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Warranty Headlines Archive
July 2004 - Dec. 2004
December 2004
Home Depot to sell appliances over the Web, but extended warranties will be sold via follow-up phone calls to the customer.
InformationWeek, Dec. 31, 2004
Samsung to offer a Zero-Pixel-Defect warranty for LCD monitors, replacing units for free if customer finds a single bad pixel within six months of purchase.
Yonhap News Service, Dec. 30, 2004
Platinum Warranty Corp. to make a play for the Hispanic marketplace, opening http://www.garantiaauto.com Web site.
Hispanic PR Wire, Dec. 29, 2004
Big Dog Motorcycles ranked as the number one motorcycle manufacturer by dealers surveyed by DealerNews magazine.
Press Release, Dec. 28, 2004
ServiceBench Inc. appoints Vincent Zumbo to be its new Chief Financial Officer.
Press Release, Dec. 28, 2004
Dell advertises a Dimension 3000 desktop and an Inspiron 1000 notebook with only a 90-day warranty in Parade magazine.
The Inquirer, Dec. 27, 2005
Sleepy's Inc. and 1-800-Sleepy's Inc. agree to pay $750,000 to settle lawsuit brought by the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.
Associated Press, Dec. 23, 2004
Maxtor increases hard disk drive warranties to five years.
ChannelTimes, Dec. 23, 2004
The insolvency of Powerhouse causes PowerPlan Company Ltd. to fail, will pay only part of appliance extended warranty claims, publishes list of capped repair rates.
Letter from Administrator, 22 Dec, 2004
The warranty windfall: Service contracts are cash cows, but retailers Best Buy and Circuit City are mum about their importance.
Business Week, Dec. 20, 2004
When service contracts make sense: Consumer Reports lists treadmills, elliptical trainers, plasma TVs, and laptop PCs as likely candidates.
Business Week, Dec. 20, 2004
Consumer Reports calls the Mercedes-Benz S-Class the least reliable sedan available in the U.S., finds serious problems with computers, electrical systems, and power equipment.
Forbes, Dec. 20, 2004
Pirelli Tire North America Inc. is dropping road hazard protection from passenger car and light truck tire warranties in Canada, effective Jan. 1.
Modern Tire Dealer, Dec. 15, 2004
Fidelity National Financial Inc. repurchases 2.5 million shares of common stock issued earlier in 2004 to investors in Aurum Technology Inc., a company it acquired in March.
Press Release, Dec. 14, 2004
Sears, Roebuck and Co. launches a ServiceBench-enabled Web site for automated online warranty claims activities and the related claims recovery process for more than 10,000 repair technicians.
Press Release, Dec. 13, 2004
Acer lengthens the warranty on LCD monitors to three years in Saudi Arabia.
Corporate Publishing International, Dec. 13, 2004
Hybrid auto sales accelerate; customers are reassured by long warranties on batteries; LA, DC, and Bay Area lead U.S. sales.
Oakland Tribune, Dec. 12, 2004
Ford Motor Co. recalls 400,000 Escape SUVs, spokeswoman says accelerator defect was discovered through field reports and warranty information.
Dec. 10, 2004
DaimlerChrysler recalls 600,000 Dodge Durango SUVs and Dakota pickup trucks, lengthens the warranty for 400,000 others, citing defects in ball joints.
Associated Press, Dec. 10, 2004
Veteran mechanic says Shell or Mobil gasoline won't clog fuel injectors; backs claim with a warranty on fuel injector cleanings or replacements.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dec. 10, 2004
DaimlerChrysler Canada trims powertrain coverage on Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge models to five years/100,000 kilometers from the seven-year/115,000-km warranty offered in 2003 and 2004.
CanWest News Service, Dec. 10, 2004
Bridgestone/Firestone Canada Inc. and Michelin North America (Canada) Inc. both say they're dropping road hazard protection from their passenger car and light truck tire warranties, effective Jan. 1.
Edmonton Journal, Dec. 10, 2004
Goodyear Canada Inc. is dropping road hazard protection from passenger car and light truck tire warranties, effective Jan. 1.
Modern Tire Dealer, Dec. 9, 2004
General manager of IBM's Personal Systems Group and future CEO of China's Lenovo Group says IBM Global Services to continue providing warranty work for PCs.
CNET News.com, Dec. 9, 2004
Apple Computer cannot currently sell extended warranties to consumers in Wyoming until the state approves company's application to sell AppleCare Protection Plan there.
Apple Insider, Dec. 9, 2004
Seagate hard drives manufactured as components intended for OEMs are not covered by five-year warranty when units are diverted to retail channel, as CDW customer finds.
The Inquirer, Dec. 9, 2004
ACNielsen says Seagate's market share in India jumped to 72.4% in third quarter following introduction of five-year warranties.
Channel Times, Dec. 9, 2004
IBM sells PC business to China's Lenovo for $1.75 billion.
Reuters, Dec. 8, 2004
China's Lenovo Group reveals data about growing warranty costs for IBM's PC business, says claims consumed 6.1% of PC revenue in 2003 and 7% in the first six months of 2004.
IDG News Service, Dec. 8, 2004
Lenovo Group says IBM Global Services will be its preferred providers for warranty and maintenance services.
Press Release, Dec. 8, 2004
Hewlett-Packard opens service center in Nigeria for PCs, printers and peripherals.
Lagos Vanguard, Dec. 8, 2004
Consumer Reports says 10 of the 11 least-reliable vehicles on the road are European luxury models, and the most common problems found are in the electronic systems.
Gannett News Service, Dec. 8, 2004
Effective Jan. 1, Barclaycard UK to discontinue automatic extensions of warranties for merchandise bought with its credit cards. Exit linked to onset of new Financial Services Authority regulations covering insurance.
The Scotsman, Dec. 7, 2004
AMR Research says auto manufacturers embracing Early Warning Systems can save billions by reducing the time between determining a defect and applying the corrective action.
Press Release, Dec. 7, 2004
MBA Holdings and the National Motorcycle Dealers Association to market and sell motorcycle vehicle service contracts administered by Aon Corp.
Rubber Magazine, Dec. 6, 2004
Navistar International Corp. predicts record fourth quarter earnings, improved margins as 2003 warranty problems with 6-liter V8 engines recede into history and truck sales soar.
Press Release, Dec. 6, 2004
CEO of Platinum Warranty Corp. interviewed on Terry Bradshaw's Winner's Circle program, video posted for online download.
Web Site Video (WMV format), Dec. 6, 2004
Armored jeeps used by Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan develop cracks in the floor, warranty claims against DaimlerChrysler expected.
Canada Press, Dec. 5, 2004
Gulf Warranties, 66% owned by the Bahrain-based Arab Insurance Group, turns ten years old and launches a business service division.
Times of Oman, Dec. 5, 2004
Epson launches Aculaser C1100 color laser printers in Singapore with special promotional two-year on-site warranty until year's end; units purchased after Jan. 1 get only one year.
Business Times, Dec. 4, 2004
Joint venture of Faber SpA and Heatkraft introduces lifetime warranties on kitchen chimneys, claims to be the first and the only appliances company in India to do so.
Rediff.com, Dec. 3, 2004
Bridgestone/Firestone Canada Inc. and Michelin North America (Canada) Inc. both say they're dropping road hazard protection from their passenger car and light truck tire warranties, effective Jan. 1.
