Many people today have a question about whether or not they are properly protected when purchasing through an app. Ultimately you want to know that you have real protection when making any kind of purchase, but especially when buying something via e-commerce through an app, the higher the cost of the transaction the more we are concerned. When talking about protection, we are referring to a warranty to cover defects.
Risk v. Savings
In some cases, we are willing to take a risk in exchange for a lower price point. When something falls off of a truck, we know we don’t have a warranty but that’s why we pay a fraction of retail. Similarly, when we make a purchase through Craigslist, we know we do often do not have any form of warranty coverage but are willing to accept the risk because we are paying a lower price. One of the key factors when making a purchase via on demand app aside from increased convenience is the possibility of a reduction in price because we are not having to pay for the cost of a brick-and-mortar establishment. How much would you have to save to forego warranty protection?
On-Demand Warranties
Let’s examine where and when warranties are available through on-demand platforms. First, consider which type on demand platform are you using. For instance, if you were using eBay or Netflix you would be looking at very different warranties because one is for products and the other is for a service. Service-based warranties will generally be restricted to refunds for service outages or failures. When dealing with eBay or a similar product-based platforms, the warranties are generally provided by the manufacturer or individual seller. In rare circumstances the warranty is offered by the platform, but platform protections are also generally restricted to refund, exchange and cancellation policies.
Manufacturer and Seller Warranties
You may also have a manufacturer warranty – i.e. most manufactures offer warranties independently of the parties who sell their products regardless of whether you are buying your product through an app or in store. Indeed, these warranties are often transferrable to subsequent owners with the warranty commencing on the original purchase date such as when you buy a used car with a remaining manufacturer warranty. When looking for more coverage, you should look to what is offered by the actual sellers of the product or service within that particular platform; generally you can find this information within the seller’s profile on the platform.
Finally, you also may have an opportunity to purchase an extended warranty for additional protection. Extended warranties are offered by manufacturers or warranty companies for more expensive purchases such as electronics or automobiles.
Closing Remarks
Surprisingly, your warranty protection through on-demand platforms are generally equal to in-store purchases because product-based purchases are covered by manufacturer warranties and service-based purchases are restricted to refunds or discounts, just like in the real world.
