The relationship between service centers and customers is far from a simple "bring it in for repair - take it back" scheme. Most often, problems arise during the delivery and registration of equipment that is under warranty. Sometimes they are associated with well-known tricks and tricks that customers try to use to get free repairs.
The client most often carries faulty equipment to where he bought it - to the store or supplier. But if the trade organization does not have its own authorized service center, it would be more correct to immediately send the device to the manufacturer's SC - anyway, the store will do the same, only it may be longer. Time gain is especially important for small companies, who independently maintain their fleet of computer and office equipment and often do not have enough replacement stock for the period of repair.
The performance of the device and the elimination of factory defects are guaranteed by the manufacturer, and not by the store, supplier company or authorized service center. In terms of warranty repairs, sales organizations and service centers are guided by the instructions received from the vendor or the main service provider.
Double standarts
Typically, the warranty period for technical products ranges from 6 months to 3 years, depending on the type of device and the specific manufacturer. Interestingly, the term rarely depends on the reliability, technical complexity and size of the device. For example, a computer system unit may have only a year of warranty, and a small navigator - two. Often this turns out to be a marketing ploy by the manufacturer in order to attract buyers. 
The warranty period rarely depends on the reliability, technical complexity and size of the device.
Already at the stage of establishing the warranty period, various tricks begin. Trade organizations can “play” with them, providing themselves with more favorable working conditions. For example, a product may have a 2-year warranty, but the seller announces only 1 year. This can be wrong small shops and points of sale who do not want to deal with service.
Why it happens? Service center employees know that there are two warranty periods: one - from the date of sale - is set for the buyer, the second - from the date of production - for the trade organization. Due to the fact that the devices go quite a long way from the factory to the cash register (transportation, customs clearance, warehousing), the second warranty period is longer. For example, with a warranty of 3 years from the date of sale, the maximum warranty period from the date of manufacture is 3 years 6 months.
As soon as the established period from the date of production expires, the manufacturer declines responsibility for warranty repairs. And, if there is a guarantee on the coupon, but in reality it has ended, this only means that the product has not been sold for too long. Claims should be presented not to the manufacturer or service center, but to the store. Therefore, when buying, you need to pay attention also to the date of manufacture of the device.
Insuring themselves against such cases, stores independently reduce the warranty period for some types of goods. Especially the discrepancy between the terms of the warranty applies to computer components.
How to hand over the goods
There is a popular belief that service centers do their best to refuse warranty repairs to customers. This is usually not the case. Although the authorized service center does not charge for warranty repairs, this work is paid for by the manufacturer or central service provider. That is, even on warranty repairs, the SC earns money. Therefore, it makes no sense for him to evade repairs or "kick back" the client for various reasons.
However, there certain rules acceptance of equipment and conditions of warranty service. Accordingly, the employees of the service center have certain instructions for receiving warranty equipment. To recognize a breakdown as a "warranty case", both certain documents and the compliance of the state of the equipment with certain criteria are required. And here situations may arise when the SC is released from obligations for warranty repairs.
The client must have a receipt or delivery note with the date of sale of the goods and a completed warranty card. However, by law, the absence of a warranty card is not a reason for denial of warranty. In theory, the main thing for the SC is to identify the product. Its employees can do this by the serial number and find out if the product with this number was produced at all, when it was manufactured and whether the warranty period has expired. This is what many companies do.
An additional advantage of checking by serial number is the ability to filter out "gray" devices. The SC will not repair free of charge goods that are imported unofficially and, accordingly, do not have a guarantee. Sometimes information is received that, for example, among scanners of a certain brand, only 10% of all those sold by retail were officially delivered. Accordingly, only a small part of all goods sold is subject to warranty service and this model is given Special attention when checking. Most of the equipment will be denied warranty repair with the wording: "Due to the absence of this serial number in the database of devices officially supplied to Russia."
