A few years ago, I bought an extended warranty on my nearly 2-year old car. Cool, right? I pretty much figured congratulations to me were in order because there I was, just thinking ahead like a full-blown adult. Six months later, a wheel bearing started making a really interesting sound– or maybe jarring is the right word here (yeah, definitely jarring) -- and nearly had my socks knocked off when the dealership kindly explained that this wasn’t covered under warranty.
Okay, so fine. Warranties don’t cover everything, but the problem is that I had literally no idea what my warranty did cover. I (wrongly!) assumed that pretty much anything could break and the warranty would cover it. No questions asked. No credit card necessary.
Warranties can be a key aspect to return on investment, so it makes sense that it’s going to be a deciding factor as you’re comparing vendors. Lets talk right now about what you should know about your warranty going in and the questions to ask to make sure there’s no socks-knocked-off-your-feet surprises.
What is Not Typically Covered in a Custom Pop Up Tent Warranty
What Does the Warranty Cover?
Okay, straight to the meat and potatoes: what does your warranty actually cover? Most pop-up tents carry craftsmanship or workmanship warranties. That means the manufacturer will cheerfully replace or repair damages caused by defects in the build of the frame. Things like a malfunctioning push pin, or a bolt that comes loose generally fall under that “craftsmanship” umbrella.
- • Does the vendor have an online form on their site to make claims?
- • Is your Sales Representative also your contact for warranty claims?
- • Does the vendor have a department that handles with this kind of thing?
- • Can you expect help on weekends or after hours?
How Long Does it Take?
Once you know what’s covered, the next step – and maybe the biggest priority – is when you can expect to be back up and running. You’re going to want to know if they can get what you need out the door today, or tomorrow, or this week. And does your repair/replacement gain or lose precedence to new orders? All good things to know.
- • How long does it take to have a plan in place?
- • Is your Sales Representative also your contact for warranty claims?
- • If you have an event coming up quickly, can they expedite the process?
- • Is there a fee for expediting a warranty claim?
Oh hey, are you curious about that warranty I bought for my car? It’s expired now, but it did cover a handful of things I needed a few thousand miles down the road, and so candidly, my only real regret about that experience was not knowing what the heck I was getting. It’s been years and I still have no idea what was covered and it was like a happy surprise every time something was. But if surprises aren’t your thing – and with investments like a custom pop-up tent, they shouldn’t be - do a day’s worth of homework and get the details before you do any kind of credit card swiping.