CanWest News Service, Dec. 3, 2004
Missouri's Rapid Response Team will help about 100 employees of Aon Innovative Solutions Inc. who will lose their jobs when the Chesterfield, MO facility closes in January.
St. Louis Business Journal, Dec. 2, 2004
Carleton Inc. and the StoneEagle Group work together on electronic signature solutions for auto dealers.
Press Release, Dec. 2, 2004
3Com's warranty program now lets customers order replacements in advance for SuperStack and OfficeConnect product lines, speeding shipments to next day in most cases.
Press Release, Dec. 1, 2004
Separations, Blow-outs, and Fallout: A TREADise on the Regulatory Aftermath of the Ford-Firestone Tire Recall, by Kevin M. McDonald, Volkswagen of America Inc.
John Marshall Law Review, Vol. 37, p. 1073, 2004
IBM Global Services broadens its on-site warranty service to cover all of New Zealand, and not just the metropolitan areas previously covered.
New Zealand Reseller News, Dec. 1, 2004
November 2004
U.S. automakers recall 25 million vehicles in 2004, surpassing record set in 2000, NHTSA counts 462 individual recalls, TREAD Act cited.
Associated Press, Nov. 30, 2004
HP launches a PC Security initiative to protect consumers from viruses and spyware; Web site augmented by online training, email and instant messaging responses, and security software discounts.
Press Release, Nov. 30, 2004
Business First newspaper ranks Service Net Solutions LLC in its "Fast 50," list based on revenue growth rates during the past three years.
Press Release, Nov. 23, 2004
Beginning Jan. 15, 2005, dealers who are not registered with the UK's Financial Standards Authority or as an agent of an approved insurer will be prevented from selling insurance related products in the UK such as mechanical breakdown warranties.
New Car Net, Nov. 30, 2004
4C Solutions Inc. licenses iWarranty software to International Truck Corp. to help manage their extended warranty and service contract activities.
Press Release, Nov. 30, 2004
Appraisal Institute researchers find that home warranties do not impact the price of homes sold with them.
RedNova, Nov. 28, 2004
Attensity Corp. announces the beta availability of Attensity Warranty Advanced Edition, includes decision support, reporting, dashboard and alert capabilities.
Press Release, Nov. 22, 2004
Greaves Cotton Ltd. and the Bank of India jointly offer farm equipment with discounted financing rates and lengthened warranties for borrowers.
Sify Ltd., Nov. 22, 2004
ServiceBench Inc. signs LG Electronics Inc. for warranty management and service dispatch functions.
Press Release, Nov. 22, 2004
LG Electronics begins production of a 71-inch plasma screen but has yet to decide upon its warranty period.
Korea Times, Nov. 22, 2004
UK's Department of Trade and Industry delays new extended warranty rules from taking effect until April at the earliest, giving retailers an early Christmas present.
BBC News, Nov. 19, 2004
Best Buy Co. Inc., Circuit City Stores Inc., CompUSA Inc., and Dell Inc. dispatch staff to do house calls, sometimes under warranty.
Associated Press, Nov. 18, 2004
J.M. Dutton and Associates raises rating on Warrantech to "speculative buy" in new report.
Research Report, Nov. 18, 2004 (PDF file)
Maxtor lengthens desktop and enterprise hard disk drive warranty periods.
The Register, Nov. 18, 2004
Mitsubishi begins offering transferable 10-year warranties in Canada, better than Hyundai.
Montreal Gazette, Nov. 17, 2004
Logitech India lengthens the warranty on its keyboards, optical mice, desktops and webcams to either two or three years.
Channel Times, Nov. 17, 2004
Pioneer offers five-year warranties on two plasma screens in Australia and says unit's half life is now up to 60,000 hours.
Australian IT, Nov. 16, 2004
W3 Solutions Inc. to administer a manufacturer's warranty and service plan in Canada for TVs made in China by the Konka Group Inc.
Press Release, Nov. 16, 2004
Dell Inc. admits a "small percentage" of its Inspiron 5100 notebooks have an overheating problem caused by dust build-up on the heat sink, gives complaining customer in the UK a warranty concession.
Personal Computer World, Nov. 16, 2004
Visioneer Inc. begins selling extended warranties for its line of scanners.
Press Release, Nov. 16, 2004
Confidential documents from American International Group surface through a Warrantech lawsuit, suggesting AIG has lost $500 million or more on auto extended warranties that underpriced the risk.
USA Today, Nov. 15, 2004
Cromwell High School rents nearby artificial turf field for Thanksgiving Day home game, but field can't be used in the event of snow because plowing it might void the warranty.
New Britain Herald, Nov. 15, 2004
Samsung Australia covers select SyncMaster monitors with next business day replacement warranty.
Digital Media News, Nov. 12, 2004
Chevrolet backs Cobalt and Aveo models with five-year/60,000-mile Powertrain Promise warranty in response to success of Hyundai, Kia, Suzuki, and Mitsubishi with lengthy warranties.
Advertising Age, Nov. 12, 2004
BMO Wholesale Scooters, aka Bargain Mail Order, draws 99 complaints to Better Business Bureau for failure to honor warranty claims on gas powered scooters.
Louisville Courier-Journal, Nov. 12, 2004
Porta-Bote International has sold 50,000 fold-up boats covered by 10-year warranties, but has never processed a warranty claim in 30 years.
Business Week, Nov. 11, 2004
Auditing firms say 30% of companies may miss Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 compliance deadline.
CIO Magazine, Nov. 10, 2004
Australian businessman buys new Lexus to qualify for local dealership's three-day golf trip.
AutoWeb, Nov. 10, 2004
Black granite Earth globe perched in front of the Science Museum of Virginia cracks along its equator, owners to pursue warranty claim against its German manufacturer.
Richmond Times-Dispatch, Nov. 10, 2004
Hewlett-Packard says single vendor assembly and all-in-one warranties for high performance computing clusters are better for the customer than buying parts at a discount and self-assembling clusters.
Computer Business Review, Nov. 9, 2004
Australian school gets four year warranty promises from IBM, Apple, ASI, and Optima.
News Interactive, Nov. 9, 2004
General Motors says it has improved reliability by 40 percent during the past three years and cut warranty costs by 23 percent.
Lansing State Journal, Nov. 9, 2004
European automakers fare the worst in Consumer Reports magazine's survey of vehicle reliability, with Asian brands dominating and Detroit automakers scoring mixed results.
Detroit News, Nov. 9, 2004
Mitsubishi Motors Corp. now expects net loss in year ending March 31 to top ¥240 billion (US$2.25 billion), larger than was previously forecast, sees sales down in Japan and North America but up elsewhere.
Auto Asia, Nov. 8, 2004
Maxtor increases hard disk drive warranty period to five years for distribution channel.
Strategiy.com, Nov. 8, 2004
Warranty Direct finds nearly 3 out of 4 UK car buyers don't know their consumer rights under the Sale of Goods Act, and only 1 in 10 car dealers explained those rights to customers.
Press Release, Nov. 8, 2004
Ford's warranty costs said to have fallen by nearly 33 percent since 2001 thanks to post-Firestone revitalization plan spearheaded by chief operating officer Jim Padilla.