If the serial number is missing or illegible, the service center has the right not to perform warranty repairs. However, many believe that the guarantee is carried out primarily by check and is counted from the date of sale. This opinion is supported by large shopping centers who carry out streaming trading without filling out a warranty card in each case. They usually tell customers the phrase: "Guarantee - by check." Yes, the store can accept faulty equipment according to the document of sale. In fact, it often happens that its employees send a client with a faulty device to a service center in order to save themselves from unnecessary trouble. And the client comes to the SC with a completely empty warranty card, which creates the risk of refusing free repairs.
Attempts to outwit
Sometimes the manufacturers of some devices themselves instruct sales organizations to accept goods for a guarantee against a sales receipt. This is convenient for end customers, but creates the basis for fraudulent activities. Some consumers are trying to return the device with an expired warranty on a different, more recent check. For example, it happens that clients use set-top boxes to organize gaming salons. Since they have several similar products, they can take advantage of the fact that the serial number is not indicated on the receipt and try to return the old set-top box with a new receipt.
Although disassembly and reassembly can be carried out by the customer carefully, without any traces of opening, service engineers are still able to detect tampering.
In this case, the countdown of the warranty period from the date of production, which was mentioned above, just comes into force. The expiration date is checked by the serial number. As a result, the customer may be denied the repair of the old product.
There are also attempts self repair or unsuccessful assembly of the product from two similar devices. And after these actions, people carry a non-working item to hand over under warranty. Although disassembly and reassembly can be carried out carefully by the customer, without any traces of opening, it is still possible for service engineers to detect tampering. For example, an ordinary consumer does not know all the degrees of protection and methods for their verification, which are indicated in the recommendations of vendors, issued with the mark "confidential for service centers."
The protection against consumer fraud can be the presence of another serial number, which must match the number on the outside of the device. Or it could be a sticker that changes color when heated or soaked in water, when you try to carefully remove it and then stick it in place. Or special kind a seal that does not look like a sticker - they do not pay attention to it during disassembly and are simply removed or displaced. Then the technical conclusion indicates the reason for the refusal of warranty service.
Defective consumables
A typical example of how customers try to deceive a service center is the delivery of goods damaged by low-quality consumables. Many companies, especially among SMBs, skimp on printer consumables and buy "compatible" or continuous ink systems despite vendor warnings.
Warranty cards usually say something like: "The warranty is void if damage to the device is caused by the use of non-standard or low-quality consumables." Consumers know this and change cartridges or ink tanks back to the original ones before handing over for repair, hoping that the trick will not be revealed.
Indeed, if the malfunction is not directly related to the use of "non-native" consumables, the service may not pay attention to this and accept the equipment under warranty. For example, the scanner unit of an all-in-one cannot possibly be broken by a cartridge. But if the print head of an inkjet printer is faulty, then the service center can conduct an examination and establish whether the client used the “correct” consumable.
Complex Devices
Some products, such as system blocks, consist of several replaceable parts. The warranty covers the entire device, and only those components that were originally included in it are subject to replacement. In principle, you can open the case system block to install additional accessories (for example, add HDD). However, you must not remove or change existing parts - this will void the warranty. For control in the places of attachment or connection of components, special stickers are glued, which are damaged when the part is removed.
In addition to stickers, there may also be a sticker with the logo of the assembly company and the warranty period. And, finally, in the warranty card or in the attached invoice, the complete set of the system unit is usually prescribed, indicating the models. And if the client does not provide these documents, then the seller can take his copy from the database and find all the necessary data. Therefore, the substitution trick usually does not work. True, few people specifically go for such tricks. Usually the situation occurs due to the ignorance of the client. For example, if a company, before installing a computer on workplace The IT department has replaced something in the system unit.
Quite often, laptops with a flooded keyboard come in for repairs. Of course, before handing over to the SC, the laptop is thoroughly cleaned and wiped to hide the incriminating fact. However, some of the liquid still gets inside the device, on the electronic board or other parts. Therefore, during disassembly, traces are found in the form of stains or sticky streaks, depending on the type of spilled liquid. If service engineers are at a loss to determine whether or not a warranty case is covered, they can take photographs, describe the problem, and request a solution from the service provider or manufacturer's representative.
