The battery is often not cheap (especially if you are buying a new car and you have an AGM one). But it happens that the battery fails even on a warranty car. Or you bought a new battery, you have a guarantee for it, let's say 3-4 years, it is out of order, and the store refuses to change you! Is it legal or not? And what does the warranty actually cover? Let's figure it out...
There are only three main questions:
The first – if the car is under warranty, is the battery included?
Second - if I bought a battery (on a used car), and after a couple of years it lost its capacity by 50%, or the case cracked, the terminal broke off - does this cover the warranty or not?
Third - the battery froze, the case broke, the plates fell apart - what can we say to the manufacturer
What is covered by the warranty
THAT is here, as if the battery manufacturer himself gives his warranty. I'll start with this case (because it is the most revealing).
So, the warranty period can vary from 1 to 4 years for different manufacturers in different ways, it all depends on (I personally saw 5 years, but only on).
But what is included in this period? Let's point by point:
- The destruction of the hull (not the fault of the owner) is a factory defect. It happens that the cover is soldered and the electrolyte begins to ooze. Or it evaporates, because the tightness is broken
- The jumper between the banks was soldered off. The voltage at the terminals is generally zero, this happens when one lead jumper has collapsed, soldered off, which
- Closed one bank (again, the fault of the manufacturer). For example, a package or a jumper between the plates collapsed, as a result of which the voltage dropped to 9-10V and the machine does not start
- One terminal or fastening around it collapsed, came off (again, not through the fault of the driver). This also happens, but extremely rarely, this is also a warranty case and will have to be replaced
ANOTHER very important note. If you have a warranty of 2 - 3 - 4 years, some manufacturers oblige us to undergo MOT every year at a store (or a friendly service center), where you will check the battery (measure density, resistance, etc.). Failure to do so will void the warranty. IT IS FREQUENTLY STATED IN THE CONTRACT, so it's important to read it before buying.
As you understand, these are all “physical influences” mainly on the case, plates and terminals. BUT the manufacturer can EVEN refuse this if he suddenly suspects that you may be the cause of the damage.
What is not covered?
There are also a few points here:
- Loss of capacity - say half in one or two years. Moreover, the car does not start (especially in severe frost). They will say that improper operation, short trips, no preventive charge
- The battery is frozen (due to low density). This is also not a warranty case. The density decreases due to the discharge of the battery, and if you did not properly service it, again, short trips - undercharging, in severe frosts it certainly freezes - then this is completely your fault
- Decreased electrolyte level. Because of what the plates crumbled and closed the banks, this is also not the fault of the manufacturer. It is necessary to monitor the level in the serviced batteries
- Generator failure. batteries (hereinafter ) again not the fault of the manufacturer
- Recharging the battery (failure). Overheating of the plates, a drop in the electrolyte level and, as an option, their shedding. Also no guarantee!
You must understand that it is you who should follow (it’s trite to check the voltage at the terminals, the density of the electrolyte) and if you “miss” something, the manufacturer will gladly refuse the guarantee.
New car and battery warranty
Here is almost the same picture. Only if the battery is "covered", you go to the official dealer, and he already decides to change it or not.
Moreover, it happens that a failed generator drags the battery with it - both parts are changed at once. And it's legal!
How can I find out the warranty period for the battery? Everything is simple, usually it is prescribed in the operation of the car. For example, in KIA and Hyundai, all batteries are guaranteed from 6 months to 1 year. Some manufacturers give from 1 to 3 years (as for the whole car).
Therefore, before you go and demand, you need to look through your instruction book (or go to the official website of the manufacturer).
If it's not my fault and the dealer refuses
The situation is not new. It happens that you did nothing (no physical intervention), but the battery does not work (factory defect). The dealer is trying in every possible way to pin the blame on you (sometimes, it’s corny with an answer).
We all just write a claim to the dealer in triplicate, indicating that the guarantee is (so many and you have to change everything), we give one to the dealer’s representative, the other at our place, and we prepare the third for the court. You can also duplicate the claim to the manufacturer - either to the site or through the hotline.
Usually after such an appeal, everything changes. BUT this is if you are 100% sure that your fault is not here!
