How long warranty to you give on parts?

[peterhyper]

I recently quoted a customer for a few bits and pieces including supplying and fitting an external pir floodlight. She emailed me to ask how many 'years' warranty I give on the floodlight, and I said a one year parts and labour warranty. She emailed back to say that usually they come with a 2 or 3 year warranty. I said she was welcome to supply her own floodlight and I would deduct the cost from my quote, but if it broke down at any point after I fitted it then it would be subject to my normal hourly call out charge to replace it as I wouldn't guarantee a part that I haven't supplied to which she wasn't too impressed, so I suggested that she shops around and finds an electrician that will provide a 2 to 3 year parts and warranty labour on a floodlight they provide (I'm not desperate for the work).

I always give a 1 year warranty on parts even if they come with a longer warranty from the manufacturer. That said I would always be decent if a part broke down within a reasonable time after the first year and would replace it free of charge.

Do others do the same?

 

[buzzlightyear]

I would say the same thing ,did she not ask where you get the sec light has well.

 

[GMES]

Most led floods now come with 3-5 years warranty,maybe she meant that.

 

[snowhead]

She'd still have the 2 -3 years warranty on your supplied light, she'd just have to pay you to remove and sort it out.

And she'd have to use you, as the warranty is with you the original purchaser.

 

[SJD]

Having fitted quite a lot of LED floodlights over the last few years, I've had a few fail in the second or third year. I suspect some of the guarantees offered by the manufacturer are done with the expectation that the majority of customers will have lost the receipt by then, or not even remember it could be covered.

After 1 year, I will generally try to obtain a replacement at no cost, but charge labour for replacement. In practice, it sometimes means buying a new replacement first, to swap in one visit.

So I'm more than happy to let the customer buy their own lights if they wish. Especially if they seem over concerned about extended warranties.

 

[Fitzy]

I tell all my customers that any lights I provide come with the original manufacturers warranty, BUT I only provide a 1 year labour/workmanship warranty. If the customer provides the light I only guarantee my workmanship for 1 year.

 

[peterhyper]

I would say the same thing ,did she not ask where you get the sec light has well.

After quoting a customer for some additional sockets a while back, she said that she wished me to provide her with the receipts for all the parts I was using. I said that I was unable to do that as my cable was bought in 100 metre rolls and the sockets, back boxes, screws, rawplugs, grommets, plaster etc were bought in bulk so I was unable to cost each part down and if she specifically required receipts for each part used then I was unable to do so. In my experience, people that make such requests can often be a pain to work for.

I don't buy floodlights that have a 5 year warranty. My quotes don't take into account my time involved in replacing parts after the first year, and a floodlight can be time consuming replacing it at the suppliers and replacing it at the customer's house.

I like the idea of replacing the floodlight after the first year for free but just charging for my labour so I may do that in future, so thanks for that.

 

[MJPD29]

I would agree regardless of manufacturers warranty I provide 1 year. If I am asked for a breakdown itemized quote I usually don't bother, customers who do that are generally difficult and luckily I'm generally in a position not to have to do it

 

[buzzlightyear]

next time a customer ask again like that ,ask them when you buy a tin of beans from Tesco's and the beans have been in the cupboard for two years will she keep the till receipt.