Winch Warranties
Submitted: Monday, Nov 01, 2021 at 14:20
ThreadID:
142786
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6672
Replies:
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Jeff S7
Hi All, Which brand of 12v winch honors their warranty? I have a
Sherpa (Scintex)5yr warranty that had a few problems and being Aust made ( I think) thought I would have no problems getting after sales service, went to their web site looked up support, could not find where to get in touch( site states NOT to ring sales dept as they can't help) and to access a Form that is not there. In frustration I rang sales (only ph # I could find) they gave me a email add for support, I emailed my problems, was told to submit a video ( with instructions on how to do it) of the problems. I did this. A couple of day's later received a reply saying," at first they were going to ask me to send the suspected part into them but as I had thought it may be the gear box they asked why I suspect the g-box? I informed them why, and never heard from them for day's, I eventually received a Returns Advice form, I read the conditions, cheapest freight one way would cost me $128 and if they decided it is not a warranty claim a further $85 inspection fee plus return freight, adds up to about 33% of purchase price. Not what I would call a good warranty. Jeff
Reply By: Bushranger1 - Monday, Nov 01, 2021 at 16:40
Monday, Nov 01, 2021 at 16:40
Hi Jeff,
Sorry to hear of your winch problems.
I recently had an issue with my Warn winch mount which is
well out of Warranty.
Contacted ARB by email late one night & by 9.30 am next day local ARB agent called & said I can pick up FOC replacement part whenever I liked.
Great service & I sent an email telling them so.
Despite the price I have used ARB for most 4wd Accessories since the late 70's for bloody good reason.
Hope you get sorted.
Cheers
Stu
AnswerID:
638465
Follow Up By: AlbyNSW - Monday, Nov 01, 2021 at 16:52
Monday, Nov 01, 2021 at 16:52
I have stuck with Warn as
well because you can seek assistance Australia wide from ARB and various other service agents
A number of winch suppliers have the back to base style warranty which means you need to pull it out of your vehicle which can require bull bar removal in some vehicles and then freight it to them for assessment
Not much good when you are on the road on the west coast and the warranty agent is on the east coast
FollowupID:
916918
Follow Up By: Member - Soft-Trailer - Saturday, Nov 06, 2021 at 18:31
Saturday, Nov 06, 2021 at 18:31
This is the price of Warn and ARB. A lot of people decry it as sub-par quality compared to others like Carbon winch etc... which perhaps it may be. But realistically this is the kind of after market support that causes the increased initial price. I'll always buy from a decently large retailer for this exact reason.
Being part of a Toyota
Forum, it boggles my mind that people claim this issues as a reason they bought a Toyota, but then seek the cheapest Chinese made Shi*t to fit with it. Then, they have problems.
FollowupID:
916973
Reply By: Hoyks - Monday, Nov 01, 2021 at 19:32
Monday, Nov 01, 2021 at 19:32
On 4x4 Earth there is an ongoing
thread about winch warranty.
You could always tell them where they can stick their inconvenient warranty conditions and quote
Australian Consumer Law.
Their warranty statement and conditions are irrelevant as "Products must be of acceptable quality, that is:
safe, lasting, with no faults
look acceptable
do all the things someone would normally expect them to do."
So a 4x4 recovery winch should be able to be installed to a vehicle and not crap its self due to water ingress from driving in the rain.
"When a product is too large, too heavy or too difficult to remove, the business is responsible for paying the shipping costs or collecting the product within a reasonable time of being notified of the problem. Examples include:
a wide screen TV
a bed
an extension ladder stuck in the extended position
a product that has been subsequently installed, like a stove or a dishwasher.(... or maybe a 4x4 winch)."
AnswerID:
638467
Follow Up By: AlbyNSW - Monday, Nov 01, 2021 at 20:46
Monday, Nov 01, 2021 at 20:46
That is fine but you still need to engage legal assistance or perhaps do it yourself if so inclined and take the company to court to get a ruling to enforce the consumer law. Not a cheap or fast process
In the meantime you still have no winch for several months
FollowupID:
916923
Follow Up By: Bazooka - Monday, Nov 01, 2021 at 22:20
Monday, Nov 01, 2021 at 22:20
As long as you're sure the problem is unrelated to misuse, lack of servicing etc the first step is to call their
bluff, nicely. Point out that as sellers ACL requires them to reimburse you for freight costs - as Hoyks has pointed out. Any decent business will then do the right thing. Make sure you keep a record of emails etc
It's incredible how many sellers either don't know consumer law or who initially refuse to meet their responsibility. If push comes to shove you can complain to the ACCC and/or take the seller to a small claims court - IF you're inclined. The ACC won't do much/anything but the business will be on their books.
ACCC: ACL Warranty
FollowupID:
916924
Follow Up By: AlbyNSW - Tuesday, Nov 02, 2021 at 16:10
Tuesday, Nov 02, 2021 at 16:10
ACCC won’t do anything and their website tells you that
There role is to inform you of the law, it is up to you to take the required steps to enforce it
If the vendor doesn’t voluntarily make good you need to go down the legal channels which is time and money
For the price of most
winches it is not a viable option
FollowupID:
916934
Follow Up By: Bazooka - Tuesday, Nov 02, 2021 at 20:54
Tuesday, Nov 02, 2021 at 20:54
Yep in most but not all cases the ACCC will not act against a business. Dodgy sellers rely on
bluff and people either not knowing their consumer rights or being unwilling to follow them up where relatively small amounts are involved. And that's why it's important (after exhausting all avenues with the seller and/or manufacturer) to file an official complaint .
As far as enforcement of consumer law is concerned the ACCC picks its marks so that it can use its limited resources to greatest effect. If consumers don't complain then they won't know about particular practices - such as exaggerated or misleading discount claims for example. Kogan, Harris-Scarfe are just two I can recall which have been brought to book. The ACCC keeps a record of all complaints and will advise state consumer bodies of recalcitrants when they notice certain trends, so if nothing else you may be helping future victims. Public naming and shaming is fraught these days so it's one of few options available to dudded consumers.
FollowupID:
916943