What about Refunds and Warranties
REFUNDS AND EXCHANGES
Obtaining a refund or exchange for a defective product or obtaining an exchange can be a daunting process in some cases. A no questions asked return or refund policy is rare but some merchants who are large enough do offer such terms. When the merchant actually does keep its word on such a policy, it is truly a benefit to the consumer. However, many merchants are not able to offer such terms but will provide refunds and exchanges if you comply with their terms.
One term is particularly present in most refunds or exchange policies is the necessity to return the lamp in its original packaging. Therefore, it is important that you retain all of the original packing for your lamp in a safe place for the duration of the warranty period or the exchange/refund period.
Some retailers do not accept returns or exchanges directly but require the consumer to deal directly with the manufacturer. You can imagine what time and effort it may take dealing with a major international manufacturer that you have not dealt with directly before to work through all the steps and comply with all of the details they require to obtain a refund or make an exchange when to start with they have no record of your purchase with the retailer.
Should you purchase a refurbished lamp in order to save on price, it is important to note that you may not be able to obtain a refund or exchange but only be able to return the item for repair. The time and trouble in such an instance would probably negate the savings on purchase.
In summary, consumers should be careful to understand what they are purchasing and what the merchant's policies are for refunds and exchanges prior to purchasing.
WARRANTIES
Many consumers pay little attention to the warranties associated with their purchase of projector lamps. In most cases, consumers have been lulled into a false sense of confidence that when they see the word warranty all is well if they have a problem with the product they purchased.
While all OEM products generally come with a 90 day warranty, usually limited by certain terms, some retailers offer their own or extended warranties for the lamps they sell. If on the merchant's web site you do not see any reference to a warranty, be sure what you are purchasing is an OEM lamp so that you will be assured of some protection. There are four types of warranties which retailers offer, although only one is very common:
Repair or Replace Warranty - A technician attempts to repair your projector either over the telephone or by a personal visit. If such efforts fail the projector is returned to the manufacturer for repair or replacement, which takes a bit of time.
Return to Base Warranty - This is the most common warranty which requires the consumer to pack up the projector and return it to the manufacturer for repair. As with the repair and replace model, you may be without a projector for a while especially if repair parts are not readily available.
Swap-Out Warranty -This type warranty is the best for the consumer as the manufacturer will lend you a projector while yours is being repaired. If you use your projector regularly for business or pleasure, you should seek out this type of warranty.
Dead on Arrival Warranty - Similar to the Swap-Out Warranty, you can return the new defective projector immediately to the manufacturer, but instead of having it repaired, it will be replaced with a brand new projector
Some retailers offer extended warranties free and some charge extra for such a warranty, so check to see which type of warranty is offered. It is also important to know if a merchant says that the warranty is for a period of more than the standard 90 days the OEM manufacturer offers, whether the warranty is provided directly by the merchant in full or if they are providing an extended service under the same terms as the OEM's terms or are the extended terms significantly different.
Finally, dealing with retailers who have been around a long time, with a good reputation is advisable. Be particularly careful about warranty fine print as in many cases your failure to comply with every detail will void the warranty or provide a out for non-compliance with their policies no matter with whom you are dealing.
