On 8/10/2012 2:27 PM, Jason White wrote:
If the hardware fails while I am, for example, living overseas, does the local subsidiary of the manufacturer typically honour the Australian warranty or does the product have to be sent back to Australia for service? The latter would obviously be time-consuming and expensive (air freight in both directions would cost... it might turn out to be cheaper to buy a new device in that case).
There are all sorts of reasons why following up on warranty might be a pain or too expensive (money and/or time) to worry about. But if a manufacturer offers longer warranty then it is often an indication of greater faith in their own products which translates into greater confidence for the buyer. With a lot of equipment, a failure from a manufacturing fault will rear it's head quickly, sometimes not so; now with flash drives and the like, limited lifetime screens and other parts that just simply wear out.... well longer warranties can offer some peace of mind, but nothing will last forever. I too can't be bothered following up on warranty for some things due to all the hassle, time and money involved -- but it's always nice to keep that option open. Sometimes it really is worth going to the trouble for warranty repairs and often times you'll get a brand new replacement -- I am talking generally here, that is not just about phones. Cheers A.