Canon Printer Warranty

[wilko]

As I have 2 Canon printers under warranty I thought I would browse the Canon UK website to see what the arrangements are if Ineeded to make a claim under warranty. I was amazed to find that most printers have to be returned to Canon at the customers expense and that any goods lost in transit are the customers responsibility. Most electrical goods rarely fail under warranty but on the 2 occasions it has happened to me the company concerned have replaced or refunded at no cost to me.

I believe that under UK law the seller (not Canon) are responsible for replacement of faulty goods and therefore if a fault occurs the matter should be taken up with the seller and not Canon.

Can anyone throw any light on what seems to me to be Canon trying to absolve themselves from paying for what is a fault in their product.

I will take the matter up with the legal section of a UK Computer mag

What makes it worse is that Canon boast that this return at our expense is because we prefer this to an engineer call out.

Here is Canon's "cop out"

All products available on the Canon store - except the consumables (ink cartridges, toner cartridges and paper)* - come with a 1 year manufacturer's warranty. This warranty is in addition to, and does not affect, your statutory rights.

The warranty period starts on the next calendar day after you get a ship confirmation email from us. You will need to provide proof of your purchase to claim warranty service (e.g., order confirmation email).

You may click here ( http://www.canon.co.uk/Contact_Us/Local_Canon_Contacts/Photo_Repair_Centres.asp ) to check out our authorized service centers.

The customer is responsible for the shipment of the product to the Canon warranty service center and will pay for all related shipping costs. As Canon is not liable for products in transit, it is highly recommended that products be shipped via an insured shipping method.

Canon is responsible for the shipment of the repaired product to the customer and will pay for all related shipping costs.

*

 

[Smile]

It depends if you purchased in local shop or over internet and if your item has international warranty.
With international warranty if you have authorized service center in your country there is no need to ship to another country.

Every EU country has different laws for regulating customer vs. seller relationship.
So read them and do as they say.

If the law is written that customer pays for shipping to the seller than that means you must pay.

AFAIK if you buy over internet “the law works in a customers country” not the other way around.
I mean if you have a law “you can return any goods purchased over internet for whatever reason in 30days from order date.” So that means any “T.O.S” or “Policy” at sellers site has no legal power.

Therefore if the seller does not ensure customers rights in particular country and do not want to comply with them, They can’t sell any goods there.

 

[wilko]

Not sure that Canon are complying with EU law. My understanding is that the seller i.e the shop you bought the product from is responsible for repair/replacement of the faulty item.

I will take the matter up with the legal section of a UK computer mag and post any reply on the board

 

[Tin Ho]

In USA most shops will tell you to contact the manufacturer after 30 days or sooner from the day you bought the printer. There is probably an 800 number to call the manufacturer. What you will be told is to bring the printer to an authorized repair shop to get the printer fixed. But I have heard that Canon is actually better than that. They will ask some questions on the phone, to make sure the printer is under warranty still and make sure what you said is indeed a defect. What they will do next is to mail you a refurbished printer to replace yours. You can send yours back to them and use a shipping label that is already paid for by Canon. It is really free for you to get a replacement printer. It is not a new printer but a refurbished one. That's pretty good because you will get a new print head and a set of new cartridges. If you bought an extended warranty from a local seller then you will have to get an exchange from the local seller. I heard that Staples and Office Depot all are pretty good in giving exchanges. People are spoiled in USA.

 

[Smile]

Laws are different but if my local law says that I can chose if I want My item fixed, Refund, Reduce price and I'll fix it myself.
This means I can choose not to fix it period, but that is easier to say than do.

Most times you need to consult a lawyer and go to court, because as Tin Ho said:

"What you will be told is to bring the printer to an authorized repair shop to get the printer fixed"

This means that you need to sue your local authorized repair shop, because they will not willingly give you your money back.
Not in EU

 

[wilko]

I have now received replies to my questions from Computer Active (UK Computer mag) and Canon UK.

Here is CAs reply

If you need a repair for a fault that is inherent then the seller should
reimburse the costs. If you seek a repair that you can't prove is an
inherent fault or it is fair wear and tear or an accident then you must
pay the postage. Canon can stipulate its terms and conditions for a
warranty as these do not form part of statutory consumer law.


and Canons

Dear Customer,

Thank you for contacting the The Canon Store.

If your product develops a fault, you can send the product for repair
under the Canon warranty. You will need to pay to send the product to
the repair centre however we can refund you the costs when you send us
the invoice.

The repair will be free of charge as it is under the warranty. Please
note that we do not send replacements.

If we can be of further assistance, please reply to this message.
Although we strive to answer inquiries within 24 hours, please note we
operate during business hours Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm GMT.

I also checked return policy at several internet stores. Dixons & PC World will arrange for collection of goods. Smaller companies return polices are often vague and state they will refer you to the manufacturer for repairs, e.g. Canon.

Epson also refer you to one of their repair outlets. However, unlike Canon (who have only 2 repair outlets in the UK) Epson have outlets near almost any town.

I feel more confident about Canon printers, having received some reassurance from Canon but if you don't want the hassle of returning a large AIO (MFD) for example then perhaps it's best to buy from somewhere like PC World (if the price is right of course)

Obviously if you live near a repair centre then none of this applies.

 

[wilko]

Have now received a reply from Consumer Direct as shown below. As I thought. Responsibility for repair/replacement of goods lies with the retailer. However, it would seem that you have no legal right to recover the carriage costs you incur. Thankfully Canon appear to be willing to re-imburse these costs but personally I shall be warry in future of purchasing large items from companies who do not offer re-imbursement of carriage costs in the case of a warranty claim.

Here is the reply from Consumer Direct

Thank you for your enquiry to Consumer Direct dated 27.10.2008. Your reference number for this case is ***** and should be quoted in all further correspondence regarding this case.

I understand that you purchased a printer from an internet retailer. It came with a one year manufacturer's warranty. You have checked the terms and conditions of this warranty and noticed that faulty goods are to be sent back to the manufacturer at the consumer's expense.

Under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended), all goods supplied by a trader to a consumer must be of a satisfactory quality, fit for their purposes, and as described. If the printer did develop a fault we would advise you to go back to the retailer as your rights under the Sale of Goods Act are against the retailer, not the manufacturer. If the fault is found to be a manufacturing defect then you could argue that the retailer should cover any postage costs.

Your rights under a manufacturer's warranty are additional to your statutory rights against the retailer. The manufacturer does not have to provide a warranty and therefore if they do provide a warranty they can attach their own terms and conditions to it. It would not be a breach of any legislation for Cannon to specify that the consumer is liable for postage costs.

I trust the above information is of some assistance to you. If you require any further information or clarification on this case please do not hesitate to contact Consumer Direct quoting your reference number.

AFAIK this Act only applies to the UK