Detroit News, Nov. 7, 2004
Book author says job hopping is increasing, but small companies such as Service Net in Jeffersonville, Ind., can improve their chances of keeping good employees if they take the time to listen.
Gannet News Service, Nov. 5, 2004
VeriSign and Nokia ally to bring RFID applications to consumers.
Information Week, Nov. 5, 2004
4C Solutions Inc. licenses iWarranty software to Kawasaki Construction Machinery Corp. of America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd.
Press Release, Nov. 5, 2004
General Motors recalls 2003 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac Grand Am, and Oldsmobile Alero; GM spokesman says the company identified the sticking accelerator problem through warranty information.
Associated Press, Nov. 4, 2004
UK retailer Halfords selling two Specialized bikes without manufacturer's authorization, which has retaliated by insisting it will not honor warranty claims on products purchased through the chain.
BikeBiz.com, Nov. 4, 2004
Joseph Perry, roofer in Philadelphia suburbs hit with more theft charges after failing to finish jobs he started and failing to honor claims on warranties he sold.
Pottstown Mercury, Nov. 4, 2004
Coachmen Recreational Vehicle Company and Georgie Boy Manufacturing join California Department of Consumer Affairs’ Arbitration Certification Program, addressing warranty disputes with the chassis, chassis cab, and propulsion parts of motor homes.
Press Release, Nov. 3, 2004
PeopleSoft Inc. announces EnterpriseOne Rapid Start 8.11, includes modules for warranty and service management.
Press Release, Nov. 3, 2004
Florida tourism agency is ironing out details of a "weather warranty program" that could pay groups up to $250,000 for meetings canceled by hurricane threats.
Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, Nov. 3, 2004
Midas Inc. looks to sell its exhaust manufacturing business and close its plant in Hartford, Wisc., hopes buyer will assume lifetime warranties granted to muffler customers.
Milwaukee Business Journal, Nov. 1, 2004
October 2004
Warranty Corp. of America to administer extended warranties for Office Depot Inc. Customers who buy contracts for PCs get Digital Lifeline software for self-help troubleshooting to reduce service calls.
PDF File, Oct. 27, 2004
Meta Group says first-year failure rate of palmOne Treo 600 ranges from 25% to 35%, compared to typical first-year failure rates of less than 5% for mobile phones.
Business Times Singapore, Oct. 26, 2004
Nokia is at work on a cell phone that includes radio frequency identification (RFID) microchips designed to store product information, fill out POS forms & warranty registrations, send coupons, and signal the unit's location.
CNET News.com, Oct. 25, 2004
Bernie Robertson, former senior vice president at DaimlerChrysler, says 70% of all auto warranty costs are now linked to electronics failures.
The Car Connection, Oct. 25, 2004
KTM North America signs GE Auto Warranty Services to administer motorcycle service contracts.
Press Release, Oct. 24, 2004
Realtor Gera Developments offers India's first five-year product warranties on all its residential and commercial projects.
Financial Express, Oct. 24, 2004
Seagate's channel customers hail new five-year warranties.
Channel Times, Oct. 25, 2004
Bankrupt Michigan body armor company to continue operations under deal with bank, Second Chance Body Armor Inc. to continue warranty service.
Associated Press, Oct. 21, 2004
Utah is the only state to settle lawsuit with Second Chance Body Armor Inc. before its bankruptcy filing; Utah sued Second Chance for violating the warranty on $800 to $1,000 vests made of Zylon.
Salt Lake Tribune, Oct. 22, 2004
Florida couple sue AutoNation for allegedly overcharging them for an extended warranty policy; AutoNation spokesman calls the case a "garbage lawsuit" that should never have been filed.
St. Petersburg Times, Oct. 22, 2004
Consumer Reports rates televisions in Nov. issue and recommends purchase of an extended warranty for high-priced plasma and LCD televisions.
Kansas City InfoZine, Oct. 21, 2004
Auto accident kills Jonathan (Jon) White, chief of NHTSA's Defect Assessment Division in the Office of Defects Investigation, on his way home from the office Oct. 19.
Syncata Web site bulletin, Oct. 20, 2004
Warranty manager for the First Homes construction company arrested in Lowe's parking lot with doors he allegedly took from the company's warehouse to sell.
WBBH-TV Fort Myers, FL, Oct. 20, 2004
Pulte Homes Inc. wins inaugural National Housing Quality Gold Award from National Association of Home Builders and Reed Residential Group; panel of experts evaluated the role quality plays in construction, business management, sales, design and warranty service.
Press Release, Oct. 20, 2004
Replacing voluntary standards council in January, the UK's Financial Services Authority will become the statutory regulator in relation to insurance sales, and extended warranties are classified as insurance.
Mondaq, Oct. 19, 2004
IBM expands its Component Business Modelling services to include warranty claims submission, processing and settlement, analytics, collaboration, regulatory reporting and compliance; aims at auto business.
Press Release, Oct. 18, 2004
Attensity Corp. to host Webinar on warranty cost reduction featuring AMR's Kevin Mixer on Oct. 21 at 10 AM PDT.
Press Release, Oct. 18, 2004
Diamond merchants pledge to use a chain of warranties to certify the stones they sell are not from countries torn by civil wars and insurgencies.
One World, Oct. 18, 2004
Parature Inc. releases BuilderMT, a customer support and warranty claims management software package for residential builders.
Press Release, Oct. 18, 2004
Author advises against buying used laptops, plasma televisions or camcorders unless they're accompanied by a warranty.
MSN Money, Oct. 17, 2004
Author suggests buying factory-certified pre-owned vehicles, which are usually under a manufacturer's warranty and have been inspected before sale.
Orange County Register, Oct. 15, 2004
Warranty runs out on television 16 days before it begins broadcasting distress signal at 121.5 MHz. Toshiba agrees to replace it free of charge.
Corvallis Gazette-Times, Oct. 16, 2004
In and of itself, TREAD compliance does not deliver critical Early Warning Solutions capability; companies that are re-engineering the warranty process should start with accelerating organizational visibility to data.
AMR Research, Oct. 13, 2004
Epson lengthens warranties on point of sale printers from one year to three; "CoverPlus" plans promise repairs or replacements before noon the next working day.
vnunet.com, Oct. 13, 2004
President of K. Hovnanian Companies denies assertions by New Jersey homeowners that his company routinely refuses to honor warranty claims.
Express-Times, Oct. 13, 2004
Attensity Corp. introduces suite of applications including Attensity Warranty, which help companies mine unstructured documents including emails, field reports, customer surveys, service records, and warranty claims.
Press Release, Oct. 11, 2004
PeopleSoft Inc. announces PeopleSoft EnterpriseOne Customer Relationship Management 8.11, includes modules for product failure analysis and supplier recovery of warranty claims.
Press Release, Oct. 11, 2004
Chrysler recalling 955,000 minivans because air bags may fail; NHTSA receives 782 complaints.
Associated Press, Oct. 11, 2004
New Jersey State Commission of Investigation schedules third round of construction industry hearings for Oct. 12-13; second round of hearings in January focused on home warranty industry.
Asbury Park Press, Oct. 9, 2004
Ontario government to consider tough new rules governing auto extended warranties; fifteen years ago the Guardall Group of Companies went bankrupt leaving 50,000 Canadian motorists with worthless policies.
