What is described, and what is not settled
The warranty described in company materials is at least one year. That description settles the headline period, and nothing else. It does not by itself settle when the period starts, what it covers, what it excludes, how a claim is made, what evidence a claim requires, how quickly a claim is handled, or what remedy follows a successful claim. A buyer who treats the headline period as the whole warranty will be surprised by the first claim, because the claim will be handled under terms that were never agreed. A buyer should therefore treat the headline period as the starting point for questions, not as the answer, and should ask for the full terms in writing before payment.
The start point
The start point determines when the period begins, and different start points give different cover for the same headline period. A period that starts on dispatch covers a different span from a period that starts on delivery, and both differ from a period that starts on fitting. A buyer should ask for the start point to be stated in writing, together with the event that proves it, such as a dispatch record, a delivery record, or a fitting record. Where a unit is stored before fitting, the start point matters even more, because a long storage interval can consume much of the period before the unit is used. Please confirm the warranty start point in writing before payment, and do not assume a start point that has not been stated.
Scope, exclusions, and the claim route
Scope states what is covered, exclusions state what is not, and the claim route states how a claim is made. A buyer should ask for all three in writing. Scope questions include which faults are covered and whether cover follows the unit or the original buyer. Exclusion questions include damage in transit, incorrect fitting, incorrect use, and modification after delivery, each of which is commonly excluded and should be stated rather than assumed. Claim route questions include whom to contact, what information and evidence to provide, whether the unit must be returned, and what happens to the unit while a claim is assessed. A buyer should also ask what remedy follows a successful claim, and whether that remedy is repair, replacement, or another arrangement. Please confirm the scope, the exclusions, and the claim route in writing before payment.
Records that support a warranty claim
A warranty claim is easier to make and easier to assess when the buyer holds the order paperwork: the order confirmation, the test data and quality inspection record for the unit, the delivery check record, and the packing until the check is complete. The test and inspection record shows that the unit passed its full-load dyno inspection, which is the baseline against which a later fault is judged. The delivery check record shows the condition on arrival, which distinguishes a delivery fault from a later fault. Keeping those records together, and keeping the unit identification matched to its record, prevents the most common claim difficulty, which is not the fault itself but the inability to show the unit's history. A buyer should confirm what records will be supplied with the order, and should keep them with the warranty terms.
Confirm before payment
- Please confirm the warranty period, the start point, and the event that proves the start point, in writing.
- Please confirm the warranty scope and exclusions in writing.
- Please confirm the claim route, the evidence required, and the remedy for a successful claim, in writing.
- Please confirm the transmission model code, the quantity, and the destination in writing.
- Please confirm the minimum order quantity, the lead time, the packing, the trade terms, and the payment terms before payment.
Questions buyers ask
Is the warranty really at least one year?
Company materials describe a warranty of at least one year, and that description is consistent across the materials that state it. The full terms, however, must be confirmed in writing for the order, because the headline period alone does not describe scope, exclusions, or the claim route.
Does the warranty cover fitting?
That depends on the agreed terms. Please confirm in writing whether fitting, and any fitting-related question, is covered or excluded, before payment.
What should I do first if a fault appears?
Keep the unit, keep its record and the order paperwork, note the fault and when it appeared, and raise the matter through the agreed claim route promptly. Do not modify the unit before the claim is assessed, unless the agreed terms state otherwise.
Related pages
Rebuilt transmission describes the finished unit. Remanufacturing quality inspection records explains the record. Inquiry is the place to ask for warranty terms in writing.