Archived Copies of Warranty Week

December 2002 to Today

Eighteenth Annual Product Warranty Report: When the pandemic began a year ago, shopping and work patterns changed radically, as many people found it hard to leave their homes or get to work. One would have expected a deep dive in warranty claims early on, but there was an even deeper drop in warranty accruals in the middle of the year, and a much higher makeup effort towards the end of the year.
March 25, 2021
Auto Warranties & Quality Ratings: Few people would say that Chinese cars are the best in the world and that German cars are the worst. The quality and reliability studies certainly say otherwise. But the warranty data says Chinese companies spend the least and German companies pay the most. How to reconcile these contradictory data sets?
November 1, 2018
Reflections of a Warranty Researcher: One of the world's leading warranty researchers takes a look back at the most recent 35 years of his illustrious career, noting some of the people, places, and publications he's connected with over those decades. But he's not done yet, and he's proposing three additional topics for further research.
December 22, 2016
Extended Warranty Conferences: Both the show in Chicago and the one in Nashville last month were generally regarded as advancements over their 2014 editions, with better presenters, more people, and much improved venues. But they're still not in the same league as the conference held in March, according to people who have been to all three shows.
October 15, 2015
WCM Conference Keynotes: The technology is changing. The need for repairs is changing. Even the concept of ownership is changing. And the way people shop is changing. Two industry experts describe how they see these changes impacting warranty and service contracts.
February 26, 2015
The Warranty Genome: Just as our genetic code determines traits such as eye color and behaviors such as left-handedness, so too does the format of a web page or the content of a communication determine the outcome of a transaction. To understand why some people buy a protection plan, we need to understand why others don't, and whether we can do anything to alter that outcome.
December 12, 2013
Warranties During Disasters: While warranties cover defects and insurance covers damage, there is quite a bit of overlap between the two. And in the past month, disasters and disturbances have made people aware that it really can happen to them.
September 1, 2011
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
The Institute of Warranty Chain Management: Membership opens this spring and certification courses begin in the fall. Yet some people still wonder why it's taking so long. The reason is a perceived need by the board to develop content and services to retain members before recruiting them.
March 19, 2008
Ford's Powertrain Warranties: How does a carmaker get people talking about product quality and confidence? By lengthening the warranty on the engine and transmission. But it didn't work so well for Chrysler, so why should it work for Ford?
July 25, 2006
Warranty Reporting vs. Analytics: One turns the past into charts. The other turns the future into actionable items. But some people who know the difference between the two don't want to talk about it, for fear that they'll lose an edge on their competition.
July 11, 2006
Warranty Conference,
Part One: During the kickoff keynotes by HP and IBM at last week's Warranty Chain Management conference, the need to involve people in warranty transformation projects outranked all technical and financial challenges.
March 8, 2005
Warranty Industry Associations: Until recently, nobody thought warranty could support a trade association, especially one that crosses industry boundaries. But when a warranty seminar held in a Detroit suburb in the middle of the week sells out, you can bet people will take notice. So who can host a talking shop for warranty professionals?
April 27, 2004
Why Warranties Matter Warranties are everywhere, but few people give them much thought
December 18, 2002