Toronto Sun, Oct. 9, 2004
Pet store owner arrested in Venice, FL; allegedly sold extended warranties on puppies that later died; extended warranties administered by Household Pet Protection of Aurora, CO.
Venice Gondolier Sun, Oct. 9, 2004
Subaru Canada and Subaru U.S. take different approaches to replacements of allegedly faulty manual transmission clutch discs; Subaru Canada requires dealers to seek authorization for replacements to make sure problem not caused by normal wear and tear.
Ottawa Citizen, Oct. 8, 2004
Select Comfort Corp. says quarter ended Oct. 2 will include $700,000 charge related to an increase in warranty reserves; earnings to be reduced by at least 9%.
Press Release, Oct. 7, 2004
Manganese Bronze subsidiary London Taxis International, makers of the black cabs used in London and select U.S. cities, raises provision for warranty costs from £2.5 million to £3.4 million as claims come in on two- and three-year old vehicles.
Birmingham Post, Oct. 7, 2004
Fatal fire aboard one of four submarines sold by UK to Canada leads government critics to demand compensation; Defence Minister Bill Graham says he is too busy worrying about the crew to check whether a warranty applies.
Globe and Mail, Oct. 7, 2004
W3 Solutions Inc. to administer manufacturer's warranty plan for Whitebook computers distributed by Tech Data Corp. in North America.
Press Release, Oct. 7, 2004
Home Depot begins selling TrafficMaster Stainproof Grout featuring Scotchgard Protector; product's 25-year warranty guarantees that the product will resist most common household stains.
Building Online, Oct. 6, 2004
Florida homeowners report water damage and mold problems following hurricanes; builder Ryland Group Inc. says leaks caused by "unprecedented" weather aren't covered by 10-year warranty against structural defects.
St. Petersburg Times, Oct. 6, 2004
Former employees of Creative Real Estate allege that repairs they did on rental properties were fraudulently billed to Horton Manufactured Homes as warranty work.
Henderson Daily Dispatch, Oct. 6, 2004
TracFone Wireless to offer its customers one-year extended warranty protection on handsets for $20 through Asurion Corp.
Press Release, Oct. 6, 2004
NHTSA investigates tailgate failures in 1998-99 GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado pickups, says GM has received 11,560 warranty claims related to the problem.
Associated Press, Oct. 5, 2004
Platinum Warranty Corp. selected as former NFL quarterback Terry Bradshaw's Pick of the Week, part of a TV series to be broadcast on MSNBC Nov. 26 at 7:45am EST.
Press Release, Oct. 5, 2004
W3 Solutions Inc. and West Marine Inc. broaden their extended warranty plans for boats to include on-board electronics, appliances, and power surge damage.
Press Release, Oct. 4, 2004
Strategy Insurance Ltd. agrees to to underwrite a residential warranty program by the Lux Development Group Ltd., first in Atlantic Canada and soon in selected U.S. and Canadian cities.
Press Release, Oct. 4, 2004
Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. aims for a comeback; new ads, "Best Backed Car" warranties, and job cuts could be the turning point.
Detroit Free Press, Oct. 4, 2004
Middle Eastern distributor Cellucom launches lifetime warranty on Nokia mobile phones in eight countries.
PhoneContent.com, Oct. 3, 2004
PeopleSoft board terminates Craig Conway as president and CEO; founder Dave Duffield reclaims CEO role and two executives step in as co-presidents.
Press Release, Oct. 1, 2004
September 2004
Lloyds TSB will honor claims brought by consumers who used its credit card to buy extended warranties from electrical retailer PowerHouse and administrator PowerPlan; under UK's Consumer Credit Act, Section 75, card issuer is jointly liable with the retailer.
This is Money, Sep. 30, 2004
ServiceBench Inc. to add the ProClarity Analytics Platform to its Web-based warranty administration service to help clients reduce warranty expenses, improve brand loyalty, and more accurately measure service performance.
Press Release, Sep. 30, 2004
JM Family Enterprises Inc. and subsidiary Southeast Toyota Distributors LLC up their donation to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund from $1 to $1.5 million in the wake of Hurricanes Jeanne, Ivan, Frances and Charley.
Press Release, Sep. 30, 2004
Wisconsin Division of Trade and Consumer Protection refers investigation of Best Buy to state attorney general's office, alleges problems getting warranty service even with extended warranties.
Green Bay News-Chronicle, Sep. 30, 2004
Cypress Corp. listed in Software Magazine's top 500, claims 30% annual growth rate.
Press Release, Sep. 30, 2004
Jaguar hits back at Warranty Direct Ltd. survey placing it 26th out of 27 auto nameplates based on the number of breakdowns and the average cost of repair.
BBC News, Sep. 29, 2004
Fungus problems that closed Sultan Ismail Hospital in Johor Baharu, Malaysia will be corrected under warranty.
Bernama, Sep. 29, 2004
Singapore's Housing and Development Board chief executive wants current one-year warranties lengthened to 5-10 years after detecting water leaks and chipped concrete in new construction.
Straits Times, Sep. 29, 2004
Warranty Direct Ltd. ranks 27 auto manufacturers by frequency and cost of repairs; Jeep, Jaguar, Subaru and Land Rover rank worst while Mazda, Honda, Hyundai and Ford rank best.
Press Release, Sep. 28, 2004
NHTSA reverts to 60-day deadlines for quarterly Early Warning Report filings in response to industry push-back over 30-day deadlines.
Reuters, Sep. 28, 2004
Warranty changes by 3Com anger some resellers; one expects changes in next-day repair threshold and annual sales quotas to cut its margins by 10% to 15%.
Computer Reseller News, Sep. 27, 2004
Michelin North America pre-positions 1,000 Pax tire assembly kits at U.S. Honda dealers to speed repairs on 2005 Honda Odyssey models under warranty covering tires against road hazards in first two years or 50% of treadwear.
PR Newswire, Sep. 27, 2004
Automakers face $12 billion annual warranty bill; AMR finds claims shave 1% to 3% off revenue as recalls increase, but suppliers are increasingly paying a bigger share.
Gannett News Service, Sep. 26, 2004
British stock analyst expects recovery in UK retail extended warranty sales to lift Comet profits by £3 million.
The Independent, Sep. 26, 2004
Newspaper seeks TREAD Act data under Freedom of Information filing; instead, NHTSA responds to Rubber Manufacturers Association lawsuit by deferring decision to release auto warranty data until required to do so by a court.
Detroit Free Press, Sep. 25, 2004
Apple announces 15-inch PowerBook G4 Repair Extension Program, lengthens warranty to two years after defect found causing faint white spots on screen.
Press Release, Sep. 24, 2004
Crystal Clear Window Works can repair insulated windows that have a foggy look due to moisture between panels; industry group estimates such a defect affects 1% of units during initial warranty period.
Nashville Business Courier, Sep. 24, 2004
Nissan lengthens warranty in Quest minivan from 3 yrs. or 36,000 miles to 5 yrs. or 60,000 miles; J.D. Power and Associates survey gave it and Canton, MS-made Nissan Armada and Titan low quality marks in April.
Associated Press, Sep. 23, 2004
General counsel for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association's Anti-Counterfeiting Committee says fake circuit breakers installed in electrical switchgear can void warranty claims.