Fear of substitution
Many users fear that during repairs, some components will be removed from the device and other, older parts will be installed. And instead of a faulty component, an obsolete or used spare part will be installed. But this is elementary checked, since the owner knows the composition of his computer and, as we said, there is even a written list of components of the system unit.
A separate issue is the installation by a service center of a non-similar spare part. Since the line of components is updated in a year and a half, something is discontinued, another part with the corresponding old characteristics can be supplied: a Hitachi hard drive instead of Samsung, etc.
It is important that neither the regional service center, nor even the service provider and the manufacturer are interested in deceiving the owner of the warranty equipment. On the contrary, the entire repair process for warranty equipment is designed to ensure a quick repair and eliminate the possibility of any fraud. Therefore, if some unpleasant moments happen on the part of the service center, then this is almost always a human factor, a violation of instructions by a specific employee.
When replacing components, for example, in a laptop, the numbers of the old and new parts are overwritten. This data is included in the repair report and defective parts are sent back to the manufacturer. Sometimes, after repairing equipment, vendor representatives check the quality of work. Since the repair reports include customer contact details, they may be called to ask if they are happy with the result and what exactly was done. And, if any discrepancy is found, appropriate sanctions can be applied to the service center.
Most often, disputes between equipment owners and service centers occur due to software failures. Although the warranty cards always state that the incorrect operation of the software is not a warranty case. Since the manufacturer is only responsible under warranty for hardware, especially since third-party software is usually used.
The argument is simple: since I bought the device bundled with this software That means everything should be repaired under warranty. This is not true, but often service centers go towards customers and restore the work of programs. And, since this is a common practice, the manufacturer can even pay for such actions to the service center, at a low rate.
Some users strongly demand that the service center provide them with a similar device during the repair, referring to the law "On the Protection of Consumer Rights". However, in this regard, at the beginning of the 90s, a decision was issued Supreme Court, which states that articles 20 and 21 of the law apply only to reimbursable relations. In other words, you can get equipment for use during warranty repairs only at the organization where the device was purchased. And the service center is a third-party organization, and it is not obliged to provide a replacement.
Rules of behavior
Briefly summarize the above, so that the repair goes without conflict situations and within reasonable time.
When buying, you need to require a completed warranty card. The store may close, the customer may move, and in the service center one of the requirements is the presence of a completed warranty card.
In the event of a malfunction, it is better to immediately contact an authorized service center, without wasting time on trade organization. The store will still send the equipment to the service, but directly it will turn out much faster.
During operation, it is important not to overwrite the serial number of the device. If the number is not readable, the service center may refuse warranty service.
Careful attitude to technology will help to avoid problems. And if third-party factors or the client himself are to blame for the malfunction, then warranty repairs are not performed.
Every piece of equipment fails sooner or later. It is considered that you are lucky if the warranty period has not yet expired. But in practice, service centers are in no hurry to repair equipment even under warranty. Why this happens and what to do with failed equipment, read on.
In the early 90s, the first copies began to enter our market. foreign technology. At that time, there were not so many service shops ready to take on the repair of the same Sony. And if the equipment failed, then, as a rule, it was either thrown away or left "until better times." Nowadays, the situation has changed radically - almost everyone big store for the sale of equipment has its own service workshops. In addition, the brands themselves are trying to expand the network of their own authorized services. In theory, there should not be any problems with the warranty repair of equipment. However, it is not. Very often, consumers complain that services increasingly do not recognize the case as a warranty case and offer to fix the breakdown for money. In honest performance warranty obligations only we are interested in the repair. Let's see why this happens and what to do in cases where the service refuses warranty repairs.
