All Most brand new products that you purchase will come with a warranty. Uncle Google defines warranty as “a written guarantee, issued to the purchaser of an article by its manufacturer, promising to repair or replace it if necessary within a specified period of time.” Thank God for warranties otherwise we would all risk falling prey to unscrupulous manufacturers.
Computer hardware also comes with warranties – and that’s a good thing. Not all warranties are equal however and it is critical to understand the subtle differences between them so as to be able to make an informed choice.
Warranty period
This is the period during which the hardware is covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. Periods can be one year, three years, four and even lifetime for some products.
Service type
a) Depot / Return to base service
This is a straight forward return to store service that you typically get when you purchase hardware from retail shops. If any hardware issue arises you may be able to get telephone support from the manufacturer and if the issue is not resolved, you would be required to drop off the hardware at a service centre or store where you purchased the hardware. Hardware return can also be by courier. Turnaround times are typically 2 weeks.
b) Pickup and Return
Manufacturers will, at their expense, pick up the defective hardware from your location, repair it, and return it back to your location.
c) Onsite Service
Under this warranty the manufacturer will dispatch a technician to your site to undertake any repairs that may be required. The technician will take to site any spare parts that may be required to complete the repairs. Onsite services typically come with response times such as Next Business Day or 4 Hour response.
Onsite services additionally have a service availability component. This is the period that the service will be available and typical times can be 24X7 (All day and everyday) ,9X5 (9hrs and 5 days of the week) etc.
Conclusion
As you can see there is more to warranty than meets the eye. Granted you may never need to use your warranty but in the event you do, you want to make sure it’s the right warranty. If your computer is critical to your work and you cant afford to be without it for long then you will definitely want to ensure you get onsite warranty.
We recommend the Onsite Warranties as they provide quick problem resolutions with no added inconvenience to you. This is a service we have used for our clients and we highly recommend. The hardware we sell in our shop will typically carry a 3 Year onsite warranty as standard. Check it out.