Warranty Policy - EXPERTRONICS

LIMITED WARRANTY POLICY

EXPERTRONICS

1. Scope and Applicability

This Limited Warranty Policy (“Policy”) is issued by EXPERTRONICS (“Company,” “we,” “our”) and governs all warranty claims for External Hard Disk Drives (“HDD” or “the Product”) and other accessories sold by the Company. This Policy is applicable only within the territory of the Republic of India and is subject to the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Sale of Goods Act, 1930, and all applicable rules and regulations thereunder.

This Policy applies solely to products purchased directly from the Company or its authorised resellers, including authorised listings on platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart. Products purchased through grey markets, unauthorised dealers, or outside India are not covered under this Policy.

2. Mandatory Warranty Registration

To activate warranty coverage, the Customer must complete Warranty Registration within 30 (thirty) days of purchase by:

1. Emailing info@expertronics.in with the subject line “Warranty Registration – [Order Number]”.

2. Providing: full name, contact details, proof of purchase (original invoice or platform order confirmation), product serial number, and date of purchase.

3. Retaining the original invoice or purchase confirmation throughout the Warranty Period. Failure to produce proof of purchase upon request will result in automatic rejection of the warranty claim.

Note: Failure to register within 30 days does not automatically void the warranty; however, unregistered products will require additional verification steps and processing time may be extended by up to 10 additional business days.

3. Warranty Exclusions – Conditions That Void This Warranty

This warranty shall be deemed IMMEDIATELY AND IRREVOCABLY VOID, without any obligation on the part of the Company to evaluate or process a claim, if any of the following conditions are found upon physical inspection of the returned Product:

3.1 Physical Damage and Tampering

Any visible physical damage including dents, cracks, bends, breaks, or deformation of the enclosure or internal components.
Evidence of the product being dropped, crushed, or subjected to physical impact.
Broken, missing, or tampered warranty seals, void stickers, or holographic labels. Any drive received with a broken warranty seal will be rejected immediately without evaluation.
Evidence of unauthorised disassembly, opening of the enclosure, or attempted self-repair.
Missing screws, components, or internal parts.

3.2 Liquid, Environmental, and Electrical Damage

Exposure to moisture, liquid ingress, water damage, flooding, rain, or high humidity environments.
Damage due to extreme temperatures (operating or storage outside the range of 0°C to 60°C).
Damage caused by electrical surges, power fluctuations, use of non-compatible or non-certified power adapters, chargers, or cables.
Damage from static electricity, lightning, or connection to improperly earthed electrical supply.

3.3 Misuse, Abuse, and Improper Operation

Use of the Product with non-certified, incompatible, or counterfeit cables, connectors, or power supplies not supplied or approved by the Company.
Use of the Product in conditions or for purposes beyond those specified in the official product documentation.
Damage caused by connecting the Product to a defective, non-standard, or non-compliant host device.
Damage resulting from viruses, malware, ransomware, or third-party software interference.

3.4 Unauthorised Modifications and Third-Party Interference

Any modification, alteration, or upgrade of the Product’s hardware or firmware not authorised by the Company in writing.
Repairs, servicing, or data recovery attempts performed by any party other than the Company or its authorised service centre. Any drive on which third-party data recovery has been attempted will be rejected without evaluation.
Installation of unauthorised firmware or flashing of non-official firmware.

3.5 Normal Wear and Cosmetic Issues

Gradual degradation in performance consistent with normal use over the product’s operational life.
Cosmetic damage including scratches, dents, or discolouration that do not affect the functional operation of the Product.
Mechanical wear of moving parts (read/write heads, platters) due to accumulated operating hours within the drive’s rated lifespan.

3.6 Non-Covered Events

Damage caused by floods, earthquakes, fire, lightning, acts of God, riots, war, or other force majeure events.
Products with removed, defaced, or altered serial numbers, model numbers, or product identification labels.
Loss or theft of the Product.
Products used for commercial rental, shared hosting, or continuous 24×7 server or NAS operations unless specifically rated for such use.

4. Warranty Claim Process – Mandatory Procedure

All warranty claims are subject to Mandatory Return-to-Base Physical Evaluation (“RTB Evaluation”). The Company does not offer on-site evaluation, field assessment, or warranty determinations based solely on verbal, photographic, or video evidence.

Step 1 – Submit a Warranty Claim Request

Email info@expertronics.in with the subject line “Warranty Claim – [Order Number]” and include:

Full name and contact details (phone number and delivery address).
Order number or original invoice/platform order confirmation.
Product serial number (found on the product label or original packaging).
A clear written description of the defect: when it first appeared, under what circumstances, and steps already taken.
Photographs or a short video (max 30 seconds, max 20 MB) showing the physical condition of the Product and the reported defect.

Step 2 – Preliminary Review

Upon receipt of the claim request, the Company will perform a preliminary review within 3–5 business days. The Company reserves the right to:

Request additional information or documentation before authorising a return.
Reject claims that are clearly excluded under Section 3 without requiring return of the Product.
Issue a Return Merchandise Authorisation (“RMA”) number if the claim appears valid on preliminary review. Products returned WITHOUT a valid RMA number will be rejected and returned at the Customer’s cost.

Step 3 – Return-to-Base Physical Evaluation

Upon receiving the RMA number, the Customer must:

1. Securely pack the Product in adequate protective packaging. The Company is not responsible for transit damage caused by inadequate packaging.

2. Affix the RMA number clearly on the outer packaging.

3. Ship the Product to the Company’s designated service address using a trackable courier service. The Customer is responsible for all shipping costs to the service centre.

4. Share the tracking number and courier details with info@expertronics.in within 48 hours of dispatch.

The Company conducts mandatory physical, electronic, and diagnostic inspection of all returned products. Warranty determinations are made exclusively by our qualified technical team based on this physical evaluation. No warranty determination will be made remotely or based solely on Customer descriptions.

