There are a lot of products on the market that have no 'warranty' other than something like a 30-day or 90-day cash back or replacement. That means their product malfunctioned or broke down within the period and was thus used.
You can buy a metal detector brand new, from a Dealer, send in the card and register it. It's maybe good for 2 years. Then, 3 years after you bought it, you sold or traded it to someone and it has a problem and needs service. Let's say it's a White's that is not just out-of-warranty but even discontinued. If you live half-way around the country you can send it in for repair and there is a charge, often times quite reasonable. If you carry the detector in the door at White's in Sweet Home, Oregon and ask for it to be serviced, it will usually be done while you wait, and at no charge.
So manufacturers can look at warranty and service from different perspectives. Then there's the big question of who is the detector Buyer or who is the detector Owner, and to whom should the warranty service be provided and for how long a period starting when? Is the warranty for the Buyer or for the Consumer/User of a product? Let's take these for example:
I have six children and perhaps my #2 son, knowing I love metal detecting, decided to buy me a brand new metal detector, let's say a Cibola, from his local dealer thinking it would make his Dad a nice Christmas present. Let's also consider my oldest daughter stumbled upon a Dealer in Utah who had several older Tesoro models, discontinued, but brand new in-the-box on his merchandise rack, so she buys me a brand new Bandido II µMAX for my birthday last May. Problem is she didn't have my address and didn't get it sent off to get to me before I got older.
Hurting for money she mentioned it to my #3 son that she bought me something but didn't send it off in time in May, and now she needs some cash for a car repair and might sell it. Well #3 son figured he'd help her out and he buys it from her, still brand new in the box, and he'd send it to me for Father's Day in June. He's curious if it is anything like the Bandido his older brother had a few years back so he takes it out and puts it together to check it out. The Bandido his brother had was bigger as it was an original model and had a white 8" coil instead of a brown coil.
Hummm, maybe it is better than the old one? I wonder if it works like the one my brother had? With those questions rattling through his head he does some 'air testing' and plays with it a little at his home. Kind of wonders if it is a hobby he should have taken up, so he goes out in his grassy yard and checks it out some more for two or three days. No harm-no foul and it was not banged into anything but grass tops, it's not dirty or dinged, It's even been used less than many Detector Dealer's 'display' or 'demo' models, which could be sold, even used, and have the full factory warranty.
He figured it's not the hobby for him, so he wiped it down and put everything back in the box. The problem was he had thought about maybe keeping it and now it's too late to get to me before father's day. Well, that's no problem, he just set it in the closet and will send it to me for Christmas. So in 19 days I open a Christmas present and have a brand new Tesoro Bandido II µMAX, warranty card and all, and a brand new Tesoro Cibola as gifts to me. Now what do I do?
My son bought the Cibola so as the Buyer, is he the Owner and should have registered it, or am I the Owner since I received it as a gift, now the Owner who gets the warranty card registered?
What about the Bandido II µMAX, also new-in-the-box from a Dealer's left-over inventory? My Daughter bought it so should she have registered it as the Buyer? My other son bought it from her to help her out, still brand new, and he wondered how it worked compared with an older Tesoro so he put it together to check it out. It has less wear-and-tear than most display/demo models that Dealers can still sell. Since he assembled it, even though not the original Buyer, should he fill out a warranty card?
Now here I am, Christmas Day and I have two brand new metal detectors with blank warranty cards. They were Gifts and I am the new Owner, so do I send it the warranty cards?
No. My son didn't know it but I don't care for the Cibola and prefer models with manual Ground Balance. I let him know in a phone call that I really appreciate it, but it's kind of like a new sweater or pair of pants that are the wrong size [size=small](or ugly)[/size] and I am going to sell it and buy a new Outlaw with manual Ground Balance.
Then in a call I tell my other son that I also appreciate how he helped his sister out, and wish he would have found the hobby more interesting to join in the fun, and I really like the Bandido II µMAX. However, I already own and use a Bandido II µMAX and don't need a duplicate model, so I might sell it and buy an Outlaw or other model.
I can now offer these two brand new detectors for sale, and even though they sold to a BUYER or were given as a GIFT, there still isn't an end CONSUMER because I don't want or need them and neither did the kids. I am going to offer them for sale with a blank warranty card so the end CONSUMER can take care of that, and I don't see a problem with that reasoning. This could apply to acquiring and selling many products, especially if you got it as a gift.
Metal Detector warranties are an interesting topic because they often won't repair [size=small](for free)[/size] any detector that has been abused, broken, or modified in such a way as to impair the manufacturer's original circuitry. For the most part, manufacture's warranties are there to cover defects in parts and workmanship in manufacturing. Those are things that can go wrong over a period of time in the electronics business. I know I would not offer a Lifetime Warranty, but I think a reasonable length warranty should be offered. I also don't think it should depend upon who paid for it or who uses it, defects in materials and workmanship, etc., ought to be covered ... period.
If the manufacturer feels they only want to cover their product for 2 years, okay. If they want to go 5 years, that's fine. I also don't think it should matter if it is bought, sold or traded, the owner/user of the detector should have coverage. Does it need a 'transferrable' warranty filled out? No, I don't think so. If I owned a detector manufacturing business I would offer a 5 year limited warranty on each detector, regardless of who owns it or how many times it had been sold or traded. And there would be no paperwork required from anyone, no warranty cards, sales receipts, nothing.
How would it be covered for 5 years? Simple. Every detector that comes off the line would be stamped or permanently marked with a "date of manufacture" [size=small](month and year)[/size] and the 5 year warranty would cover materials and workmanship for 5 years from that date. Very Simple.
Then if somebody wants to sell a used detector they can describe its condition, mention if there is an Owner's Manual or not, and just state the Date of Manufacture [size=small](only use the Month and Year)[/size] and the new owner will know how much repair/service time is remaining and there's is nothing to register or transfer. If a unit needs repair you call to get a repair order number, and send it in with a note of what needs fixing, and point out the Date [size=small](Month)[/size] and Year of manufacture.
Just my thoughts on warranties, and I don't have an issue if someone says the warranty card is in the box. If I make a good deal on a model I want, who cares about the warranty card unless they feel the product might be defective. With a quality major brand there often isn't a problem and we buy used units w/o a card all the time. If I bought a detector that had a blank warranty card, all I would have to do is call the manufacturer and explain what I bought, the condition, and that I have blank card then ask if I can complete it and send it in. That way it is between me and the detector manufacturer and not between me and some forum moderator who wants to ban anyone from mentioning a blank warranty card.
Monte