A survey on after sales service of computer products revealed that there were a lot of restrictions on replacement and maintenance services. Consumers are advised to check carefully at the point of sale for better protection.
In 2011, the Consumer Council received 667 consumer complaints on computer products, which is 2.3 times of the 284 cases in 2010. Most of the complaints (68%) involved repairing services, product quality or sales practices.
The January issue of CHOICE highlighted some of the complaint cases. In one case, the complainant was denied a notebook replacement even though it was clearly stated on the receipt that a defective product would be replaced within 7 days of purchase. In another case, the maintenance fee quoted to the complainant was higher than what he had paid for the brand new tablet PC four months before the product broke down.
In the survey, the Consumer Council collected information on after sales policy from sole agents of 22 brands of notebook, netbook and tablet computers and 6 chain stores selling digital products. A total of 12 brands and 3 chain stores responded.
Highlights of the survey results are:
Replacement for defective products
- Sole agents of 10 brands offered replacements to within 7 to 30 days after the purchase or delivery of the products provided that the defects were not caused by improper use of the products. The remaining two stores only provided free-of-charge maintenance.
- All responded chain stores offered replacements for defective products within 10 to 15 days after the purchase or delivery of the products. However, there may be conditions for replacements which include, among others, verification by staff of store that the defect was not caused by improper use of the product or by any liquid substance, and that there was no scratch mark on the product. Customers were also required to return the complete and intact packing, clean warranty card and product manual, accessories that came with the unit, together with the invoice.
- Under certain circumstances, retailers might require the customers to present proof from designated service centre that the defective product was "dead on arrival" before a replacement could be arranged.
Warranty and Maintenance
- Warranty provided by most sole agents or service centres ranged from 1 to 2 years, while certain models of one brand offered 3 years warranty.
- For products not functioning properly after repeated repairs, most of the brands replied that they would continue to offer repair service until they were fixed. But some sole agents were not so definite in their reply.
- 5 brands responded that they would stop providing maintenance service to products in 2 to 5 years after the production ceased.
- Storage life of spare parts also ranged from 2 to 5 years after the production ceased for all the brands surveyed.
Maintenance is an important consideration for consumers in choosing a computer product. The Council opined that sole agents should devise clear guidelines for repeated repairs, and announce such guidelines on their company or product websites for consumers' reference. As the absence of servicing or spare parts may render the product unusable, the Council also urges the sole agents to provide information of servicing period and storage life of spare parts on their websites.
Consumers are also advised to keep the complete packing and accessories until the free-of-charge replacement period is over. Consumers should fill in the warranty card or register their product online after the said period unless the product manual specified otherwise.
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