Be a smart consumer. The next time you shop for an electrical appliance - be it a washing machine, washer-dryer, air conditioner, TV set or computer - think well ahead.
Think ahead in terms of the costs of warranty/maintenance and repair over the expected life span of the appliance.
It may sound like an impossible task. But help is at hand from the Consumer Council which has just completed a massive survey on 44 brands of these 5 types of household electrical appliances.
The survey, based on information from sole agents in January this year and subsequently updated earlier this month, focused on the terms and fees of warranty for new products, maintenance schemes, and repair services.
The result is a grand overview of a comprehensive comparative survey to assist both buyers and users. The highlights include:
Warranty/Maintenance
- Warranty period in the majority of cases is 1 to 2 years.
- Warranty period for major parts (e.g. compressor of air-conditioners, the picture tube or panel of a television set) may differ from the other parts of the appliance concerned. Certain brands require payment for replacement of these parts even in their maintenance schemes.
- Maintenance fees vary vastly from $200 to $12,000 per contract period of 1 to 4 years.
- Some brands provide no maintenance plans to all, while some only owners on outlying islands.
- Accessories, casing, non-functional parts and consumables are generally not covered in the warranty and maintenance contracts.
- During warranty or maintenance periods, most brands will provide house-call service to owners in urban areas; owners on outlying islands may be charged $50-$500 extra (on weekdays).
- Appliance owners on outlying islands and remote areas may also need to arrange own transport for delivery to the workshop or to an accessible location for collection and examination should workshop service be required.
- Most brands require notebook computers to be brought in for workshop examination and repair. On-site support maintenance scheme is available for some brands but at a higher price.
Repair Service
- Fees are mainly for examination, labour, and transportation services. For those brands that charge labour separately and not as part of the examination fee, the charge is between $50 and $1,500.
- In general, transportation fees are from $90 to $850 for the delivery of products to and from the workshop for repairs.
- On-site examination fees range from $50 to $2,000 for owners in urban areas; extra fees may be charged for those on outlying islands and remote areas.
For details, consumers are urged to refer to the report in this March issue of CHOICE.
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