Consumers reported that the prices of extended warranty services for electronic devices are high and exaggerated, indicating that the value of the extended warranty may reach more than 10% of the basic price of some devices.
They told «Emirates Today» that the conditions of the guarantee apply only within the state, and that they do not include certain parts of the devices because they are due to misuse, demanding a reduction in the price of the extended warranty, which they may not benefit from at all.
For their part, officials at the outlets stated that the extended warranty prices are suitable for consumers, in exchange for increasing the warranty period for the devices and providing protection for them, considering that it is an optional added value for consumers, who are free to accept or reject them.
Prices are high
In detail, the consumer, Zahir Hussein, said that the prices of extended warranty services for electronic devices are exaggerated, considering that it does not make sense to pay an additional amount equivalent to 10% of the basic price of the device, in exchange for obtaining an additional year of guarantee that the consumer may benefit from and may not benefit, calling The importance of stores reducing the amount of the guarantee, especially since a small number of consumers may benefit from it.
Consumer Ibrahim Hamdan agreed with Hussein that the extended warranty prices for electronics are high, compared to the basic prices for appliances.
He said that he paid 200 dirhams to extend the guarantee on a smartphone, and did not take advantage of the guarantee, noting that the terms of the guarantee apply only within the country, and they do not include several parts of the phone, as they are due to misuse.
Controls and standards
The consumer, Samah Ahmed, said that despite the fact that the extended warranty service is optional, it affects the interests of consumers, pointing out the importance of establishing unified controls and standards for that service, and reducing its prices, pointing out that a large percentage of consumers do not use it effectively, as it is imposed Conditions for repairing specific parts of the device, not including other parts.
Warranty categories
For his part, Chief Operating Officer of "Jacky's Electronics", Ashish Bagabe, explained that there are several categories of extended warranty in retail centers for electronics, as some provide extended warranty from the original manufacturer of brands or from the official agent, and there are other categories It is done in coordination with maintenance centers and stores, or through intermediary companies that pledge to deal with multiple maintenance centers according to the types of devices.
Bajaby added that the prices are carried out in coordination between the authorities concerned with maintenance and retail centers, as the prices depend on the types and tasks that the warranty is concerned with, according to each company and according to the types of devices.
He considered that the prices are not exaggerated, because they provide additional services to consumers, and therefore they can search for the most appropriate value of the guarantee in the market, or abandon it completely, especially with the availability of a basic guarantee for the devices.
Terms
In turn, the director of the Marketing and Happiness Department at the "Union Cooperative", Suhail Al Bastaki, said that the terms and prices of the extended warranty are not unfair or exaggerated, because they differ from one center to another, indicating that when consumers obtain them, they may save large sums when maintaining the devices Malfunctions, and hence there are real benefits to extend the warranty of the devices.
He added that the extended warranty service is similar to that provided by the original warranty from the beginning, which also excludes malfunctions resulting from misuse, noting that a large number of dealers prefer when purchasing electronic devices, to obtain the extended warranty to provide additional protection for their devices.
an agreement
In the same context, the official responsible for customer service in the centers of «SharafDG» Abbas Abbas God, said that most customers of durable goods from electronic home devices prefer to obtain extended warranty services, indicating the extent of demand for them, considering that the prices of these services are not considered Overrated, and commensurate with the services provided as equipment protection.
And God imposed that the prices of extended warranty services are estimated by agreement between stores and companies that undertake maintenance operations for the devices, according to joint agreements.
Marketing policies
The Director of the Consumer Protection Department at the Ministry of Economy, Dr. Hashem Saeed Al-Nuaimi, said that extended warranty prices are subject to the stores ’marketing policies and market competitiveness, as they are optional additional services to consumers, and are not mandatory or essential, such as the normal warranty periods for devices, which are guaranteed by the Consumer Protection Law when purchasing devices , But they are among the additional options that a consumer can get or leave.
Al-Naimi called for the need for consumers to be careful not to submit to any services or prices that do not suit them, and to search for alternatives between stores that provide guarantee services at reasonable prices, or better for them.
- Consumers assured that the conditions of the guarantee are valid inside the country only, and do not include specific parts of the devices.
Prices depend on the tasks guaranteed by the warranty, according to each company, and by type of device.