Eaton Corp. press release, Sep. 23, 2004
Despite loss of JPMorgan Chase, IBM sees bright future in business process outsourcing services, particularly for warranty claims and call centers.
CRM Buyer, Sep. 23, 2004
JM Family Enterprises Inc. ranked #7 in latest InformationWeek 500 list of the most innovative users of information technology in the United States, up from #146 in 2003 and #463 in 2002.
Press Release, Sep. 23, 2004
California Telephone, a Vacaville-based phone systems dealer, boasts of 7-year warranties on all Toshiba equipment it sells.
Vacaville Reporter, Sep. 23, 2004
Taiwan Ministry of Defense releases report highlighting spare parts shortages and funding gaps as warranties expire on military hardware.
China Post, Sep. 23, 2004
Samsung India lengthens hard drive warranties to five years, matching Seagate's offer.
Channel Times, Sep. 22, 2004
Lawyers for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of America and the Miller Park stadium battle over leaks, cost overruns, and problems opening and closing movable roof system.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Sep. 22, 2004
Vermont dealer won't honor warranty claim on Canadian vehicle driven into the U.S. on a long weekend trip, but Montreal dealer arranges reimbursement after the customer's return home.
Montreal Gazette, Sep. 22, 2004
NASA says Spirit and Opportunity vehicles on Mars, "well past warranty," resume work again after trip behind the sun cut communications.
Press Release, Sep. 21, 2004
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission warns Web retailers that Trade Practices Act prohibits them from disclaiming warranties on goods sold online.
ABC Online, Sep. 21, 2004
Tarion Warranty Corp. raises statutory warranty coverage limit for new homes built in Ontario from CA$100,000 to CA$150,000.
Press Release, Sep. 21, 2004
A year after introduction, Uni.Asia General Insurance Bhd says its AutoPlus used auto extended warranty contracts are now offered by 75 dealers in Malaysia, newly-created market may be worth RM100 million (US$11,000) in three or four years.
The Star Online, Sep. 21, 2004
Author finds some extended warranties a good value but others not so good; suggests buying extended warranties on laptops but not on consumer electronics.
Cincinnati Post, Sep. 21, 2004
Goodman Manufacturing Company L.P. to use ServiceBench’s Web-based Warranty Management Solution to link with 300 distributors and thousands of air conditioning contractors.
Press Release, Sep. 20, 2004
Finding many U.S. Web sites reluctant to ship abroad because of warranty worries, Mentelin Electronic World Hungary Kft launched service a year ago that accepts deliveries in Nebraska and ships to customers in Eastern Europe.
Budapest Business Journal, Sep. 20, 2004
Ingersoll-Rand's Kryptonite bicycle locks can be picked with a ball point pen; company's warranty will pay up to $3,500 for replacement of stolen bikes.
Wired News, Sep. 17, 2004
Circuit City Stores Inc. says extended warranty revenue topped 4.1% of sales in quarter ended Aug. 31; CEO cites improving in-store attachment rates as evidence of a financial turnaround.
Press Release, Sep. 17, 2004
Following Seagate, Samsung Electronics is also set to announce the lengthening of its warranty period for hard disk drives from three to five years.
Channel Times, Sep. 16, 2004
Orkin under siege in the wake of multimillion-dollar judgments triggered by its termite-free guarantees.
Creative Loafing, Sep. 16, 2004
Fidelity National Financial Inc. purchases $121 million minority interest in India-based outsourcing company Covansys Corp.; CEO William Foley and president Frank Sanchez join Covansys board.
Press Release, Sep. 15, 2004
Ingram Micro Service Network to be authorized as a nationwide warranty service provider for Xerox printers and Sony Vaio desktops and notebooks.
Computer Reseller News, Sep. 14, 2004
Information Builders Inc. and ClearForest Corp. form a strategic alliance focused on reducing automotive warranty claims costs.
Press Release, Sep. 13, 2004
Mobile Week finds big problem with counterfeit and gray market imports of GSM handsets in Nigeria; buyers get no warranty and might suffer from sub-standard reception quality.
Vanguard Media, Sep. 13, 2004
Home warranty plans aimed at owners of older dwellings are purchased by 50% of buyers in Ohio.
Toledo Blade, Sep. 12, 2004
U.S. 550 in New Mexico, first American highway with long-term warranty, to get maintenance treatments this fall.
Aggregate Research Industries, Sep. 11, 2004
Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois approves a settlement between the Home Shopping Network and plaintiffs in the Proteva class action suit. All buyers of a Proteva computer from HSN have until Oct. 10, 2004 to file a claim.
Online Notice, Sep. 10, 2004
Ford recalling 234,208 Econoline vans over anti-lock brake defect; lengthens vehiclec's brake warranty to 10 years or 150,000 miles.
Associated Press, Sep. 9, 2004
ServiceBench Inc. appoints Stephen Graham as vice president of sales.
Press Release, Sep. 9, 2004
Massachusetts painting contractor Dino DiStefano stands accused of larceny by false pretense; court found he issued five-year warranties as a come-on to secure jobs he never finished.
Beacon Villager, Sep. 9, 2004
Intel joins Automotive Industry Action Group to help with collaborative engineering and product development, Early Warning Standards (EWS), and the B2B Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) project.
Press Release, Sep. 9, 2004 (PDF file)
When a warranty isn't really a warranty: professional audio/video warranties actually cover very little.
Mac Video Pro, Sep. 8, 2004
LandAmerica Financial Group Inc. acquires Buyers Home Warranty Company/Best Home Warranty Company, an administrator of home warranty contracts in the southern and western U.S.
Press Release, Sep. 8, 2004
Mercedes dropping free warranty period maintenance starting with 2005 models. Customers who used to get free service checkups, labor and many parts will pay for them individually or buy a maintenance package.
Automotive News, Sep. 8, 2004
4C Solutions Inc. licenses its iWarranty software to the Kubota Tractor Corp. to help manage the Japanese tractor company's warranty processes.
Press Release, Sep. 7, 2004
Suzuki Motors' Indian subsidiary Maruti Udyog cuts warranty claims rate by 73.7% over five years; percentage of customers making claims during the warranty period declined from 37% to 26%.
Financial Express, Sep. 6, 2004
Declining product quality, imports from China, and a general tightening up of the rules on returns and warranty conditions are impacting New Zealand's computer resellers.
New Zealand Reseller News, Sep. 3, 2004
Long product warranties on pro audio and video installations impacts extended warranty sales, but warranties don't cover shipping or cost of re-installing.
Digital Media Online, Sep. 2, 2004
Warrantech Corp. reports gross revenues down 16% in quarter ended June 30, says $760k net loss caused by new accounting treatment of deferred revenues.
Press Release, Sep. 2, 2004
Australian builders take to the streets to protest against a seven-year-old law mandating a privatized home warranty system.
Western Advocate, Sep. 1, 2004
August 2004
TREAD Act's early warning system costly; some industry experts say it has created a $2 billion boondoggle for automakers and suppliers.
Detroit News, Aug. 31, 2004
UK's Financial Services Authority sets Jan. 14 deadline for new rules governing the sale of insurance products such as extended warranties by auto dealers.
Car Keys, Aug. 31, 2004
ClearForest Corp. releases the Quality Early Warning industry module, works with ClearForest Analytics to spot warranty, product safety and quality issues through early discovery of component and system-level failures.