Now we are watching a short video.
Perky cell phone dealers are often convinced that they shouldn't be taking a given product back because of a battery failure. They do not agree to other options - to replace or repair. The store employees are trying to lay all the responsibility on the buyers of phones, who in such a situation are left without money and without a mobile phone.
To justify their actions, the sellers claim that the battery is different, and the latter expires much earlier. Some stores set the expiration date arbitrarily, at their own discretion. However, consumer rights law answers the question of whether the manufacturer's warranty covers a "dead" phone battery in a different way.
What the law says
If the warranty period for the battery has already expired, and the device itself is still valid, then in the event of a battery malfunction, the store must fulfill one of the requirements of the buyer:
- at your own expense to repair a mobile phone by replacing the battery;
- change the device to the same or similar model (with an additional payment or a refund of part of the funds);
- pick up the faulty device and return the money to the citizen.
When communicating with representatives of the store, one should refer to the provisions of two laws - on consumer rights and the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. Thus, Article 477 of the Civil Code unambiguously states: if a lesser guarantee is established for some part of the product than for the entire product, the buyer, upon detection of a defect in the component, has the right to demand its elimination within a longer warranty period. That is, if the warranty for the batteries is six months, and for the phone - two years, you can return the device that is not working due to the battery within two years.
A similar provision is contained in the law on consumer rights - article 19. But a reservation has already been made here: "unless otherwise provided by the contract." This clarification can complicate communication with the store, if he enterprisingly wrote in the contract an impossibility clause with a broken battery outside the warranty period.
Seeing him, it is better to refer to the Civil Code in the claim. When buying a phone, especially an expensive one, such details must be clarified and the information received must be verified at the stage of signing the contract. You should buy a mobile device in stores that take into account the interests of the consumer as much as possible.
What to write in a claim
The claim addressed to the store manager indicates the date and place of purchase, as well as the model of the defective phone. Further, it is reported that it cannot be used due to a defective battery and explains what it specifically consists of. Then the buyer, referring to the norms of the laws, asks either to replace the battery or return the money for the purchase.
Copies are attached to the application:
- cash receipt:
- issued warranty card;
- conclusion service department(if it was done).
The claim is delivered by the buyer personally or sent by registered mail. He must have in his hands either a postal receipt for sending the application, or its second copy, endorsed by the store, as well as the original documents. If the seller does not respond within 10 days, the consumer has the right to defend his interests in court.
How to extend the life of a phone battery
The seller of a phone with low-quality batteries can be called to account. However, during the examination, without which the dispute is unlikely to do, the buyer will have to prove that the failure of the battery did not happen due to improper operation of the device. In order not to really become the culprit of a battery failure, sellers and manufacturers of mobile phones recommend that you follow the following rules:
- Do not overheat your phone battery. Temperatures above 40 degrees contribute to its rapid aging and failure.
- The first charge of a new phone should last at least 6 hours.
- You don't have to wait until the battery is completely discharged. The device should be recharged when the phone starts to "ask" for it.
- Do not work for a long time with an almost discharged mobile phone without connecting it to a power source, or charging it just a little (for example, from 3% to 10%). It is advisable to first charge the gadget by 50%, and only then continue using it.
Ignoring these rules may entail not only legal difficulties with the return or exchange of goods. Sometimes it causes the phone battery to detonate.
A defective battery makes it impossible to use the phone, which sometimes has to be saved for more than one month. Therefore, when purchasing a device, it is necessary to carefully study the warranty document, the content of the purchase and sale agreement, and choose a seller who is loyal to the rights and interests of buyers.
When purchasing a battery complete with a car or separately, the buyer has the right to rely on a guarantee. A complex device is expensive, energy replenishment processes are specific, it is difficult to establish why the energy source failed. Therefore, the responsibility for the correct high-quality assembly of the device lies with the manufacturer, he gives a guarantee for the battery. The owner is responsible for violation of the operating mode. In disputed cases, expertise is required.
When buying a battery, we receive guarantees from the manufacturer for technical support by signing the conditions in the warranty card. Usually the plant is responsible for its products within 6 months, a year. But it happens that the warranty period for car batteries extends to 3-4 years, while the contract is accompanied by additional conditions that you should read. Usually this periodic maintenance batteries at an authorized service center.
