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Thread ID: 77391	2007-03-07 22:33:00	Jog my memory (sic)	tuxer (11969)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
531119	2007-03-07 22:33:00	What does the term "lifetime warranty" really mean (the legal precedence) when attached to a piece of computer hardware? Has the quality of modern semiconductor design, as some suppliers are inferring, now evolved to the point where its expectant lifespan is the same as that of a common household pest?:badpc:	tuxer (11969)
531120	2007-03-07 22:51:00	lifetime warranty means that the item is warranted for as long as it lasts. :D	mark c (247)
531121	2007-03-08 00:19:00	When it breaks, you get to keep all the pieces ;)	R2x1 (4628)
531122	2007-03-08 06:33:00	Lifetime! Daah. I recently discovered that a SDRAM module fitted into a computer purchased (along with a bunch of other computers of the same or similar type and specifications) in 2002, had been incorrectly labelled and was of half the capacity shown ie 128MB instead of 256MB. All the other computers were fitted with 256MB and all came installed with WinXP. I was not the original purchaser so I could not provide the receipt to the retailer, and as it was purchased by a business and therefore not covered by the CGA, I rang the importer directly. They told me that they had taken over the agency (Transcend) in 2005 and therefore would not honour a warranty on an item which they had not sold. I suggested to them that when they took on the agency, they also took on all its responsibilities, including the lifetime warranty on items sold previously. They were adamant that they were only liable for warranties on those items sold after they took on the agency. They suggested that I email Transcend directly; I twice sent a query to an email address in the States four weeks ago, but I have yet to see any response. Secondly, and because the computer was operating very slowly without the extra capacity, I made enquiries at several retailers for 256MB SDRAM with a lifetime warranty and was shown 2 or 3 different brands, all clearly labelled with a "lifetime warranty" sticker. When I queried them about the "warranty", I was, in most cases, told that the supplier warranty of "12 months only" applied. The other few cases where the retailer quoted a "lifetime warranty" left me wondering about the dubious success of any later claim, given that the brands were the exact same as those with the curtailed warranty. So what is one actually paying the extra for, given the difference in price? The "lifetime warranty" surcharge? That's just a tongue-in-cheek reply (the same as is usually given to you by the ignorant retailer). We know the difference a better quality DRAM chip makes, don't we folks!:2cents: BTW- Cammington 256MB ECC SDRAM with a lifetime warranty cost me nearly $1000 back in 1998. Haven't tried to claim warranty on it yet... haven't needed too cos the PII's still running.:2cents:	tuxer (11969)
531123	2007-03-08 06:53:00	Hehe, reminds me of a Reader's Digest anecdotal picture showing a repairman giving back his customer a DVD player while saying 'The player is guaranteed for life, which obviously ended when it broke'.	qazwsxokmijn (102)
531124	2007-03-08 09:54:00	Lifetime of the product as in until next product cycle!	SolMiester (139)
531125	2007-03-08 20:15:00	Yes as Solmeister says - the lifetime of the product. That varies, you can ask them exactly how long that is. Most flash ram is 5 years for instance.	pctek (84)
531126	2007-03-08 20:26:00	This would be an excellent question to ask Consumer Affairs (for a definitive and legally enforceable answer) or Consumers Institute for a consumer-oriented opinion . For business purchases the situation may be different, but a variation on the theme should still apply . As usual, the devil will lie in the detail, so in each case you would have to check the fine print in the warranty clause . In addition to the usual fire, flood, pestilence, civil uprising, marriage or nuclear holocaust exemptions, the most likely caveat would be that the warranty is confined to the original purchaser, and almost without doubt the sales receipt would have to be provided as proof of purchase . My view is that "lifetime" should be the lifetime of the application for the product, therefore for RAM it would be until the computer was decommissioned . If the RAM in my P166 had a lifetime warranty it would still be alive, though I doubt that the supplier could provide a compatible replacement anymore . Another example could be a lifetime warranty on the non-stick coating for a frying pan . That would be applicable until the pan could no longer be used i . e . the handle fell off . That's not the best of examples though, because you can bet that overheating, scratching and scouring would not be covered . The only true lifetime guarantee I can think of is on life itself . You are guaranteed to stay alive until the end of your life, at which point you and the guarantee expire simultaneously . No proof of purchase required, no claims accepted . Cheers Billy 8-{)	Billy T (70)
531127	2007-03-09 06:46:00	My view is that "lifetime" should be the lifetime of the application for the product, therefore for RAM it would be until the computer was decommissioned . If the RAM in my P166 had a lifetime warranty it would still be alive, though I doubt that the supplier could provide a compatible replacement anymore . Nope . Its the lifespan of the product, which is when they think its superceded . And you can still buy FP and EDO ram . . . . . . . . .	pctek (84)
531128	2007-03-09 07:03:00	Nope. Its the lifespan of the product, which is when they think its superceded.Which is precisely why I suggested that this would be an excellent question to ask Consumer Affairs or Consumers Institute. Lifespan of the product is an indeterminate period and leaves all power and control in the hands of the manufacturer, which is why we need consumer protection and legal options in the first place. I'd be surprised if the Ministry of Consumer Affairs agreed with that interpretation. Cheers Billy 8-{)	Billy T (70)
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