Mares warranty service

[Phil Mintz]

Should I be paying for labor on a Mares reg that I bought a month ago?

Or is this revenge for buying it off the internet?

Apparently it's something with the seat in the first stage.

Any thoughts?

Alex

Alex,

Mares Warranty covers the parts. Any authorized dealer can/should adjust the reg, but I can certainly understand why a LDS would charge you labor on a product that they did not sell to you (whether purchased from the internet or another LDS). It is also understood that a new product should function properly when purchased.

However, if the reg needs adjustment or is not functioning correctly out of the box why don't you simply contact the place of purchase. If they are an authorized dealer they should stand behind the product they sold you and Mares will certainly back them up.

Phil

 

[Hoosier]

I am not sure if it is true or not. My LDS used to tell, Mares warranty service always takes a longer than any other brands. They exampled a couple of cases during OW class. It might be the case only to my horrible LDS in Mid-west though.


Edit: Mares doesn't provides the limited international warranty like ScubaPro and Aqua Lung, and Apeks?

 

[abitton]

Phil,

Thanks for your answer.

I did contact the dealer, and he has offered to do the work for no charge. (He is an authorized Mares dealer). It's not quite out of the box, it's got 3 dives on it...

However, I would have hoped that the warranty would have covered all expenses, including labour, wherever you have the gear repaired.

Assuming I had purchased the regs from an LDS, and been overseas when the problem occured, then I would have had to return the gear to that LDS? Or would have had to pay for the repairs locally?

Again, let me bring up the example of automobile warranties. I don't have to go back to the dealer who has sold me the car for warranty service.

Whether the repair is done at the shop that sold the equipment or at another authorized dealer, I don't see why EITHER of them would have to cover their cost of repairing a product under warranty. I would just assume that they document the repair and send the info to Mares to be compensated (again, assuming it is a warranty repair).

FWIW, I have approved the repair cost at the LDS, even though I could have had it done for free at the shop that I bought it from. My "usual" LDS is not Mares authorized, so I'm looking forward to building a relationship with this one. The amount is really not an issue, it's actually fairly cheap. I guess it's more for the value of the warranty itself.

Overall, though, I have purchased 2 sets or Mares regs (at the same time), and have been very happy with the purchase (apart from this little snag - $h!t happens ). They really do breathe vey well!

Alex

Alex,

Mares Warranty covers the parts. Any authorized dealer can/should adjust the reg, but I can certainly understand why a LDS would charge you labor on a product that they did not sell to you (whether purchased from the internet or another LDS). It is also understood that a new product should function properly when purchased.

However, if the reg needs adjustment or is not functioning correctly out of the box why don't you simply contact the place of purchase. If they are an authorized dealer they should stand behind the product they sold you and Mares will certainly back them up.

Phil

 

[Marek K]

Mares Warranty covers the parts.

Hi Phil. Welcome -- very good to have you here.

And hope you have a thick skin!

OK, say again... the Mares warranty only covers parts??

My situation: I'm with the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, Poland. I recently mail-ordered two Mares regulators from an authorized dealer in the U.S. One big reason I went with Mares was your strong market presence here in Europe; I figured I could get support here with no problem.

Are you saying that if there's a warranty issue (possible defect, not just annual service) with one of the regs, then I have to ship it back to the dealer where I bought it to have the labor covered, rather than just taking it to a local authorized dealer?

Hmmm... I'll have to take a close look at my warranty card. Of course, I'm probably covered by whatever warranty is in effect in Europe...

--Marek

 

[Scuba]

If they are an authorized dealer they should stand behind the product they sold you and Mares will certainly back them up.

Should? As in optional? Not contractually obligated?

From a consumers perspective, one of the major conveniences of buying from a brand's authorized dealers is the ability to go to any such dealer to have product service/warranty issues resolved. If the only one who "should" perform this service (in this case at no extra cost to the consumer) is the dealer where the original purchase is made - then, original dealer integrity is the issue. And the label "authorized" appears useless here.

I understand the labor issues, however, the minimum any authorized dealer "should have" to do regarding a new defective product is to ship the product back to Mares at no cost to the consumer. Who should pay for shipping and handling expenses is an issue for the sellers of the product. A consumer who did not do anything wrong, should not bear any further inconvenience or expense.

I welcome your comments and policy explanations, Phil.

 

[abitton]

This makes a lot of sense to me, and is the case for many different types of consumer goods.

I understand the labor issues, however, the minimum any authorized dealer "should have" to do regarding a new defective product is to ship the product back to Mares at no cost to the consumer.

