Planar Now Offering Lifetime Warranty On DV LED Product Series
October 7, 2020 by Dave Haynes
Portland-based display manufacturer Planar has started marketing a direct view LED product that comes with a lifetime warranty – though it is officially called the Planar EverCare Lifetime Limited Warranty.
The warranty program applies to Planar TVF Series LED video walls that are deployed in North America.
Says the PR:
Planar EverCare offers:
- Lifetime Protection: Coverage for as long as the customer owns the product;
- Total Product Coverage: Coverage of the entire product from controller to sub-pixel, including every component in between;
- Local Support and Maintenance: Repair or replacement in the U.S. of any component;
- Uninterrupted Assistance: Access to 24×7 phone support;
- Accelerated Replacement: Advance replacement of certain critical components;
- Opportunity for Enhancement: May be augmented by optional Planar scheduled or on-demand, on-site service programs.
“Planar has been designing, deploying and supporting video wall solutions for nearly 40 years,” says EVP of Sales, Marketing and Pro Services Adam Schmidt. “As a result, we have the experience and expertise needed to fully understand what our customers are looking for, and that is a video wall that not only looks great and delivers superior performance for a long time, but also offers peace of mind. Planar EverCare is our response – a one-of-a-kind offering deliberately designed to address these needs.”
The program comes on the heels of another Planar program launched to allow customers to lease Planar displays at a fixed monthly cost, instead of a still upfront capital outlay.
The warranty program is for the TVF LEDs that are sold as cabinets, for custom size and scale jobs. The “Complete” program is another one of those fixed-size programs that are popping up with many manufacturers – with bundled, finished units from 109 inches to 219.
Planar’s warranty program, the company says, is available for orders shipped after October 1.
A little Googling did not reveal another lifetime warranty on LED displays, but let me know if there is another. Warranties are not something I spend a lot of time looking over, but I would assume that in many cases LED boards that are treated well and protected will last a very long time, and perhaps be de-commissioned more because the owners want a refresh than because the lights went out.
Not sure what’s up with Planar and Leyard, its China-based owners. There is zero mention of Leyard on the Planar site. Maybe Leyard wants to end any brand confusion and just use Planar for North America??? It would have been fun steadily trying to explain the tag-team brands, and help customers pronounce Leyard.
Dear Dave,
Daktronics will be hosting a web series introducing next generation products as well as a session on upcoming technologies by Brett Wendler, VP of Engineering. Below is the link to information on the sessions and registration for these free sessions.
We would love for you to join us!
https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/partners/innovate-webinars
Dave – the key word is “LIMITED”.
Warranties and serviceability should not be taken lightly, especially when the acquisition cost of this technology (although rapidly declining in recent years) is still much higher than the alternatives.
Customers would be wise to do their due diligence and take a look at the fine print in order to compare warranties.
It is quite possible that a warranty that does not promote itself as being LIFETIME, could be equal to or better than one that does.
Key things for customers to look for:
How does EOL of the product affect the warranty period?
Exactly, what is covered and not covered?
– Are all components covered?
Is the defective product replaced with a new product offered, is it repaired, or is a refurbished product provided?
Who pays for cost of shipping the defective product?
How long will the replacement process take?
Are there any unilateral decisions made by the company as to whether or not they will repair, replace or refund?
– And if a refund is the remedy, is it a full refund, or prorated?
Other restrictions:
These can get quite specific and could easily void the warranty.
– Rented or Lease?
– Has the product been moved since initial installation?
– Was an authorized mount used?
– Was there adequate ventilation and cooling?
Again, no matter how the warranty is marketed, customers should take time to fully understand all of the T&Cs.