Why
Let's say the player you recently purchased broke down. The warranty period has not yet expired. Under the Consumer Protection Act, you can request a free repair, exchange of a product for a similar one, or a refund. As a rule, when contacting the seller with a request for an exchange of goods or a refund, he will send you to a service center to fix a broken item (although he does not have the right to impose a repair, more on that later). Actually, this desire of the seller is understandable - if he exchanges the goods for you or returns the money, then he himself will have to deal with the manufacturer and seek a refund for the defective item. Thus, stores are trying to get rid of these "butts" with the supplier.
As a rule, manufacturers and suppliers of equipment (they are called vendors) do not have their own services. Opening a service is expensive and not profitable, so suppliers enter into contracts with existing service workshops. This process is called authorization. Remember how often you heard the phrase "authorized service"? This means that the manufacturer has entered into an agreement with this service, thereby officially confirming that this service can repair the goods of this manufacturer and is fully responsible for this.
Under an agreement with the manufacturer, the device under warranty must be repaired by an authorized service at its own expense. All parts are also bought by the service for their own money. And the manufacturer, for example, once a month compensates the service for all the costs of spare parts and pays for repair services. But this does not always happen - if the manufacturer suspects that the case was not under warranty - the workshop will not receive a penny for this repair. Samsung especially often practices this - it carefully checks all cases, and for any "inconsistencies" it does not pay for repairs. This is due to their commitment to a three-year warranty. On average, the manufacturer does not pay up to 5% of all repairs. For some positions up to 10%.
This is the first reason why services do not want to undertake warranty repairs of equipment - there is a possibility that they will not be paid for this repair and they will remain at a loss.
The second reason is that repairing under warranty is simply not profitable for the service. After all, according to the contract concluded with the manufacturer, he must provide a solid discount to the supplier when paying for the warranty repair. For some groups of goods, this discount can reach 75% of the repair cost. Agree, it is not very profitable for the service to receive only 25% of the repair cost from the manufacturer. And taking into account the fact that the average profitability of a service workshop is about 3%, the business only on warranty repairs becomes practically unprofitable.
For these two reasons, the workshops are trying with all their might to prove to you that your case is not under warranty and repairs are possible only for your money. It is understandable. In this case, they will receive real money for repairs and spare parts, and will not wait for the manufacturer to pay them this money (and whether it will pay at all and how much is another question).
As a rule, the prices for such repairs can be compared with the cost of the product itself. This is due to the fact that the workshops, due to such non-warranty cases, compensate for their costs associated with warranty repairs (manufacturer discounts, refusals to pay for repairs, etc.), winding up the price tag two to three times. Another reason for such high prices for non-warranty and post-warranty repairs is the too expensive prices for spare parts supplied by the manufacturer. A TV in a store costs half as much as all the parts combined that make up this TV. The manufacturer's idea is clear - no need to repair, you need to buy a new one.
What to do
It is better not to contact the warranty repair. For the reasons described above, it is unprofitable for the service to make such repairs, so they will try to prove by hook or by crook that the case is not guaranteed.
If during the warranty period something happened to your TV, for example, and it is not your fault, then in accordance with Article 18 of the Consumer Rights Protection Law (LOZPP), you have the right to demand from the seller:
- replacement of goods with goods of the same brand;
- replacement of goods for goods of another brand with a surcharge;
- decrease in the price of goods;
- free repair of goods;
- money back.
If the seller refuses to return your money or exchange the product for another, and sends you to a service shop for repair (and you don’t want to repair, you need money), then you should know that this is completely illegal. You need to write a written claim, where you state your requirements and refer to Article 18 of the Law "On Protection of Consumer Rights". Be sure to sign the second copy with the seller. If he does not accept the application, send it by registered mail with a list of attachments and with acknowledgment of receipt. Within 10 days, the seller is obliged to independently conduct an examination and find out what happened to the goods. After this period, he must either return the money to you, or justify his refusal. Remember that for each day of delay, you are entitled to a penalty of 1% of the value of the goods for each day of delay (Articles 22 and 23 of the LOA).
