds], but be forewarned with discrepancies as such.

4)
"The customer opinion reviews are used at the discretion of Newegg.com as a marketing device for positive and constructive ways to share the benefit of the product. It is not used as a source for negative commentary as we cannot endorse the validity of any negative comment. Therefore, the Newegg.com site is moderated to remove any unproven biased negative comments. "

Understandable...to a point. This still gives me a bit of the ethical creeps.

[Geotpf]

Hmmm...I see your point. However, almost all online sellers have these policies or worse. Most require you to pay return shipping one way (some two ways). Most require restock fees for non-defective returns. I didn't realize they charged a restock if you wanted a refund on a defective product, but, in my mind, if I want the product the first time I ordered it, I probably will want a replacement, not a refund, if it arrives DOA. If the same product is screwed twice in a row, I'm sure they will waive such a fee. Some places won't give refunds at all, but will force you to take another one in return. As for the message boards, that's kinda sleazy, but it's better than no message board at all. Besides, what makes me worried is not thier technical policies, but whether they will ship the product, the correct product, in a reasonable amount of time, in the condition stated on the website (IE if it says new retail, you won't get OEM or used or refurbished equipment). Also, if you do return a product, will you get a replacement in a reasonable amount of time? Now, after all that, I should say I haven't actually ordered from them...but I trust the collective consiousness that says they are, like, cool man.