The manufacturer's battery warranty covers defects that are classified as poor assembly. There are obvious reasons that are revealed in the first 6 months from the start of operation of a car battery.
- Open circuit - poor-quality connection of cans to the battery. With lack of penetration at the joints, the resistance increases, the contacts are oxidized, open. The car battery fails, it is covered by the manufacturer's warranty.
- Short circuit - when assembling the plates, the distance between the plates or the integrity of the separator is violated. As a result of the breakdown, the bank does not work. The battery does not receive 2.1 V of charge. The electrolyte in the jar boils, its density in the defective jar is low. Warranty case, but only in the first months of operation. In the future, it will be difficult to prove that you did not drive over potholes and did not puncture the separator.
- The destruction of the case is not the fault of the owner, when the cover is soldered and the electrolyte passes through. The crack may not be visible, but the pungent smell of acid is felt under the hood. That the damage was not the fault of the user has yet to be proven.
- It is even more difficult, and often impossible, to prove that the rupture of some electrodes in the battery case occurred due to the fault of the manufacturer, the poorly formed active mass falls off the plates, the low density of the filled electrolyte does not allow the car battery to be used in winter and it froze. Only an expert can decide whether a given case falls under the guarantees.
Does the warranty cover the battery when buying a car?
battery in vehicle counts auxiliary equipment. Therefore, the warranty for the battery of a new car is written separately in the instructions. It happens when a generator malfunction is detected during the warranty period, resulting in the destruction of the battery. With a proven causal relationship, both devices are changed.
Different companies set the warranty period independently. Korean manufacturers give a guarantee for the battery for 6-12 months, some for years. But here, the guarantee only applies to factory defects. What kind of battery warranty is not so important. All defects in the factory assembly will be revealed in a short time, experts refer to a hidden marriage as a violation of operation.
It is necessary to carry out warranty repairs of batteries in an authorized service center. But under the circumstances, this service is not profitable for either the workshop or the manufacturer. To prove that the case is not under warranty and to take money for repairs is the policy of the service center.
By law, warranty repairs may be denied in cases where the battery:
- imported into the country under the "gray" scheme;
- has traces of opening or self-repair;
- there are traces of covert penetration known from vendors (manufacturers) who work with an authorized center.
Of course, a fully completed warranty card with the exact date of purchase of the battery is presented to the workshop. From this date, it is considered how long the guarantee extends.
How to return the battery to the seller under warranty
By law, everything trading operations, warranty for batteries, interaction with the seller is subject to the Law "On the Protection of Consumer Rights" articles 18 and 29. The law allows you to return a technically complex product in good condition and with a whole package within 2 weeks without explanation.
Malfunctions are detected in the warranty workshop indicated in the warranty card, upon presentation of a cash or sales receipt. The conclusion of the malfunction specialists due to the fault of the manufacturer allows you to exchange the battery for a new one.
Forced battery replacement under warranty
If you are sure that the battery does not work due to a factory defect, and the conclusion is not in your favor, write a claim to the dealer. At the same time, it is necessary that a stamp of its registration in the document base be put on the copy of the document, indicating the period of circulation. The same document is prepared in court, sent to the manufacturer and to the site. If you are not guilty, an independent examination will prove it.
Usually, it is not profitable for the guilty party to pay legal costs, pay for an independent examination, receive an anti-rating and the issue is resolved before judicial order.
By law, all batteries are covered by a warranty, as for complex equipment. But it's important to buy first. good battery, with which there will be no problems. You need to read user reviews and purchase a rating model from well-known manufacturers.
When choosing a battery, pay attention to the date of its release. If the device is more than a year old, it was stored in unknown conditions, without recharging, it is better to refuse the purchase. In hybrid and low-maintenance batteries, you can check the strength of the electrolyte, its level. In maintenance-free devices, everything is hidden, only the charge of the NRC can be measured.
Treat the battery with care, even a frayed label, scratches and small dents in the case can lead to the conclusion of improper use of the battery and the denial of warranty by law.
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