Press Release, Aug. 31, 2004
Volkswagen lengthens its usual five-year, 50,000-mile warranty to eight years with no mileage limit on repairs related to oil sludge in certain Passat and Audi models.
Associated Press, Aug. 31, 2004
The Automotive Industry Action Group honors 27 Individual Outstanding Achievement Award winners, two Lifetime Achievement Award winners and one Corporate Award winner for their outstanding contributions to the automotive industry at annual awards dinner.
Press Release, Aug. 31, 2004
State of New Mexico and contractor bicker about warranty on highway between Bernalillo and Farmington.
KRQE-TV 13 Albuquerque, Aug. 30, 2004
Investigator finds several laptop locking systems are "easily compromised," including Kensington MicroSaver, ComboSaver, Targus Defcon CL, and Compucage models Benji 1, Benji 2 and 4000.
Security.org, Aug. 30, 2004
Chrysler won't ship warranty replacement parts for the multiple displacement system (MDS) Hemi V-8 engine to a dealer until its service staff calls Chrysler engineers to report symptoms and pinpoint problems.
Chicago Tribune, Aug. 29, 2004
Maxtor rethinks warranty to stay competitive, lengthens term for entry-level hard disk drives from one year to three.
Channel Times (India), Aug. 28, 2004
Piercing warning tone in Siemens 65 mobile phone could damage hearing; Siemens Mobile halts sales and several operators offer trade-ins; analyst predicts problem could cost 50 million euros to fix.
Business Report, Aug. 27, 2004
Owner of a rear projection TV reports that History Channel logo and others carried in lower right corner of the screen have permanently burned themselves into his screen, and his warranty won't cover the repairs.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Aug. 27, 2004
Philadelphia area TV repairman John Giangiacomo surrenders to police, accused of deceptive business practices and theft for refusing to repair and/or return broken TVs to customers, some of whom had bought his extended warranties.
Pottstown Mercury, Aug. 26, 2004
Warrantech Corp. files Form 10-K for fiscal year ended March 31, shows net loss of $516,371 and predicts continuing losses until fiscal 2008.
Press Release, Aug. 25, 2004
4C Solutions Inc. licenses its iWarranty software to International Truck and Engine Corp. to help manage their extended warranty and service contract activities.
Press Release, Aug. 25, 2004
NHTSA is investigating Ford Focus for door latch problems; company counts 28 warranty claims for rear door latch failures.
Associated Press, Aug. 24, 2004
NHTSA upgrades its investigation into ball joint failures on 2002 Toyota Tundra pickup trucks; cites 28 warranty claims for lower ball joint wear.
UPI, Aug. 24, 2004
Former warranty administrator at J.D. Byrider in Louisville, Kentucky alleges the dealership gave special trade-in deals to the former head of the attorney general's consumer affairs office in return for leniency with complaints.
Louisville Courier-Journal, Aug. 22, 2004
Dell's secret earnings engine is extended warranty contract sales: 6% of total revenues, 13% of gross profit, and 28% of operating profit.
Motley Fool, Aug. 20, 2004 (subscription required)
Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard amends lawsuit against Second Chance Body Armor, accused of knowing as far back as 2001 that bullet-proof vests made with Zylon age rapidly in humidity, heat and sunlight.
Ahwatukee Foothills News, Aug. 20, 2004
AWKnowledge reports exclusively that Mercedes will lengthen electrical system warranties.
AWKnowledge, Aug. 20, 2004 (password protected)
AWKnowledge reports Mercedes has denied it plans to lengthen electrical system warranties.
AWKnowledge, Aug. 23, 2004 (password protected)
Red Bend Software to supply Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications and Siemens Mobile with over-the-air software update technology for handsets that transmits new features and security patches; helps mobile operators avoid recalls and warranty claims.
Wireless Week, Aug. 19, 2004
TH Lee Putnam Ventures and Freeman Spogli & Co. take a "significant" equity interest in extended warranty administrator N.E.W. Customer Service Companies Inc., valuing the company at $370 million.
Press Release, Aug. 18, 2004
Novak Biddle Venture Partners sold a portion of its N.E.W. investment to TH Lee Putnam Ventures, but will hold onto the remainder.
Press Release, Aug. 18, 2004
Raytheon Missile Systems to provide U.S. Navy with new Block IV Tomahawk cruise missiles carrying a 15-year warranty, up from current model's eight-year duration.
Press Release, Aug. 18, 2004
Public Citizen asks for investigation of Home Buyers Warranty Corp. and Construction Arbitration Services; claims firms are insisting on home warranty arbitrations even in states where they're prohibited.
Press Release, Aug. 17, 2004
Colorado Insurance Commissioner orders an investigation of Home Buyers Warranty; Denver-Boulder Better Business Bureau says company has an "unsatisfactory record . . . due to unanswered complaints."
Rocky Mountain News, Aug. 18, 2004
Seagate's recent five-year warranty announcement is doing wonders to its hard drive sales in Mumbai, with a survey of Lamington Road dealers revealing sales increases of 60% in some cases.
Channel Times India, Aug. 17, 2004
Ilog Inc. says Entigo Corp. has incorporated Ilog JRules into Entigo Warranty 4.1, creating an automated claims processing solution that is expected to eliminate the need to manually process up to 90% of claims.
Press Release, Aug. 17, 2004
Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. and JM Family Enterprises Inc. to donate $1 million to Hurricane Charley relief efforts; Palm Toyota dealership in Punta Gorda, Fla. was destroyed by the storm.
Press Release, Aug. 17, 2004
Buying OEM hard drives at retail, while saving money, carries perils: no warranty and no upgrades.
PC World, Aug. 17, 2004
Advanced Micro Devices lengthens warranty on Opteron microprocessors from one year to three.
The Inquirer (UK), Aug. 17, 2004
ClearForest Corp. announces Text Analytics 6.0, business intelligence platform can analyze enterprise data and unstructured text such as call center records, technician service notes, contracts, and product warranty claims.
Press Release, Aug. 16, 2004
Country manager for Seagate in India explains strategy behind new five-year hard drive warranties.
Cyber India Online Ltd., Aug. 16, 2004
S.H. Brown employs 10 "mystery shoppers" who pose as customers but report back to manufacturers about auto dealer sales pitches, compliance with disclosure requirements, and sometimes even warranty fraud.
Detroit News, Aug. 15, 2004
Deborah P. Majoras appointed chairman of the Federal Trade Commission; recess appointment sidesteps Senate objections.
Washington Post, Aug. 14, 2004
Select Comfort Corp. sees its shares sink to a new 52-week low after Minneapolis TV station airs report about mold growing in mattresses, company responds with data showing less than 1% of customers file warranty claims.
Associated Press, Aug. 13, 2004
Attensity Corp. named company most likely to succeed at Aug. 10 Silicon Valley venture capital event focused on the enterprise search market.
Press Release, Aug. 13, 2004
Honda Motor Co. Ltd. discloses leak of 40,000 used car warranty service customer records, but concludes it extended no further than one employee of temporary labor firm working at home.
Japan Corporate News Network, Aug. 13, 2004
Armor Holdings Inc. settles class action lawsuit brought by police using ABA Xtreme VX Vests; will exchange old Zylon vests with new models but warranty will be 30 months instead of 60.
