{"product_id":"warranty-handling-service","title":"Warranty Handling Service","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYou enjoy the gear. We deal with the warranty.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery piece of equipment we sell comes with a manufacturer's warranty. Actually using that warranty is another matter. A claim usually means overseas support tickets, emails answered a week later from another time zone, requests for logs and videos, and then the hard part: packing and shipping a heavy, delicate instrument to a service centre that may be across the border or on the other side of the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith Warranty Handling Service, you make one call or send one email to us, and we manage the claim from start to finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy shipping is the hidden cost of a warranty claim\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA manufacturer's warranty covers the repair. It almost never covers getting the item to the service centre and back, and that is where owners get caught out. Typical round-trip costs from Ontario, insured for full value and packed properly:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHarmonic mount to an overseas service centre:\u003c\/strong\u003e roughly $250 to $400 once you add courier both ways, full-value insurance and brokerage when it comes back into Canada.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGerman equatorial mount head (EQ6-R class, about 25 kg boxed) to a North American service centre:\u003c\/strong\u003e often $200 to $450, and more if the original foam is gone and it has to be custom-crated or sent by freight.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRefractor or SCT tube:\u003c\/strong\u003e commonly $150 to $350 round trip. Long tubes and large SCTs are charged on dimensional weight, so the box size costs more than the weight.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAstronomy camera to an overseas service centre:\u003c\/strong\u003e commonly $80 to $150 with insurance and tracking.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCustoms paperwork and brokerage can add fees and delays even on a warranty return, and a poorly packed box can be refused by the manufacturer or damaged in transit. A single claim on a mount or telescope can easily cost more in shipping than this service does.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat we handle for you\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOpening and managing the claim.\u003c\/strong\u003e We file the ticket with the manufacturer, supply the order records and follow up until it is resolved.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAll communication with the manufacturer.\u003c\/strong\u003e No chasing overseas support or waiting on replies across time zones.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShipping both ways.\u003c\/strong\u003e We arrange and pay for the shipping to the manufacturer or its service centre and back to you, including insurance, customs and brokerage paperwork.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStatus updates at every step,\u003c\/strong\u003e so you always know where your claim stands.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eTroubleshooting comes first\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBefore a manufacturer will issue an RMA (return merchandise authorization), it requires the owner to complete its troubleshooting steps. This is the manufacturer's requirement, not ours, and no claim can move forward until it is done. Typical steps include:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eupdating firmware and drivers to the current version\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003etesting with a known-good power supply and cables\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eresetting to factory settings\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ecapturing logs, error messages, photos or a short video of the fault\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe send you exactly what the manufacturer asks for and help you work through it. Many problems turn out to be settings, firmware or power and are solved right there, with nothing shipped at all. If the fault is real, a complete troubleshooting record is what gets the RMA approved quickly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eKeep the original packaging\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease keep the original box and foam for the length of the manufacturer's warranty, especially for telescopes and mounts. Manufacturers expect returns in suitable packaging, and the original packaging is the safest and most affordable way to ship an optical tube or mount. Without it, an item may need custom packing or crating before it can be sent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eHow it works\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSomething isn't right? Contact us with your order number and a short description of the problem.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWe send you the manufacturer's troubleshooting steps and help you through them.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf an RMA is issued, we open it, arrange the shipping and manage the claim until your repaired or replacement unit is back with you.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eGood to know\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOne service covers one unit, for the length of the manufacturer's original warranty. The price depends on the type of equipment and is shown when you add it at checkout.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis is a \u003cstrong\u003eservice, not an extended warranty or insurance\u003c\/strong\u003e. The repair itself is covered by the manufacturer's warranty. We make that warranty easy to use.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOriginal owner only.\u003c\/strong\u003e The service must be purchased with the item, is non-transferable, and applies only to the original purchaser.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIt ends when the manufacturer's warranty ends.\u003c\/strong\u003e The service covers claims made while the manufacturer's original warranty is in force, on the item it was purchased with, and expires when that warranty is no longer in force.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOut-of-warranty repairs:\u003c\/strong\u003e faults the manufacturer won't cover, such as drops, misuse, modifications or wear, and any repair after the warranty has ended fall outside this service. We will still help: we'll arrange the repair, provide a quotation based on the manufacturer's repair quotation, and give you access to our discounted shipping rates.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe service is non-refundable once purchased.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHandled by the team at Ontario Telescope and Accessories, at our shop in Bolton, Ontario.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Ontario Telescope and Accessories","offers":[{"title":"Camera \u0026 Imaging accessories","offer_id":67816790556783,"sku":"WHS-ACC","price":75.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Astronomy camera","offer_id":67816790589551,"sku":"WHS-CAM","price":100.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Harmonic mount","offer_id":67816790622319,"sku":"WHS-HEM","price":125.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"German equatorial mount","offer_id":67816790655087,"sku":"WHS-GEM","price":150.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Telescope, up to 103 mm","offer_id":67816790687855,"sku":"WHS-SCOPE-103","price":200.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Telescope, over 103 to 125 mm","offer_id":67816790720623,"sku":"WHS-SCOPE-125","price":250.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Telescope, 126 to 155 mm","offer_id":67816790753391,"sku":"WHS-SCOPE-155","price":350.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"SCT 6\" to 9.25\" or Newtonian 6\" to 8\"","offer_id":67816790786159,"sku":"WHS-SCT-925","price":200.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"SCT 11\" to 14\" or Newtonian 10\" to 12\"","offer_id":67816790818927,"sku":"WHS-SCT-14","price":400.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/ontariotelescope.com\/products\/warranty-handling-service","provider":"Ontario Telescope and Accessories","version":"1.0","type":"link"}