If the seller did not respond to your claim, then contact the local branch of Rospotrebnadzor or directly to the court. The store will be penalized for non-compliance with the Consumer Protection Law and will be required to comply with your requirements. But, as a rule, the case does not reach the court - the store returns the money.
Most citizens fear that during the examination of the goods, the seller may intentionally cause damage, thereby turning your case into a non-warranty one. In this case, they should not return your money and change the goods - the damage was allegedly caused by you.
To remove these concerns, we recommend that you independently carry out an examination of the goods by contacting an independent service workshop (a workshop is a party not interested in your dispute). In the event that the examination shows that you are not to blame for the damage, the seller will be obliged to pay all your expenses for the examination. A free examination can be carried out in an authorized service. When you return the device, write on the receipt that you refuse to repair and want an inspection to be carried out and the cause of the malfunction determined. The authorized service has no right to refuse such a request. Note that the terms of such verification are not established by law and are determined by the agreement between you and the service.
But what to do if you are still going to hand over the device to the service for warranty repair?
Before handing over the device, be sure to check that all abrasions and scratches are recorded in the receipt (so that later it “suddenly” does not turn out that there was a crack on the case and the case turned out to be out of warranty). Demand that all visible damage be included on the receipt, and not just the wording “used”. In this case, it will be difficult to fabricate evidence that the case is not guaranteed.
Be aware that if the receipt does not indicate the timing of the repair, then according to the Consumer Protection Law, the repair must be carried out immediately (Article 20, paragraph 1 of the LOZPP). You can write an additional application, where you indicate the period during which the repair must be made, for example, 7 days.
If the repair is not completed within the specified period, then you have the right to refuse the repair, pick up the device and demand money from the seller. Or, not to take the device out of repair, but to demand payment of a penalty in the amount of 1% of the cost of the goods per day (Article 23 of the LOZPP). At the same time, the lack of spare parts is not a basis for extending the period and does not relieve from liability for violation of the repair period (Article 20, clause 1 of the RFP).
It is also important to know that the general warranty period of the goods is extended by the period that it was under repair (Article 20, paragraph 3 of the RFPO).
And finally, you can demand that the workshop provide you with a similar product for use during the repair period (Article 20, paragraph 2 of the RFPO). The application must be made in writing and handed over to the workshop employee against signature.
All recommendations given in the article are valid only if the device broke down by itself, without anyone's help (if you dropped the phone and it stopped working, then this is no longer a warranty case, and you will have to pay for repairs)
Source: http://impravo.ru/instruction/187-garantijnye-obyazatelstva.html
They insulted and at the same time ripped off money from you and your laptop or computer is still inoperative. And as a result of all this, a spoiled mood and unjustified expenses.
In this article, we will consider in detail the question of what to do if you have been deceived at a service center.
What to do if you are still deceived in the service center?
Having brought home your computer or laptop, but it does not work, has worked for only a few days, or the repair work was not done in in full.
Do not panic and grieve about wasted money, seeks to scandal in the service center and similar unconsidered actions that will not lead to good anyway.
To get started, look for an agreement and a check from this service center, which provided you with repair work. Agreement, if any. Going to the service center, make a written claim to the service center, on the fact that the repair work to eliminate problems and defects was not completed in full, or as a result of this repair, new defects and similar problems appeared.
Take a girlfriend or friend with you, as you know, some representatives of service centers can produce psychological pressure or rudeness to customers, and there are two or three of you, in case there will be a witness bad attitude to you. Arriving at the service center, in no case be nervous, do not shout or stomp, in this state it is easier to disorganize and mislead you, in a calm voice explain the reason for your dissatisfaction to the person who took your order. Be more confident in your words.
If after all the claims you were denied. Demand from them written refusal, with a warning, contact the consumer protection committee and the department of economic crimes, because you have every right to do so!
Having figured out what to do if you were deceived at the service center, you will already be prepared for such a situation, knowing what and how to do.