Press Release, Aug. 12, 2004
EBITDA and pro forma earnings calculations are vulnerable to distortion; companies can over- or under-accrue for warranty to paint a misleading earnings figure.
Corporate Board Member Magazine, Sept./Oct. issue
A.M. Best Co. assigns a financial strength rating of "B++" (Very Good) to London General Insurance Company Ltd. with a stable outlook, cites its strong market position as a warranty insurer in Europe.
Insurance Journal, Aug. 11, 2004
Illinois Attorney General pursues Alpine Auto Group and co-owners Jeffrey Star and Joe Demarco for allegedly selling extended warranties on used autos but then pocketing the premiums.
Consumer Affairs, Aug. 10, 2004
Mitsubishi Motors North America CEO Finbarr O'Neill says he'll de-emphasize financing incentives and will limit the product line, but will emphasize warranty in an effort to turn around sales plunge.
Associated Press, Aug. 10, 2004
CDI begins offering three-year extended warranties on refurbished computers.
eChannelLine Canada, Aug. 10, 2004
Law firm Kimmel & Silverman opens office in Owings Mills MD, offering lemon law and breach of warranty assistance to Maryland drivers.
Press Release, Aug. 9, 2004
Aerus Electrolux vacuums sell for between $799 and $1,999, with warranties up to 25 years, and soon will be selling at retail outlets, alongside new line of air purifiers and water purification line too.
Daily Freeman, Aug. 8, 2004
Consumer groups skeptical of new Texas Residential Construction Commission Act, which requires a dispute resolution process and sets warranty standards for the homebuilding industry.
Houston Chronicle, Aug. 7, 2004
Goodyear credits the "buzz in the market" surrounding the new Assurance tire for its return to profitability; CEO says consumers seem impressed by its 80,000-mile tread-life limited warranty.
Associated Press, Aug. 5, 2004
LG Electronics India offers three-year warranties on consumer PCs in an effort to make what company head calls a "killing proposition."
Channel Times India, Aug. 5, 2004
Canadian automotive dealerships are becoming more successful at retaining service customers once the basic warranty period expires, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Canadian Customer Commitment Study.
Press Release, Aug. 5, 2004
Microsoft Corp. and the Center for Automotive Research plan eight research studies; the first study will explore warranty management by studying data collection, analysis, systems and applications.
Press Release, Aug. 4, 2004
Aon Corp. reports 16% growth in insurance underwriting revenue, driven by increases in warranty, credit, and property/casualty lines of business, but company is looking for more organic revenue growth in the future.
Press Release, Aug. 4, 2004 (PDF file)
The Service Organization of Siemens Medical Solutions retools its customer care program. Guardian Pro offers standard warranty and service level agreements, but Guardian Premium provides a 99% uptime guarantee, two-hour on-site response time, and spare parts within six hours.
Press Release, Aug. 4, 2004
Tony Scott, chief technology officer of General Motors, says software vendors will have to offer better warranties, covering errors that cause harm to a company's operations.
Baseline, Aug. 2, 2004
Chrysler says warranty costs dropped 34% in three years; now it has a higher score on initial quality than Mercedes-Benz.
Forbes, issue dated Aug. 16, 2004
July 2004
Jennifer Convertibles settles a lawsuit filed by New York's attorney general over furniture warranty disputes, company will compensate customers and pay $275,000 in penalties.
UPI, July 30, 2004
Kmart stops honoring lifetime warranty on car battery, says its recent bankruptcy filing released it from all older claims.
WYFF-TV, Greenville SC, July 30, 2004
Finbarr O'Neill, CEO of Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. is the featured speaker at the Society of Automotive Analysts' breakfast meeting on Tuesday, August 10 in Troy, Michigan.
Press Release, July 30, 2004
Sharper Image sues Consumer Reports over ratings that found its Ionic Breeze Quadra Silent Air Purifier performed worse than all others.
Associated Press, July 30, 2004
UK Department of Trade and Industry set to unveil final rules to reform British retailers' extended warranty sales practices.
BBC News, July 29, 2004
Ridgid power tools, available through Home Depot, will now feature a three-year warranty, retroactive to purchases made after Feb. 1, 2004.
Building Online, July 29, 2004
Raytheon Aircraft cuts warranty claims processing from 26 days to seven, increases spare parts inventories, cuts claims backlog and increases supplier recoveries, winning its chairman's Six Sigma award.
Aviation International News, July 2004
BT Syntegra migrates 200 Honda UK dealerships from ISDN to ADSL, powering a new warranty, maintenance, and repair system.
Press Release, July 28, 2004
After getting put through the wringer with defective washing machine repairs, Diane Young Casper compiles a list of company presidents and how-to advice on letter-writing to resolve warranty claims.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 28, 2004
Second Chance Body Armor Inc., Michigan-based bulletproof vest manufacturer, accused by Pennsylvania's Attorney General of failing to disclose flaws.
Associated Press, July 27, 2004
Wheel problems lead to probe at Saturn; NHTSA to conduct preliminary evaluation, which often precedes a recall, on GM's Saturn Vue SUV.
Reuters, July 27, 2004
Mitsubishi Motors North America won't give Canadians 5-yr./100,000-km bumper-to-bumper warranty that it has given to its U.S. customers.
Auto123.com, July 27, 2004
Warranty Direct Ltd. sees jump in UK auto air conditioning claims, says most susceptible are those aged 48 to 60 months, sees average bill of £444.68 making A/C the fourth most expensive item to repair after the automatic gearbox, turbo and engine.
Press Release, July 27, 2004
Seagate warranties jump to five years for internal desktop and notebook hard drives.
Extreme Tech, July 26, 2004
Fleetwood Enterprises Inc. announces "Up & Running" program, providing dealers with an expedited and streamlined warranty parts ordering system, plus prepaid overnight shipments of parts for emergency repairs.
Press Release, July 26, 2004
John Copson, founder of New Zealand extended warranty provider AutoSure, sells his company for $68 million to Promina subsidiary Vero.
New Zealand Herald, July 23, 2004
Heritage Warranty Mutual Insurance Company RRG placed into a liquidation process by order of a Hawaiian circuit court.
Alabama Department of Insurance, July 21, 2004
Reynolds and Reynolds Co. posts a 16 percent decline in net income, cites slower sales of its auto dealer management software.
Dayton Business Journal, July 21, 2004
Lincoln ranks highest in dealer service, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Customer Service Index Study, followed by Buick, Infiniti, Cadillac, Lexus, Saturn, and Acura.
Press Release, July 20, 2004
Vehicle Control Systems unit of American Standard Companies Inc. reveals $14 million warranty expense during the second quarter, but net income increased 11% anyhow.
PR Newswire, July 19, 2004
Salesman at UK's Comet chain allagedly offers Sunday Telegraph reporter a £70 discount on a DVD player only if he also bought the extended warranty.
Sunday Telegraph, July 18, 2004
Airbus SAS has given some buyers performance warranties on its new A380, but the plane may be 1.7% overweight, cutting its capacity and range.
Bloomberg News, July 17, 2004
JM&A Group signs 15 dealerships in Puerto Rico, expects to sign 20 more per year as market for extended warranties expands.
Caribbean Business, July 15, 2004
Dell President Kevin Rollins takes the reins as CEO, but the company's growth has strained its customer service and warranty support system, leading to lower customer satisfaction ratings.
