Square Trade Warranty 

“Yesterday I received an email from square trade regarding my Motorola that they were unable to repair the phone and a check for the amount of $169.00 has been issued to cover to the cost of the phone. I couldn’t believe if the email was true therefore I decided to call square trade myself to verify if I am getting $169.00 from them.”

from the Chicago Tribune…

“Why shouldn’t doctors stand by their work, especially given what we pay for service?

This is the idea behind the radical “surgery with a warranty” program launched by Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania, which essentially pays surgeons for their patients’ outcome, rather than their effort.

The program, called ProvenCare, charges a flat fee that includes 90 days of follow-up treatment on elective heart bypass surgery. The warranty charges more upfront for the surgery, but covers post-surgical outcomes and is seen as a revolutionary business model in health care. “

Not all that exciting but necessary. Anybody going?

“CLEPA to hold warranty conference on 10 May

3rd May 2007

The 2007 Warranty Conference for members of the European automotive suppliers’ association CLEPA will be held in Brussels on 10 May. CLEPA is organising the conference to keep members up to date with the developments in warranty practices and to help them benefit from the work being carried out by its Warranty Working Group. The conference will include an overview of the latest EU position on the automotive industry and a review of European vehicle warranty trends.

Toyota’s Senior General Manager Quality, European Operations, and J. D. Powers and Associates Senior Director of European Operations, will be the keynote speakers.

CLEPA believes that everyone who is working with the customer needs to have a good understanding of this subject (including Sales and Marketing, Quality/Warranty and Legal departments).”

From PC Magazine…

“According to retail analysts The NPD Group, more and more American consumers are opting to buy their warranties directly from the manufacturer, or from a third party.

However, the choices did vary. PC owners chose to do it themselves, as 52 percent of consumers surveyed said they bought their PC warranty either from the manufacturer or a third party, with 27 percent buying from a big-box retailer.

However, the big-box retailers also convinced a growing number of PC consumers to buy an extended warranty, covering additional years or levels of support. In general, PC OEMs either did not offer an extended warranty or were simply outsold by the big-box retailers, as manufacturers only captured between 7 and 8 percent of the PC extended-warranty market.

Independent installers convinced more consumers to buy a warranty for home theater installations, or 26 percent. But when it came to flat-panel TVs, the big-box retailers owned the secondary warranty business, NPD found.

Fifty-two percent of consumers who said they purchased installation services for their desktop computer in the past year did so from either an independent installer or directly from the manufacturer. Only 27 percent purchased installation services from big box retailers.”

“Ok enough of the weather. I’ve been a bit busy working (UGH) lately so the website has been abused. I did correct my cell phone problem by going the Ebay route and getting a SLVR from aVZW reseller no doubt. Yes it cost less than buying it direct from VZW, I didn’t have to extend my contract, there were no questions or restrcition placed on me and the damn thing works.

The best part is for a $29 one time payment I get a SquareTrade warranty for 3years vs paying some crappy VZW sub-contractor $6 a month for insurance that doesn’t cover as well as the $29. In those 3years if the phone fails for any reason, they either get a few days to fix it, replaxce it with a new like / same phone or give me my original price paid back to me. Sounds too good to be true but better than VZW’s insurance giving you a POS phone as a loaner while they break your original overpriced one…”

From The Olympian…

“Two lawmakers who fired off criticisms when House Speaker Frank Chopp killed their home-warranty legislation have softened their tone.

“I don’t want to start a war. I don’t see any good coming from a war with Frank Chopp,” Democratic Sen. Brian Weinstein of Mercer Island said Tuesday. “After he killed the bill, he was gracious enough to come see me in my office Friday afternoon. I was very angry and he was polite.”

Weinstein’s proposal, Substitute Senate Bill 5550, created a 10-year home warranty for new-home buyers. It guaranteed entire structures for 10 years and covered some details. Among those details were guarding against general defects for two years, electrical and plumbing problems for three years, and moisture for five years…”

From MacNewsWorld…

“Apple has promoted itself as the anti-company — truly interested in building great products and making its customers happy. So when the products break down, consumers feel betrayed, especially if it happens after Apple’s limited one-year warranty has expired, or results from an uncovered accidental drop.

Apple’s products are getting more and more expensive. Its latest video iPod tops $400 — a not-inconsequential replacement sum.

Then there is the iTunes-iPod synergy, which essentially means you are married to an iPod for life if you have invested a considerable amount of money in iTunes content…”

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…”

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…”

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…”