If you’re like most people, you can’t help capitalizing on a good deal. But before you hand over your hand-earned money, let’s take a minute to consider the importance of warranties and what they mean.
A Promise of Performance
A warranty is a written promise of performance regarding the quality and durability of a product.
It is the company’s assurance to its customers guaranteeing the reliability of their product to perform as stipulated without defect or breakdown.
Warranties are public statements of the company’s commitment to excellence – both in terms of their product quality and customer satisfaction. Think of it as insurance.
As a legally binding contract of the company’s belief in their product’s ability to function in a particular way – and their readiness to accept responsibility and redress if it doesn’t – a warranty provides peace-of-mind and protects your investment in the long run.
The Difference Between a Warranty and Guarantee
Warranties are often confused with guarantees – the major difference being that a warranty is a written guarantee.
The guarantee is implicit in the warranty covering a product.
The warranty applies to the product only. A guarantee includes not only the product, but also the service, people and customer satisfaction and even covers money back conditions.
A warranty can vary from free repair to complete replacement with authorised repairers. They generally exclude wear and tear from breakage, misuse, or lack of maintenance.
The warranty stipulates how repairs or replacement will take place in the event of defective or damaged goods. It specifies the period within which, and the specific terms and conditions (T’s & C’s), under which these remedies shall occur. It is critical that these limitations and T’s & C’s are clearly understood to avoid disappointment, unnecessary expense and poor outcomes.
Common Misconceptions Regarding Warranties
Let’s be clear about what a warranty is NOT: it is NOT a catch-all contract guaranteeing continual repair and replacement for negligence or breakage.
However, it IS a contract to repair or replace a faulty product that does not function as it should during the specified period.
Most warranty claims require Proof of Purchase, details of the problem and a copy of the warranty obtained at the time of purchase. The warranty will continue after replacement, without extending the terms of the original contract.
Let’s understand these differences using a practical example:
Eva-Last offers various limited warranties on their different decking brands. The warranty for that brand details the expected durability and performance over the warranty period, in terms of colourfastness and wear and tear of the product over its lifespan.
So, if your deck were to develop any abnormalities, which when assessed is considered to be a product failure, Eva-Last will replace or repair the affected boards.
However, if by example, a surface change was caused by you cleaning it with an abrasive chemical (not recommended) that damaged or discoloured the surface, you will not be covered.
The warranty DOES NOT cover poor workmanship of contractors or resultant damages that may occur from an incorrect installation.
Every claim will be considered on its individual merits.
Say for instance, an installer overlooks the load requirements of a deck or fails to consult an engineer for a commercial application, incorrect joist spacing could result in deck instability. This might lead to warped boards or create potential safety hazards. This is not considered a product failure, but rather an installation failure. For this reason, it is imperative to use qualified installers who are very familiar with building code regulations and the manufacturers installation guidelines.
Fortunately, Eva-Last provides detailed installation guidelines and extensive training for every product range to minimise such mishaps.
Buyer Beware!
The right to a safe, quality product is regulated by laws such as the Consumer Protection Act or Consumer Product Safety Act (or similar). Consumers are entitled to demand good quality products in good working order, free of defects.
Be aware of unscrupulous suppliers that don’t offer clearcut warranties, leaving you in the lurch. Reputable companies such as Eva-Last back their products with class-leading warranties. As evidence of their uncompromising commitment to quality, safety and customer satisfaction, you can rest assured your composite products will perform as promised.
