XBox 360 Warranty

Blankenthoughts has a great post on the changes in Microsoft’s XBox 360 warranty policy.  It is definitely worth the read.  I have included a snippet below.

“If you bought your 360 prior to January 1, 2006, you are one of the lucky few that got yourself a 1-year warranty on your machine. For those that purchased after that date, I believe the standard warranty is 90 days…”

Warranty Registration Cards too Much?

From the New York Daily News

“Warranty or product registration cards often have more to do with marketing and mailing lists than documenting ownership of a product. For warranty purposes, the only information a manufacturer needs is your name, the date you purchased the product, its model and serial numbers, and a way to contact you in the event of a product recall.

But the registration cards usually ask you to provide much more, including marital status, the size of your household, frequency of travel and favorite activities. There’s no good reason why a company that makes microwaves is interested in knowing you like to ski – except one.

Profit. Companies use warranty registration forms to compile buyer profiles, which they sell to other companies for marketing purposes. Much of the data end up at companies like Equifax, a credit-reporting agency that counts warranty registration forms among the sources of information it uses to compile information on about 400 million consumers and businesses worldwide…”

Bill on New Home Warranties Dead?

From the Rocky Mountain News…
“…in its present form it goes too far in redressing the balance of power.

According to Scott Sullan, a well-known homeowners’ attorney, the bill is needed because builders frequently force their customers to sign waivers forfeiting their right to sue for damages that they should be entitled to collect under the Construction Defect Action Reform Act of 2003.

The bill would effectively void all such waivers as being against public policy. That’s fine, but the builders argue persuasively that the bill goes much farther than that.

First, it would apply not only to future purchase contracts but retroactively, up to six years back. That appears to violate the state constitution’s prohibition against ex post facto laws that would impair existing contracts.

More important, the bill would effectively eliminate the express warranty builders offer home buyers now. By creating “implied,” unspecified warranties, it would turn every little bit of buyer’s remorse into an opportunity to sue…”

Accounting Systems, Inc. Acquires Service and Warranty Management for Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200

Accounting Systems, Inc. (ASI), a leading provider of business software and network solutions located in Columbia, South Carolina, announced today that they have acquired Service and Warranty Management, a custom-developed add-on product designed exclusively for Sage MAS 90 and Sage MAS 200.

Service and Warranty Management is a comprehensive solution designed for the Service Depot Industry and is completely integrated with Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200. ASI purchased this product to enhance the breadth of its service offering to existing clients and direct focus to an industry that is underserved. Brian Kelly, President of ASI, states, “Our goal is to develop, nurture and support Service and Warranty Management to become the leading product for small- and medium-sized businesses in the Service Depot Industry.”

In conjunction with its acquisition of Service and Warranty Management, ASI also announced today that they’ve completed the required training and testing to become authorized as a Sage Software Master Developer for Sage MAS 90 and Sage MAS 200. The Sage Master Developer program is administered by Sage Software and enables Sage-authorized business partners to write custom program modifications, add-on modules and even stand alone products that are fully integrated with Sage MAS 90 and Sage MAS 200.

As a Master Developer, ASI has access to development tools that will enable them to continue enhancing and supporting Service and Warranty Management as well as a host of other far-reaching benefits. Brian Kelly adds, “Becoming a Sage Master Developer is long overdue for ASI. As a Master Developer, we can deliver solutions to our clients that will enable them to replace or consolidate disparate business systems into a single, fully integrated solution. It also gives us a competitive advantage over other software resellers that are limited to providing “out-of-the-box” solutions.

About ASI

ASI provides high quality products, services, and consulting to businesses that choose to focus on doing what it takes to drive their bottom line rather than focus on the systems they use to get there. As an authorized business partner of Sage Software, we implement market-leading business applications including Sage MAS 90, Sage MAS 200, Sage BusinessWorks Accounting, and Peachtree by Sage.

Jewlery Warranties, Service and Insurance

From Dave West…

“Many jewelry retailers will have some sort of warranty policy should your jewelry suffer from manufactures defects. The time limit on these warranties varies from store to store, so it is important not only to ask how long the warranty period is but also what are its limitations. Some stores will offer “lifetime” warranties as a tactic to help close the sale. Many customers find these types of warranties comforting.

Lifetime warranties are fine as long as it is understood that for the warranty to remain in effect the jewelry must be cleaned and checked, by the store that sold it, usually every 6 months (which is a good idea anyway)…”

History of Warranties

Ann Walker has a great write-up on the history of warranties over at the Auto Warranty blog.