 

[Marek K]

OK, here's what the "Mares Limited Lifetime Warranty" says, that came with my two regs:

Mares warrants this regulator against defects in materials and workmanship for the lifetime of the original woner, with the exception of mouthpiece, hose, O-rings, filter or valve seats, which are warranted for 2 years. During the first two years, Mares warrants that all parts of this regulator will be free of defects in materials and workmanship. Mares will at their option repair or replace any components they find to be defective. This warranty does not cover regulators purchased from any source other than authorized Mares dealers. To activate this warranty you must complete and return the warranty registration card within 10 days of purchase. This warranty will maintain in effect for the lifetime of the original owner. To present this lifetime warranty, however, it is required that maintenance include an annual safety inspection be performed by an authorized Mares dealer or by the factory. This service will include disassembly, cleaning, replacement and lubrication of all O-rings and seals, and safety check at the expense of the owner. To obtain warranty service, you must deliver the regulator to Mares or one of their authorized repair facilities. If you send the regulator to the factory, you must pay the shipping charges to the factory. This warranty does not cover damage or defect due to neglect, misuse, alterations, or attempted repairs by someone other than an authorized dealer. Chromed or plated brass components are subject to corrosion and require as a minimum reasonable mantenance fresh water rinsing after use in salt water and proper storage as described in the owner's manual. This warranty applies only to regulators purchased through authorized Mares dealers.


​

Maybe a lawyer can parse this, but I agree with Abitton. If I had a Mares regulator purchased from an authorized dealer (which I have two of), I would expect parts and labor to be taken care of if there were a defect. And I would assume "authorized repair facilities" to mean all qualified Mares dealers worldwide, that have qualified technicians.


The only issue may be whether Abitton's problem represented a defect (should you expect a regulator "out of the box" to be well-adjusted?), or whether it's the fault of the selling dealer who neglected to bench-test the regulator before sending it out. If the latter, then maybe only that dealer is responsible for fixing the adjustment.

--Marek

 

[abitton]

In my case, its the seat in the first stage that needs to be replaced. It's not an adjustment problem. According to me, adjustment is something that should definitely be taken care of by the seller, and another shop should have the right to charge for labour on any subsequent adjustment.

OK, here's what the "Mares Limited Lifetime Warranty" says, that came with my two regs:

Mares warrants this regulator against defects in materials and workmanship for the lifetime of the original woner, with the exception of mouthpiece, hose, O-rings, filter or valve seats, which are warranted for 2 years. During the first two years, Mares warrants that all parts of this regulator will be free of defects in materials and workmanship. Mares will at their option repair or replace any components they find to be defective. This warranty does not cover regulators purchased from any source other than authorized Mares dealers. To activate this warranty you must complete and return the warranty registration card within 10 days of purchase. This warranty will maintain in effect for the lifetime of the original owner. To present this lifetime warranty, however, it is required that maintenance include an annual safety inspection be performed by an authorized Mares dealer or by the factory. This service will include disassembly, cleaning, replacement and lubrication of all O-rings and seals, and safety check at the expense of the owner. To obtain warranty service, you must deliver the regulator to Mares or one of their authorized repair facilities. If you send the regulator to the factory, you must pay the shipping charges to the factory. This warranty does not cover damage or defect due to neglect, misuse, alterations, or attempted repairs by someone other than an authorized dealer. Chromed or plated brass components are subject to corrosion and require as a minimum reasonable mantenance fresh water rinsing after use in salt water and proper storage as described in the owner's manual. This warranty applies only to regulators purchased through authorized Mares dealers.


​

Maybe a lawyer can parse this, but I agree with Abitton. If I had a Mares regulator purchased from an authorized dealer (which I have two of), I would expect parts and labor to be taken care of if there were a defect. And I would assume "authorized repair facilities" to mean all qualified Mares dealers worldwide, that have qualified technicians.


The only issue may be whether Abitton's problem represented a defect (should you expect a regulator "out of the box" to be well-adjusted?), or whether it's the fault of the selling dealer who neglected to bench-test the regulator before sending it out. If the latter, then maybe only that dealer is responsible for fixing the adjustment.

--Marek

 

[Marek K]

In my case, its the seat in the first stage that needs to be replaced. It's not an adjustment problem.

OK sorry, it wasn't clear whether there was something actually wrong with the valve seat, or whether the seat had maybe just taken a "set" and needed to be adjusted. That's happened to me after a service; I assume it could happen with a new reg.

So the valve seat itself needs to be replaced? Did you find out what was wrong with it? Sounds like a defect. In that case, reading the warranty, I definitely don't understand why labor wasn't covered by your local authorized dealer. Did anyone explain that to you specifically?

None of this is particularly a big deal. A valve seat is maybe a couple bucks. Not what it's worth, but what it probably costs. And 10 minutes of labor? But still.

--Marek

 

[abitton]

My point exactly...

I'll be out 40$ (canadian)...

Not a big deal, just a minor annoyance, and a little disappointment, is all.

None of this is particularly a big deal. A valve seat is maybe a couple bucks. Not what it's worth, but what it probably costs. And 10 minutes of labor? But still.

--Marek