Beware of a Too-Good-to-be-True, Ultra Long Warranty!
Don’t be me. I learnt this the hard way buying my Samsonite luggage. Buying a "lifetime" warranty seemed like the best deal. Until I brought it in to change a part that fell out.
Then they pulled out this crazy list of terms and conditions that made me give up.
For appliances like water heaters, the concept is the same. Not all warranties are equal. Understand this before you buy. Know what to look out for. This will save you precious time and emotional frustration.
1. Keep Your Eyes Peeled for a 'Full Warranty'. This is the Best Type of Warranty and Very Rare. Go for FULL Coverage Whenever Possible.
Full warranties are scarce and hard to find.
Good news is... 'hard to find' does not mean it is impossible to find.
You want this Full Warranty because it protects you more than it protects the company. That is the idea right?
You want to be fully covered to be exempt from paying for hidden costs. This needs to cover everything from labour, parts cost and transport. A full onsite warranty.
The only thing that is not covered are installation faults. But it is fair to exclude this from coverage. If your installer damaged the product because of his lack of skill.. then you go after the installer.
2. Don't Just Get Full Coverage... Get the LONGEST Possible Full Coverage.
When buying stuff at Harvey Norman, they always ask if you want to upgrade your warranty and add 2 to 5 years to it.
While it's always tempting to think, Nahhhh. I've already spent $5k on this fridge!! Why would I want to top up YET another $800 bucks for incidents I cannot forsee??
WELL. Life is about planning for incidents you cannot forsee. And from personal experience, Extended warranties have saved my wallet more than half the time. So grateful for buying the extension for the last few big-cap electronic purchases. I put my faith there!
In Singapore, the average lifespan of a heater is 5 years. This means many heater companies will give you a 1 Year Full warranty.
Better brands last longer, so they go up to 3 Years Full warranty.
If your home situation is long-term, aim for 3 years. You save more in the long run going for quality and the longest possible warranty coverage.
If I don't Have a 'Full Warranty'... What am I Getting?
If what you have on your hands isn't a full warranty... You may have a partial warranty.
In that case, you have to be extra careful.
Partial warranties cover only certain parts
3. Now Hang On Tight, Don’t Fall off Your Chair... We’re Coming to the Most Well Kept Secret About Partial Warranties..
Of course a partial warranty sounds appealing!! Who doesn't like the sound of a 10-year warranty? But they are misleading and even a tad dishonest.
Let me let you in on a secret. A 10-year warranty on a heating element might seem like a great deal.. but the industry secret is that the heating element rarely fails. It’s the other parts like wires and thermostats that will need repair sooner. If these aren’t covered, you could end up paying out of pocket for repairs.
Usually, companies who play this game are not interested in servicing you. They are excited to find out if you’ve exceeded your 1-year warranty. Then they can slap on some charges for back end sales. It's a horrible way to do business.
Be wary of those partial warranties!!
Heating elements are hardly ever replaced.. in all my years of being in the heater industry, I’ve only seen elements break down less than 5 times!!
4. Trust me on This, for Heaters.. Always Buy Local. Forget That Awesome Deal You Saw on Taobao.
Absolutely NO taobao for water heaters!! It will be the worst decision ever.
You need a local warranty. If there's a problem.. there is no way you can fix it yourself. You are not superman!!! Even if you ARE Superman, you have no Time!!
When you buy local, you're actually buying access to a valuable local support network.
I've heard horror stories of unapproved heaters bought online that fail at the worst times. Imagine: Chinese New Year no hot water?!! Your wife and kids are giving you pressure? Now good luck getting support over taobao chat.
Actually, at that point you’ll need more than luck to survive.
Don't ruin things for yourself. Always buy local when it comes heaters. Thank me later.
Heaters are one of the hardest appliances to troubleshoot.
5. Hidden Costs Here, Hidden Costs There, Hidden Costs EVERYWHERE!
If normal transport charges are $100+... Why are you getting charged $250????
I've heard this happen to people who are still locked in under their 'warranty period'. They can't go to a 3rd party to repair or their warranty may be void. It's a minor wire repair but they have to cough up hundreds $$$$$.
They are stuck in what we call a ‘bo-pian’ or no-choice situation.
It is downright dreadful, but sad to say.. This kind of back-end sales tactic has happened before and will happen again.
Out of frustration, some even decide to change their whole heater to another brand. It’s a good move because you avoid dealing with dishonesty.
On the other hand, it’s very expensive…
You can avoid this heartache by doing some homework. Buy from a reputable company.
6. Whenever Possible, Buy Direct from the Main Distributor
When I bought my first Dyson.. I went to a Reputable department store along Orchard Road. They were running a promo I couldn't resist.
Things went fine as long until my Dyson stopped working.. then the nightmares began. I got thrown around department after department of red tape.
Need to check invoice.
Need to look up sales person.
Oh.. Must send to HQ for inspection.
Now we need to order special parts.
It was a simple problem but so many layers of people and paperwork. Drove me nuts.
From that I learnt my lesson, always buy direct.
Now I get my Dyson from the main distributor. Their turnover is fast. I have absolute confidence I'm getting the latest version free from bugs and defects.
If they have issues with a model, they are upfront and transparent with me. Because I am their direct customer, they will take care of me first.
Response is also much faster!!
Sometimes, they also waive charges. Now, I'm not saying to go in with the expectation of free service. Everyone has to earn a fair wage. But I can feel the difference in the quality of customer service.
Same idea with water heaters. Want faster service? Buy direct.
7. Are You Serviced By a Bot or a Human Being?
Of course you can tell. Everything is different when it's a real person on the other end of the line.
Service is faster.
Arrangements are flexible.
You get accurate answers.
Because a real person understands your needs. A bot doesn't.