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Every piece of equipment fails sooner or later. It is considered that you are lucky if the warranty period has not yet expired. But in practice, service centers are in no hurry to repair equipment even under warranty. Why this happens and what to do with failed equipment, read on.
In the early 90s, the first copies of foreign equipment began to enter our market. At that time, there were not so many service shops ready to take on the repair of the same Sony. And if the equipment failed, then, as a rule, it was either thrown away or left "until better times." Nowadays, the situation has changed radically - almost every major hardware store has its own service workshops. In addition, the brands themselves are trying to expand the network of their own authorized services. In theory, there should not be any problems with the warranty repair of equipment. However, it is not. Very often, consumers complain that services increasingly do not recognize the case as a warranty case and offer to fix the breakdown for money. Only you and I are interested in honest performance of warranty obligations for repairs. Let's see why this happens and what to do in cases where the service refuses warranty repairs.
Why
Let's say the player you recently purchased broke down. The warranty period has not yet expired. Under the Consumer Protection Act, you can request a free repair, exchange of a product for a similar one, or a refund. As a rule, when contacting the seller with a request for an exchange of goods or a refund, he will send you to a service center to fix a broken item (although he does not have the right to impose a repair, more on that later). Actually, this desire of the seller is understandable - if he exchanges the goods for you or returns the money, then he himself will have to deal with the manufacturer and seek a refund for the defective item. Thus, stores are trying to get rid of these "butts" with the supplier.
As a rule, manufacturers and suppliers of equipment (they are called vendors) do not have their own services. Opening a service is expensive and not profitable, so suppliers enter into contracts with existing service workshops. This process is called authorization. Remember how often you heard the phrase "authorized service"? This means that the manufacturer has entered into an agreement with this service, thereby officially confirming that this service can repair the goods of this manufacturer and is fully responsible for this.
Under an agreement with the manufacturer, the device under warranty must be repaired by an authorized service at its own expense. All parts are also bought by the service for their own money. And the manufacturer, for example, once a month compensates the service for all the costs of spare parts and pays for repair services. But this does not always happen - if the manufacturer suspects that the case was not under warranty - the workshop will not receive a penny for this repair. Samsung especially often practices this - it carefully checks all cases, and in case of any "inconsistencies" it does not pay for repairs. This is due to their commitment to a three-year warranty. On average, the manufacturer does not pay up to 5% of all repairs. For some positions up to 10%.
This is the first reason why services do not want to undertake warranty repairs of equipment - there is a possibility that they will not be paid for this repair and they will remain at a loss.
The second reason is that repairing under warranty is simply not profitable for the service. After all, according to the contract concluded with the manufacturer, he must provide a solid discount to the supplier when paying for the warranty repair. For some groups of goods, this discount can reach 75% of the repair cost. Agree, it is not very profitable for the service to receive only 25% of the repair cost from the manufacturer. And taking into account the fact that the average profitability of a service workshop is about 3%, the business only on warranty repairs becomes practically unprofitable.
For these two reasons, the workshops are trying with all their might to prove to you that your case is not under warranty and repairs are possible only for your money. It is understandable. In this case, they will receive real money for repairs and spare parts, and will not wait for the manufacturer to pay them this money (but whether it will pay at all and how much is another question).
As a rule, the prices for such repairs can be compared with the cost of the product itself. This is due to the fact that the workshops, due to such non-warranty cases, compensate for their costs associated with warranty repairs (manufacturer discounts, refusals to pay for repairs, etc.), winding up the price tag two to three times. Another reason for such high prices for non-warranty and post-warranty repairs is the too expensive prices for spare parts supplied by the manufacturer. A TV in a store costs half as much as all the parts combined that make up this TV. The manufacturer's idea is clear - no need to repair, you need to buy a new one.
What to do
It is better not to contact the warranty repair. For the reasons described above, it is unprofitable for the service to make such repairs, so they will try to prove by hook or by crook that the case is not guaranteed.
