Archived Copies of Warranty Week

December 2002 to Today

Warranty Claims & Reserves, Part 2: The electronics sector tends to have shorter warranties than other sectors such as vehicles. Yet their warranty costs have ranged all the way up to four percent of sales. And while the average size of their warranty reserves is on the small side, some industry segments keep very large balances.
February 13, 2020
European Auto Warranty Expenses: While Volkswagen continues to recover from a record-setting recent spike in its warranty costs, some of the other top European carmakers have continued to drive down their warranty costs. Six warranty metrics are detailed for four companies over the past 16 years.
July 11, 2019
Service Contract Pricing: Printers: Despite the well-known risks of printers breaking down through normal wear and tear, some administrators and retailers are willing to sell service contracts for them that last four or even five years. Prices vary widely, and some even cover accidental damage.
November 3, 2016
Telecom Equipment Warranty Report: Some of the four very different segments of the telecom equipment industry are better at reducing their warranty costs than others. But the biggest trend over the last decade has been the contraction of the U.S.-based part of the industry, and the rise of European and Asian competitors in their place, except for the Internet/data and broadcasting/cable TV segments.
May 7, 2015
Mobile Phone Insurance Market Shares: The top four wireless carriers in the U.S. collect more than $7.8 billion in protection plan premiums from their customers, and top electronics retailers collect an additional $4.3 billion for mobile phone service contracts. A handful of administration and insurance companies work with them.
November 14, 2013
Dell's Extended Warranties: Though its hardware sales have flattened, the importance of Dell's extended warranty program continues to rise. While a few years ago it was twice as large as the product warranty operation, now it's four times larger. And it accounts for a rising percentage of the company's total revenue.
January 24, 2013
Japanese Electronics Warranties: Four electronics manufacturers that are based in Japan but export their products worldwide show below-average warranty expense rates. Part of the reason is what they make. But could part of the reason also be where they make it?
July 19, 2012
Aerospace Warranty Report: While the airframe makers and their suppliers pay out roughly the same percentage of product revenue for warranty claims, they keep very different levels of reserves. The airframe makers keep a balance equal to four years of claims, while their suppliers keep half as much in their warranty reserve funds.
April 14, 2011
Extended Warranty Insurance Companies: All four of our imaginary investments are up, with AIG rising the least and Assurant rising the most. And now our hypothetical extended warranty stock fund has grown with the addition of four more insurance companies that also underwrite service contracts.
August 5, 2010
Extended Warranty Insurance Companies: The advice columns tell you not to buy extended warranties, but they never tell you not to buy extended warranty companies. Of the four largest publicly traded warranty insurance companies, at least two offer dependable dividend yields and perhaps also capital gains as the recovery takes hold on Wall Street.
May 14, 2009
Security Equipment Warranties: Although big ticket military contracts don't usually include what we'd call product warranties, the maker so numerous other products that help protect people and property do pay claims and maintain warranty reserves. What follows are snapshots of the past six years of warranty expenditures for four of the market leaders in their respective corners of the security marketplace.
December 5, 2008
Green Warranties, Part Four: Solar cell manufacturers betray their youth and inexperience when it comes to warranty accounting. Very long warranties, new technology and rapidly increasing sales don't make their jobs any easier.
June 5, 2008
Automotive Warranties: Thanks to reduced warranty expenses at GM, claims were up only slightly for the auto industry in 2006. With four years of data in hand, it's now possible to calculate typical claims rates by product or vehicle type. And while warranty expenses for some are on a downward trend, others have seen costs rise.
May 15, 2007
Product Warranty Claims, 2003-2006: Signs are emerging that suggest a peak in warranty spending by American manufacturers. Is it better management? Shorter warranties? Or could it be nothing more than sales rising faster than costs? With four years of data to examine, there's evidence for each scenario.
April 11, 2007
Warranty Analysis Workshops: Four pre-show workshops and an automotive warranty seminar make the day before the official opening of WCM 2007 a worthy destination, and may presage an era when advanced courses and certification become a routine feature of warranty industry events.
February 21, 2007
Warranty Reserve Levels: Most large companies seem to pick a size and stick to it, even as sales and claims vary. Whether measured in dollars or as a multiple of claims paid per month, the size of most of the largest warranty reserves has changed very slowly over the past four years.
January 30, 2007
Warranty Compliance Online: Four years after first looking into online compliance with warranty laws, we find the situation has deteriorated, with many Web merchants completely ignoring disclosure rules. And the FTC remains silent.
December 19, 2006
Warranty Conference,
Part Four: Your best customers buy extended warranties. And the proper administration of extended warranties can boost customer loyalty. Two top executives explain how it's done.
March 29, 2005
Top 50 Warranty Providers: The data is in, and there are four new names on the list of companies with the largest warranty programs. American manufacturers reported more than $23.675 billion in warranty claims during 2003, a rate very close to $2 billion a month.
March 23, 2004