Rickenbacker Warranty

[admin]

John Hall responded to the following comments on alt.guitar.rickenbacker asking about Rickenbacker's warranty on their instruments. The post was made on September 24, 2001.

I love Rickenbackers. I really do! But why the limited warranty as opposed to G*****'s lifetime warranty? Based on comparision I have made personally, the quality of Rickenbackers far surpass those of many other "big names". Why not have a "limited lifetime warranty"? For the price this isn't too much to ask for surely?

Quote:A "limited lifetime warranty" is a joke and an insult to your intelligence.Those that offer such a warranty are playing the odds, not unlike an insurance company. Statistically, the average guitar is owned only three years by the original owner, which is what the manufacturer is banking on. Furthermore, with several notable exceptions like Martin, you'll find that the actual services performed under such a warranty are indeed quite
limited.

But in the end, it's all a moot point, because you and everyone that purchases any product are paying for everyone's warranty service in the price of the item. Every maker makes a reasonable estimate what it will cost to do warranty service over the period of time involved and allocates a percentage of that cost to each instrument made. If the period is essentially unknown, then the maker must hedge by making sure that the percentage is large enough to cover any potential costs.

We prefer to be honest and state the exact length of time of warranty up front . . . and also therefore be able to put a more precise, limited allocation in the cost of manufacture, keeping the list price down for everyone.

Finally, a "lifetime" warranty is only as good as the lifetime of the company involved. I can think of one and possibly two guitar companies offering such a warranty which probably won't make it until year's end. Fortunately, there's still a few old-timers which can match our 70 years of existence and non-conglomerate ownership which can continue to be relied upon.

I note that the writer is in Australia; I don't know the legal requirements there, but in many other countries outside the U.S.A., "lifetime warranties" are simply not permitted by law as the legislators recognize simply that it
is not in the consumer's best interests but just a con game.

Cheers, John Hall

[admin]

Well put John. There is no free "warranty" ride. My oldest Rickenbacker is 35 year old 450/12 and I must say that it is in good shape and plays beautifully to this day. The way I see it, the best warranty is to build them well to begin with. Thanks for maintaining the quality control.

[rkbsound]

I think Rickenbacker could comfortably include a lifetime guarantee of enjoyment. My 35 year old gets played and played and sounds great! No museum piece here.

[wmthor]

John, you stated that the average guitar is owned three years by the original owner.

Can I presume that my first new Rickenbacker is above average since I received it 3 years and 10 days ago and have no plans on ever getting rid of it. The same goes for numbers 2 & 3.

Peter is correct, the best warranty is to build them right to begin with. Thanks for the three great guitars.