If during the warranty period something happened to your TV, for example, and it is not your fault, then in accordance with Article 18 of the Consumer Rights Protection Law (LOZPP), you have the right to demand from the seller:
- replacement of goods with goods of the same brand;
- replacement of goods for goods of another brand with a surcharge;
- decrease in the price of goods;
- free repair of goods;
- money back.
If the seller refuses to return your money or exchange the product for another, and sends you to a service shop for repair (and you don’t want to repair, you need money), then you should know that this is completely illegal. You need to write a written claim, where you state your requirements and refer to Article 18 of the Law "On Protection of Consumer Rights". Be sure to sign the second copy with the seller. If he does not accept the application, send it by registered mail with a description of the attachment and with a return receipt. Within 10 days, the seller is obliged to independently conduct an examination and find out what happened to the goods. After this period, he must either return the money to you, or justify his refusal. Remember that for each day of delay, you are entitled to a penalty of 1% of the value of the goods for each day of delay (Articles 22 and 23 of the LOA).
If the seller did not respond to your claim, then contact the local branch of Rospotrebnadzor or directly to the court. The store will be penalized for non-compliance with the Consumer Protection Law and will be required to comply with your requirements. But, as a rule, the case does not reach the court - the store returns the money.
Most citizens fear that during the examination of the goods, the seller may intentionally cause damage, thereby turning your case into a non-warranty one. In this case, they do not have to return your money and change the goods - the damage was allegedly caused by you.
To remove these concerns, we recommend that you independently carry out an examination of the goods by contacting an independent service workshop (the workshop is a party not interested in your dispute). In the event that the examination shows that you are not to blame for the damage, the seller will be obliged to pay all your expenses for the examination. A free examination can be carried out in an authorized service. When you return the device, write on the receipt that you refuse to repair and want an inspection to be carried out and the cause of the malfunction determined. The authorized service has no right to refuse such a request. Note that the terms of such verification are not established by law and are determined by the agreement between you and the service.
But what to do if you are still going to hand over the device to the service for warranty repair?
Before handing over the device, be sure to check that all abrasions and scratches are recorded in the receipt (so that later it “suddenly” does not turn out that there was a crack on the case and the case turned out to be out of warranty). Demand that all visible damage be included on the receipt, and not just the wording “used”. In this case, it will be difficult to fabricate evidence that the case is not guaranteed.
Be aware that if the receipt does not indicate the timing of the repair, then according to the Consumer Protection Law, the repair must be carried out immediately (Article 20, paragraph 1 of the LOZPP). You can write an additional application, where you indicate the period during which the repair must be made, for example, 7 days.
If the repair is not completed within the specified period, then you have the right to refuse the repair, pick up the device and demand money from the seller. Or, not to take the device out of repair, but to demand payment of a penalty in the amount of 1% of the cost of the goods per day (Article 23 of the LOZPP). At the same time, the lack of spare parts is not a basis for extending the period and does not relieve from liability for violation of the repair period (Article 20, clause 1 of the RFP).
It is also important to know that the general warranty period of the goods is extended by the period that it was under repair (Article 20, paragraph 3 of the RFPO).
And finally, you can demand that the workshop provide you with a similar product for use during the repair period (Article 20, paragraph 2 of the RFPO). The application must be made in writing and handed over to the workshop employee against signature.
All recommendations given in the article are valid only if the device broke down by itself, without anyone's help (if you dropped the phone and it stopped working, then this is no longer a warranty case, and you will have to pay for repairs)
Good day. Today in any city (even a relatively small town) you can find far more than one company (service centers) engaged in the repair of the most various equipment: computers, laptops, tablets, phones, TVs, etc.
Compared to the 90s, now there is little chance of running into outright scammers, but running into employees who deceive “on the little things” is more than real. In this short article I want to tell you how they cheat when repairing various equipment. Forewarned is forearmed! So…
"White" options for cheating
Why white? It’s just that these options for not entirely honest work cannot be called illegal and, most often, an inattentive user comes across them. By the way, most service centers (unfortunately) are engaged in such frauds ...