” When you are studying used car warranties and extended warranties, have you ever wondered where warranties came from anyway? OK, so you just care about cost and reliable providers, but it gives you pause when you consider there was a time when warranties didn’t exist at all…”

Save Yourself a Lot of Headaches with an Extended Vehicle Warranty

From the Sleepy Eye Herald Dispatch…

“No matter what goes wrong, you’ll likely be in for some costly repairs that will run you more than your monthly mortgage. But there is a way to protect yourself. Before your bumper-to-bumper warranty from the manufacturer runs out, shop around for an extended warranty.

Not one from the dealer, which would charge you a small fortune, but from an outside company that will be able to offer you a more competitive price. Not sure where to begin your search? Log on to www.LowLender.com and fill out a quick form, then wait for the offers to come to you…”

House Agrees to Home Buyer Rights Bill

From the Rocky Mountain News…

 ”The measure, House Bill 1338, would prevent home buyers from being forced to sign builder warranties that strip away their legal rights to have home defects fixed.

Calling the bill “the trial lawyers’ dream,” Rep. Bob Gardner, R-Colorado Springs, predicted that the legislation will be struck down as unconstitutional for allowing consumers to retroactively escape contract clauses on home purchases stretching back years.

But sponsor Rep. Jack Pommer, D-Boulder, said the bill simply requires home builders to abide by the industry-backed Construction Defect Action Reform Act of 2003, which shielded home builders by requiring buyers to negotiate repairs first before taking legal action and capping damage awards…”

Warranty Group Announces Agreement

The Warranty Group, a subsidiary of Onex (TSX: OCX – News) today announced an agreement with United Country Real Estate to offer an exclusive home warranty program.

The program, named “The United Country Home Protection Plan” will have emphasis on rural America and be available in all 50 states to all over 600 United Country offices. The policies will cover multiple dwellings and offer comprehensive coverage on appliances, systems and even heating and air conditioning without age limitations.

Home warranties often increase listings and sales, while potentially reducing costs and risks to sales associates. Homeowners benefit through protection against unexpected expenses related to home repairs.

“United Country is a perfect partner for our innovative approach to enhanced buyer loyalty and satisfaction,” said Mike Frosch, President & COO of TWG Home Warranty, Inc. “Our industry-leading home warranty expertise will be a win/win for United Country brokers and their customers.”

“Partnering with The Warranty Group further differentiates United Country and adds even greater value to our customer experience,” said Lou Francis, President of United Country Real Estate. “Our Home Protection Plan will give even greater peace of mind to our valued clients.”

The United Country Home Protection Plan will be available on all homes listed by United Country.

About The Warranty Group

The Warranty Group is the world’s premier provider of extended service plans, with operations in 33 countries and 2100 employees. By providing underwriting, claims administration, compliance and marketing expertise, The Warranty Group is a single-source solution for manufacturers, distributors and retailers of consumer goods including autos, homes, consumer electronics and appliances. http://www.thewarrantygroup.com .

About United Country Real Estate

United Country is the only national franchise system specializing in country real estate throughout America. The company offers the largest selection of rural properties ranging from small city and town residential properties, second homes, retirement, recreational, ranch, farm commercial and more. United Country has the #1 country real estate website at http://www.unitedcountry.com . With a heritage dating back to 1925, United Country has more than 600 offices from coast-to-coast.

Warranty News of the Day – 3/28/2007

HP Voids Warranty if You Load Linux

“A woman bought a Compaq laptop and loaded Ubuntu on it. Some time later, still well inside the 1-year hardware warranty, the keyboard started acting up. An HP support rep told her, “Sorry, we do not honor our hardware warranty when you run Linux…”

Why do I Want a Vehicle Warranty

“Of course your car is now out of warranty and you’ll have to pick up 100 percent of the bill. It’s times like this that you wish you had signed up for the extended warranty they offered when you bought your car or truck… “

Upgrading iPod Voids Warranty but May Be Worth It

“…this voids your iPod’s warranty, and that the original hardrive only costs around $100, I recommend that you either upgrade it yourself, if you don’t mind taking the risk, or realize that you don’t really have a need to carry your entire music collection around with you at all times… “

How to Buy an Auto Extended Warranty

“People ask me why the warranty companies refuse to offer them a warranty on their high performance car. You won’t find any warranty company foolish enough to offer coverage on vehicles like Land Rover (poor quality, frequent and expensive repairs), Jaguar (expensive repairs), Mercedes ALG ($20,000 engine), and most turbo engines like Porsche, etc….”