Take Advantage of Your Warranty NOW!
About 10 years ago after cracking countless cymbals (yes, I know that I had bad technique for striking the cymbals, and I was really into Metal) I finally decided to try out this warranty thing. The reason I had never used the warranty before was because I thought that it would be a huge hassle or I had already lost the receipt. When I started making a living as a musician I realized that I could save all my receipts and use them as a deduction on my taxes, which encouraged me to keep all of my music “business” receipts in a safe place. Since then I’ve probably gotten about 6 free cymbals from sending them in because they cracked while they were still under warranty.
In order to use most warranties you must:
- Have original purchase receipt
- Purchase date must be within warranty coverage period.
- Item under warranty must have only been subjected to normal conditions
My Personal Warranty Interactions
Sabian Cymbals
I primarily play Sabian Cymbals, and have used the warranty about 5 times. Each time it took about 1-2 weeks to get a replacement cymbal back in the mail, and at no cost to me what-so-ever! All SABIAN cymbal series are guaranteed against defects in workmanship and materials for a period of 2 years from original date of purchase. Using the Sabian warranty is easy:
- Call to request a RMA # (Return Merchandise Authorization) – Ask them any other questions you might have while you have them on the phone.
- Ship your cracked cymbal and original purchase receipt to the address they give you, with the RMA # on the side of the box.
- Wait for your new cymbal!
Every interaction I have ever had with Sabian has been very pleasant and easy. I highly recommend them.
For more info on Sabian’s warranty visit Sabian Cymbals FAQ.
Zildjian Cymbals
Before I started using Sabian I dabbled with Zildjian cymbals, and used their warranty a time or two. Zildjian cymbals carry a two year warranty, from date of purchase, against manufacturing flaws. The process to replace your cymbal is very similar to that of Sabian’s.
Zildjian will not replace a cymbal if:
“A cymbal returned without a receipt will be evaluated by the serial number on each cymbal, which tells the evaluator how old the cymbal is. A cymbal will not be replaced if it has been: misplayed, dropped, played with excessive force or treated abusively; bought second hand or used in a lease program; if it has been previously replaced by Zildjian; or if more than two years have passed since the purchase of the cymbal” – Zildjian.com
For more info on Zildjian’s Warranty check out the Zildjian Warranty Infomation Page.
SKB Hardware Cases
For most gigs I use SKB hard cases for my drums. They have a Million Mile Guaranty, which basically means it is covered for life. This is why I love SKB so much:
“SKB brand hard shell cases are fully warranted against defects in materials and craftsmanship for the life of the case to the original owner. That means, if your case breaks, SKB will either supply replacement parts, repair the case, or replace the case at no cost to you for as long as you own the case. Most locks, handles and wheels have been made field replaceable and will be supplied to you at no charge.” – SKBcases.com
First off…I’ve never had an SKB case break on me…They are hard plastic, and unless you are really being rough on them, they will be just fine. I have however had one of the plastic snap buckles break, and one of the metal latches break on my hardware case after about 10 years of using it!!! All I had to do was email customerservice@skbcases.com and explain what happened, and they supplied me with the replacement parts to essentially make it a brand new case! Brilliant!
Trust me, spend the money and get SKB hard cases, you won’t regret it.
For more info on the SKB Warranty check out the SKB Warranties and Guaranties page.
Shure In-Ear Monitors
I can’t say much about any of the other fine products that Shure offers since I don’t own them, but I have used Shure In-Ear Monitors for about 10 years. I recently had one of the drivers go out in my left ear bud. I contacted Shure about it and ended up sending the ears to them to repair. The standard repair fee for my model of ears was $97, but they actually gave me a brand new pair of the newer model. Another time I had a pair of ears that had a driver go out while they were still under warranty.
Shure has a great warranty:
“Every Shure® product comes with a Limited Warranty that in normal use the product will be free of any defects in materials or workmanship for a period of one or two years from its original date of purchase.” -Shure.com
They sent a replacement pair within 2 weeks! For more info about the Shure Warranty check out Shure Americas | Warranty
What’s Your Experience With Warranties?
So you’ve heard my side of the story, now I would love to hear yours! Please leave a comment and tell me about your experience with any warranties you’ve used before!
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Via @MakeDrums – The Best Warranties for Full-Time Drummers http://t.co/e7O8gFRT #drums #musician