Option number 1: imposed additional services
A simple example: some connector on a laptop broke at the user. The cost of this is 50-100 rubles. plus how much is the work of a service master. But they will also tell you that it would be nice to install an antivirus on your computer, clean it from dust, replace thermal paste, and other services. You don’t need some of them at all, but many agree (especially when they are offered by people with smart look and with clever words).
As a result, the cost of going to the service center grows, sometimes several times!
Option number 2: "hiding" the cost of some services (changing the price of services)
Some "cunning" service centers very cleverly distinguish between the cost of repairs and the cost of spare parts. Those. when you come to pick up your repaired equipment, you may also be charged money for the replacement of some parts (or for the repair itself). Moreover, if you start to study the contract, it turns out that in fact this is spelled out in it, but in small print with reverse side agreement sheet. Proving such a catch is quite difficult, since you yourself agreed to such an option in advance ...
Option number 3: the cost of repairs without diagnostics and inspection
A very popular scam. Imagine the situation (I observed it myself): one man brings to a PC repair company who has no picture on the monitor (in general, it feels like there is no signal). He is immediately charged with a repair cost of several thousand rubles, even without an initial examination and diagnosis. And the reason for this behavior can be either a failed video card (then the repair cost may be justified), or simply damage to the cable (the cost of which is a penny ...).
I have never observed that the service center itself took the initiative and returned the funds due to the fact that the cost of the repair was lower than the prepayment. Usually it's the opposite...
In general, ideally : when you bring the device for repair, they charge you only for diagnostics (if the breakdown is not visible or obvious). Subsequently, you are told what is broken and how much it will cost - if you agree, then the company makes repairs.
"Black" divorce options
Black - because in these cases you are simply bred for money, moreover, rudely and insultingly. Such fraud is strictly punished by law (although it is difficult to prove, but it is quite real).
Option number 1: denial of warranty service
These incidents are rare, but they do happen. The bottom line is that you buy equipment - it breaks down, and you go to a service center that performs warranty service(which is logical). In it they tell you: that you violated something and therefore this is not a warranty case, but for the money they are ready to help you and make all the same repairs ...
As a result, such a company will receive money from both the manufacturer (to which, they will present it all as a warranty case) and from you for the repair. It's hard not to fall for this trick. I can recommend calling (or writing on the site) the manufacturer on your own and ask if in fact such a reason (which the service center calls) is a denial of warranty.
Option number 2: replacement of spare parts in the device
It also occurs quite rarely. The essence of the deception is as follows: you bring equipment for repair, and half of the spare parts in it are exchanged for cheaper ones (regardless of whether the device was repaired or not). By the way, if you refuse to repair, then other broken parts can be put into a broken device (after all, you won’t be able to immediately check their performance) ...
Not falling for such a scam is very difficult. We can recommend the following: use only trusted service centers, you can also take a picture of how some boards look, their serial numbers, etc. (it is usually very difficult to get exactly the same one).
Option number 3: the device is beyond repair - sell / leave us for spare parts ...
Sometimes the service center deliberately provides false information: supposedly your broken device cannot be repaired. They say something like this: "... you can pick it up, well, or leave it to us for a symbolic amount" ...
Many users after these words do not go to another service center - thereby falling into a trick. As a result, the service center repairs your device for a penny, and then resells it ...
Option number 4: installation of old and "left" spare parts
At different service centers - different time warranty for the repaired device. Most often they give from two weeks to two months. If the time is very short (a week or two) - it is likely that the service center simply does not take risks, because it installs not a new part for you, but an old one (for example, already long time worked for another user).
In this case, it often happens that after the warranty period has expired, the device breaks down again and you have to pay for repairs again ...
Service centers that work honestly install old parts in cases where they no longer produce new ones (whether the repair deadlines are burning and the client agrees to this). Moreover, they warn the client about this.
That's all for me. I will be grateful for the additions 🙂