Step 4 – Evaluation and Decision

Upon receipt of the returned Product:

The Company will conduct a comprehensive physical, electronic, and diagnostic evaluation within 7–10 business days.
The Customer will be notified of the evaluation outcome via email within this period.
The Company’s technical team’s findings shall be final and binding, subject only to a written dispute raised within 7 days of the evaluation result notification.

5. Warranty Remedies

If the physical evaluation confirms a genuine manufacturing defect covered under this Warranty, the Company will, at its sole discretion, provide one of the following remedies:

5.1 Repair 

The Company may repair the defective unit using new or refurbished parts. Repaired products will be warranted for the remainder of the original Warranty Period or 90 (ninety) days from the date of repair, whichever is longer.

5.2 Replacement 

If repair is not feasible, the Company may replace the Product with an identical model or a model of equivalent or superior specifications and functionality (which may be a newer model or a refurbished unit of equivalent value). The replacement unit will carry a warranty for the remainder of the original Warranty Period or 90 (ninety) days from the date of replacement, whichever is longer.

5.3 Refusal 

If the physical evaluation determines that the defect or damage is not covered under this Warranty, the Company will notify the Customer in writing with detailed findings and return the Product. The Customer shall bear all return shipping costs. The Company may, at its discretion, offer out-of-warranty repair or replacement at the Customer’s cost.

Important: Under no circumstances is the Company obligated to recover, restore, or replace any data stored on the Product, whether the claim is approved or rejected. Customers are strongly advised to maintain independent backups of all data at all times.

6. Shipping Costs and Risk of Loss

The Customer is solely responsible for all shipping charges to send the Product to the Company’s designated service centre for evaluation.
The Customer bears all risk of loss or damage during transit to the service centre. Use of insured, trackable courier services is strongly recommended.
If the warranty claim is approved: The Company will bear the cost of return shipping of the repaired or replacement unit to the Customer’s address within India.
If the warranty claim is rejected: The Customer shall bear all return shipping costs. The Company will hold the Product for a maximum of 30 (thirty) days pending return shipping arrangement. After 30 days, the Company reserves the right to dispose of unclaimed products.

7. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted under applicable Indian law, including the Consumer Protection Act, 2019:

7.1 Liability Cap 

The Company’s total cumulative liability to the Customer under this Warranty shall not exceed the original purchase price actually paid by the Customer for the specific defective Product, as evidenced by the original invoice or platform order confirmation.

7.2 Exclusion of Consequential Losses 

The Company shall not be liable for:

Loss of data, loss of business, loss of profits, loss of revenue, or loss of anticipated savings.
Business interruption, loss of goodwill, or reputational damage.
Costs of data recovery, backup services, or substitute equipment.
Compensation for “mental agony,” “emotional distress,” or other non-pecuniary losses arising from product failure, unless specifically awarded by a competent consumer forum under applicable law.
Any indirect, incidental, special, punitive, or consequential damages of any nature whatsoever.

Nothing in this section limits statutory rights available to consumers under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, or any other applicable law that cannot be excluded by contract.

8. Anti-Abuse Provisions and Fraudulent Claims

The Company has a zero-tolerance policy towards fraudulent, misleading, or abusive warranty claims. The following actions may constitute warranty fraud:

Submission of false, forged, or fabricated invoices, receipts, or purchase proofs.
Deliberate concealment of physical damage, tampering, or misuse.
False description of defect symptoms inconsistent with diagnostic findings upon physical evaluation.
Multiple warranty claims for the same product or serial number.
Misrepresentation of the date of purchase or the circumstances of product failure.

Where the Company has reasonable grounds to believe that a warranty claim is fraudulent or made in bad faith, the claim will be rejected in its entirety, the Company reserves the right to report the matter to appropriate law enforcement authorities, and the Company may pursue recovery of costs incurred in evaluating the fraudulent claim. The Company also reserves the right to blacklist the Customer from future warranty claims and purchases.

9. Data Privacy and Responsibility

By sending the Product to the Company for evaluation, the Customer consents to diagnostic testing that may access data stored on the Product solely to the extent necessary to verify the reported defect. The Company is not responsible for the confidentiality of data stored on the returned Product. Customers are strongly advised to securely erase all personal or sensitive data from the Product before returning it for evaluation.

The Company’s handling of Customer personal information in the warranty process is governed by our Privacy Policy, in compliance with the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011 and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.

10. Dispute Resolution and Governing Law

This Warranty Policy is governed by the laws of the Republic of India. Consumers have the right to approach the appropriate District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, or the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, depending on the value of the claim.

Before initiating formal proceedings, the Customer agrees to contact the Company’s support team at info@expertronics.in and allow a reasonable period of 21 (twenty-one) business days to attempt informal resolution. All disputes not resolved through this process shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts at New Delhi, India.

11. General Terms

This Warranty is non-transferable and applies only to the original purchaser.
Warranty claims must be made within the Warranty Period applicable to the specific product, as stated at the time of purchase.
The Company reserves the right to amend or update this Warranty Policy at any time. The version in force at the time of the warranty claim shall apply.
If any provision of this Policy is found to be invalid or unenforceable under applicable law, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

12. Contact Information

For warranty claims, queries, or escalations:

Email: info@expertronics.in 

Support Portal: https://expertronics.in/contact/

 Business Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM IST (Excluding Public Holidays) 

Registered Address: 72, 3rd floor, Aggarwal Chamber 1, Veer Savarkar Block, Shakarpur, Delhi, 110092

*By purchasing and using our products, you confirm that you have read and agreed to all terms of this Warranty Policy.