Unofficial: Amazon Kindle Accidental Warranty Coverage
0If you have gone through all the information on Amazon Kindle’s landing page, you have probably seen the videos on how you can drop your Kindle and still get to enjoy it with no harm done. But in reality, there is a right way to drop a Kindle and there is a wrong way. Unfortunately, when you drop something, there is a very good chance that you are going to do so in the wrong way (meaning that you will have a broken screen or a non-functional Kindle). So what should you do if your Kindle is damaged in a fall?
Amazon is not very clear about their policy when it comes to replacing damaged Kindles. Amazon does promise to replace your Kindle if it is non-functional within a year, but that warranty is limited. In other words, you can’t put Kindle on the ground and run over it with your car and expect it to be replaced by Amazon. For long I wondered what could folks do to avoid paying the full $350 when they are actually guilty of mistreating their Kindles. It seems Amazon has adopted a new policy that gets you a refurbished working Kindle back for half the price ($180). It is still not clear how you can get these $180 refurbished Kindles, but it seems you’ve got to go beyond what’s covered under your limited warranty to qualify.
Here is what Amazon has to say about Kindle repairs:
This limited warranty applies only to hardware components of the Device that are not subject to accident, misuse, neglect, fire or other external causes, unauthorized use, alterations or repair, or commercial use.
For what it’s worth, I personally appreciate Amazon making an effort to keep everyone happy. Most companies will tell you to just beat it if you mistreat your gadget, but Amazon is one of the best companies in the world when it comes to customer service. What I am not sure about is whether it’s fair to ask folks to pay $180 for a refurbished Kindle when the repair could only cost $50 (not all damages are the same).
What do you think? Is it fair for Amazon to ask for $180 for a refurbished Kindle? Would you take the offer regardless?
