How do I get a device repaired or replaced under warranty?

Two separate things are usually described as a warranty. There is the manufacturer's guarantee, which is a voluntary promise with its own terms and duration. And there are your rights against the retailer who sold it, which exist whether or not any guarantee was offered and generally last longer. Knowing which one you are using changes who you talk to and what you can ask for.

Step by step

1. Work out which route you are taking.Retailer for statutory rights — the goods have to be of satisfactory quality and last a reasonable time. Manufacturer for their guarantee. If the device is only a few months old, the retailer route is usually stronger and quicker.
2. Find the proof of purchase and the serial number.An order confirmation email, a bank statement line or a card receipt will normally do. The serial number is on the device, in its settings, or on the box. Have both before you make contact.
3. Check the warranty status online first.Most manufacturers have a lookup that takes the serial number and states the coverage and expiry. It saves an argument, and it occasionally reveals that a device was registered earlier than you bought it, which is worth knowing before you call.
4. Back the device up and confirm the backup opens.Assume anything sent away will come back wiped or be replaced entirely. This is not a warning, it is the normal outcome, and the backup is the only protection.
5. Sign out of your accounts and remove the device locks.An activation lock will stop a repairer working on the device, and repair centres routinely return devices untouched because of it. Sign out of the manufacturer account and remove any passcode or drive encryption where instructed.
6. Record the condition before it leaves you.Photograph every side, the screen, the corners and any existing marks, with the date. Note the serial number in the photographs. It settles any later disagreement about damage in transit or in the workshop.
7. Describe the symptom, not your diagnosis.'The screen has a vertical green line down the left third, present from start-up, on all applications, and it appears on the machine but not in a screenshot.' That is a report they can act on. 'I think the graphics card has gone' invites a disagreement about your opinion.
8. Put it in writing and keep the references.Follow a phone call with a short email summarising what was agreed. Keep case numbers, names and dates in one place. If the claim goes wrong, this is the whole of your evidence.
9. Know what to do if they refuse.Ask for the refusal and its reason in writing. If a fault is being blamed on misuse and you disagree, an independent engineer's report is the usual next step. Beyond that, the retailer's complaints process, any relevant ombudsman or dispute scheme, and finally the small claims process.
10. Remember the credit card and finance routes.If the item cost over a hundred pounds and was paid for at least partly by credit card, the card provider can be equally liable with the seller. That is a genuine second route when a retailer is unresponsive.

Tips

• Register the device with the manufacturer when you buy it. It takes two minutes and removes the 'we have no record of this' opening move later.
• A fault that has been repaired more than once is a stronger position than a first-time fault. Keep the paperwork from each attempt.
• Extended warranties sold at the till often duplicate rights you already have. Check what they add before paying for one.

Common mistakes

• Opening the device to look inside first — It is the most reliable way to have a claim rejected. Even a removed screw can be enough. Leave it sealed until the claim is settled.
• Accepting 'the warranty has expired' as the end of it — The manufacturer's guarantee expiring does not end your rights against the retailer, which can run considerably longer where a fault suggests the goods were not of satisfactory quality.

If it doesn't work

Questions people ask