CNET News.com, July 15, 2004
Contamination costs Emcore $4 million as it pulls its transceivers off the market for fear of future warranty returns.
Compound Semiconductor, July 15, 2004
Gulf Stream Coach selects Fujitsu subsidiary Glovia International to replace its legacy software systems, now it plans to move parts ordering, warranty claims processing, and vehicle customizations online.
Press Release, July 15, 2004
Service Net Solutions LLC appoints Rene Henderson, formerly a vice president with Great American Insurance Company, to the newly created role of vice president of risk management and business development, and opens SNS Insurance Agency LLC to help it launch new insurance products.
Press Release, July 13, 2004
Winnebago believes its principal marketing advantages are its product quality, dealer organization, warranty and service capability, and marketing techniques.
Business Week, July 13, 2004
Miller Park in Milwaukee is seeing some of the bearings wear out in the rolling devices used to open and close the roof; government panel told that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of America should expect warranty claims as a result.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 13, 2004
Home Solutions of America Inc. signs a definitive agreement to acquire RAM Home Warranty by Sept. 30 of this year.
Press Release, July 13, 2004
Edmunds.com details cheapest and most expensive cars to fix based on their five-year repair costs as measured by warranty providers.
CNBC, July 13, 2004
Uni.Asia General Insurance Bhd continues rolling out auto extended warranties in Malaysia, has signed 50 used car dealers this year in market set to approach RM100m (US$26.3m) per year.
Malaysian Star, July 13, 2004
Toyota Prius hybrid battery replacements to cost $6,320 after 100,000-mile warranty expires, with independent mechanics reluctant to do the work. Hybrid registrations up 25% last year, but still a tiny fraction of cars on the road.
Detroit Free Press, July 12, 2003
Primeguard Insurance Co. to underwrite extended warranties in 46 states for Mechanical Breakdown Administrators Inc., a division of MBA Holdings Inc.
Business Wire, July 12, 2004
Sydney train union workers stop patching up maintenance work done by private companies under warranty to protest continued privatization of RailCorp's railroad repairs.
Daily Telegraph, July 12, 2004
After problems in San Diego and Alameda County, activists sue Diebold Election Systems Inc. under California's whistleblower law over alleged defects in paperless voting terminals; plaintiffs stand to collect 30% of the settlement if successful.
Associated Press, July 11, 2004
Woman retrieves diamond wedding ring, lost 30 years ago and found eight months ago, using a diagram on original warranty certificate dated 1954, just in time for 50th wedding anniversary.
Associated Press, July 11, 2004
N.E.W. Customer Service Companies Inc. agrees to lease the former Sykes facility in Hays, Kansas, where it plans to open its sixth communication center, scheduled to officially open in October of 2004.
Press Release, July 9, 2004
Honda tells NHTSA at least 27 CR-V sport-utility vehicles from the 2003 and 2004 model years burst into flames shortly after getting their first oil changes, tentatively blamed on incorrect installation of new oil filters.
Washington Post, July 9, 2004
Honda reports 164 warranty claims related to CR-V oil change fires, reported 22 engine fires to NHTSA for 2003 and five so far in 2004 model years, cause is said to be leaky seals on oil filters.
Associated Press, July 9, 2004
ARI Network Services Inc. announces new $500,000 line of credit with Bank One, CFO says the company already have adequate cash flow but wanted to finance expansion.
Press Release, July 9, 2004
Demand for heavy trucks is up 40% this year, shows economy on rebound, manufacturers adding to production lines.
Detroit News, July 8, 2004
GM, Toyota, Chrysler and Honda in six months exceed their recall totals for all of 2003, but Ford is below last year's pace. Increased reserves for warranty and recall costs cut into GM's profits.
Detroit Free Press, July 8, 2004
Local Korean group, the Association for Driving Cars More than Ten Years, begins recording warranty claims and complaints on imported cars, which Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association sees as negative publicity.
Korea Times, July 8, 2004
Tata Motors launches the Sumo Victa, has an 18-month unlimited kilometers warranty and an optional 18-month extended warranty.
India Infoline News, July 7, 2004
LandAmerica Financial Group Inc. to acquire Buyers Home Warranty Co. in California and Best Home Warranty Co. in several other states.
Press Release, July 7, 2004
Dubai Bank bundles car loans with one-year extended warranties, covers car after initial three-year/60kkm warranty runs out.
AME Info, July 7, 2004
Lloyd Waterhouse, CEO of the Reynolds and Reynolds Co., resigns suddenly in order to spend more time with his family, existing board member to step in as interim CEO.
Press Release, July 7, 2004
Siebel Systems Inc. warns of "disappointing results" for the second quarter, blames unexpected delays in purchasing decisions of certain customers.
Press Release, July 7 (PDF file)
PeopleSoft Inc. warns of lower revenue and earnings for the second quarter, blames the publicity of the Oracle antitrust trial and hostile takeover attempt.
Press Release, July 7, 2004
Consumer Reports faults the recall system, says one-third of recalled vehicles and half of recalled appliances are never repaired because owners never hear of the campaign.
Press Release, July 6, 2004
Behbehani Brothers, the Audi importer in Bahrain, will bundle low interest loans from Citibank with extended warranties, roadside assistance services, and buyback guarantees.
AME Info, July 6, 2004
Tarion Warranty Corp. outlines procedures and questions Ontario homebuyers should ask about new home warranties, lists types of sales not covered by province's warranty law.
Realty Times, July 6, 2004
Guardian Web Company LLC launches AAAautowarranty.com, an online resource providing comparison shopping services for extended warranty buyers.
Press Release, July 5, 2004
Bombardier Transportation Inc. and Spanish toilet manufacturer Temoinsa face warranty claims for broken bathrooms in LIRR M-7 trains, though railroad is generally pleased with the new cars' overall reliability.
Newsday, July 5, 2004
J.D. Power Asia-Pacific ranks Honda number one in its 2004 Malaysia Customer Satisfaction Index, says its authorized dealers see the smallest drop-off in customers after warranty expires.
New Straits Times Press, July 5, 2004
Haytham ElZayn's Car Care LLC to acquire Heritage Administration Services after outbidding the Phoenix American Insurance Group.
Lincoln Journal Star, July 3, 2004
South Carolina Department of Insurance tells Heritage Warranty Insurance Risk Retention Group to boost its loss reserves; company relocated to SC after paying fines in Hawaii, Pennsylvania, and California.
Lincoln Journal Star, July 3, 2004
Renault Agriculture Ltd. to merge tractor operations with Claas UK Ltd by Oct. 1, but dealers will continue receiving replacement parts under warranty.
Farming Life, July 3, 2004
Voting machines to be used in Venezuela's Aug. 15 recall election, originally made by Olivetti to sell lottery tickets in Tunisia, are sold with a "buyer beware" warranty: government, part owner of the subcontractor, gets only partial refund.
Miami Herald, July 2, 2004
Supply of 17-digit VINs will be exhausted by decade's end; Society of Automotive Engineers forms a committee to address the coming shortage.
Detroit News, July 1, 2004
California State Senate votes 30-4 to broaden state's warranty law to cover building materials. AB2723 now goes back to the State Assembly.
Associated Press, July 1, 2004
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