# Brother Laser Printer Technical Support **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 9, 2010, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brother-laser-printer-technical-support/549756 "2010-08-09T21:30:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brother-laser-printer-technical-support/549756/21 "2010-08-12T03:53:23Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > The warranty is for X months. If they look at the serial number on the printer, and see that it was purchased less than X months ago, and then look at the printer and see that it hasn’t been mistreated, then why should proof of purchase even matter? What makes you think they know when the printer was purchased from the serial number? Unless it was purchased directly from Brother, it was probably sitting in an office supply store for three months before somebody bought it. > [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > But if adding one thing that voids the warranty without affecting the product saves money, why not more? Why not “void if used in January”, “must not use, or store product near a poker game”, etc.? If you don’t see a difference between resale voiding a warranty and use in January voiding a warranty, it’s not worth trying to explain this to you. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brother-laser-printer-technical-support/549756/22 "2010-08-12T04:14:03Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > What makes you think they know when the printer was purchased from the serial number? Unless it was purchased directly from Brother, it was probably sitting in an office supply store for three months before somebody bought it. Maybe the original purchaser registered it online on by mail; that’s what i did with my Brother printer. ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brother-laser-printer-technical-support/549756/23 "2010-08-12T14:56:15Z")
> [@Shmendrik](#): > > You really haven’t said anything substantive here, other than an odd circular argument that companies don’t allow you to transfer warranties because they charge less for warranties because they don’t allow you to transfer warranties. > > As mhendo and tao have said, there’s no actual reason they shouldn’t stand behind their product despite an ownership transfer, and in fact many companies have no problem with it. I’ve transferred Dell warranties in the past without any trouble. > > In this specific instance, the printer was purchased new on Ebay. I faxed them the packing slip when I initially had trouble with this machine last winter. At that time, they said it was an authorized reseller and I therefore had warranty coverage. Now they say I need to fax them the packing slip again, because any records from back then “have been shredded by now”, so they won’t stand by their commitment. I don’t know if I still have the packing slip, and at the very least they damn well could have told me they needed it before I crawled around in the bloody printer for half an hour to assure them that each part was authentic. OK, anything in that last paragraph is certainly the company jerking you around. There’s no defending that. But for your first paragraph - there is a difference. If the seller figures that it will cost them $150 on average to support a warranty that is transferable, but if they make it non-transferrable, their average cost will go down to $130, then they will be able to sell the product to you $20 cheaper. Now, the seller isn’t doing that out of the goodness of their hearts - there’s at least two other factors invoived - they may be trying to meet a price point to compete in the market, and that may make the difference. And the second reason is probably more important - the original seller (whether the manufacturer or not) makes no money off the used market. Having warranties be transferable (whether on a printer or on a car) just makes the used market more attractive to the consumer, which isn’t in the seller’s best interests. Some companies (like Dell, as you mention) have decided that they are OK with warranties being transferable. Maybe it depends on the kind of product. But it’s certainly affecting their selling price (or profit margin). Again, as long as the terms are all laid out clearly upfront to the customer, I don’t think it’s a problem. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brother-laser-printer-technical-support/549756/24 "2010-08-12T22:22:52Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > > [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > > > But if adding one thing that voids the warranty without affecting the product saves money, why not more? Why not “void if used in January”, “must not use, or store product near a poker game”, etc.? > > If you don’t see a difference between resale voiding a warranty and use in January voiding a warranty, it’s not worth trying to explain this to you. No explain to me, what is the difference? Neither affects the condition of the product. However both as a means of warranty voiding would save money. I don’t see the difference. Please tell me the difference. Why is one okay and the other not? You seem to think the second is laughable, but not the first. What is the difference? If you can’t articulate a relevant difference then it looks to me like they’re both stupid hoops. Not something an a honorable company would do. ---
**Author:** ![jdc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@jdc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jdc)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brother-laser-printer-technical-support/549756/25 "2010-08-14T02:20:24Z")
HP Business Service chat - My printer won’t initialize fully even if I reboot it. (Still within 1 year warranty) Chat guy calls right away, leads me thru a few steps to try to force printer to initialize. Then offers me either (return to HP for replacement where I pay 1 way shipping or $50 for express cross ship … YES). Arrives two days later as promised. Follow up call from tech support to make sure I am satisfied and problem is resolved. New (refurb) had dead USB port (oh well…) HP Business Service chat - Terribly sorry, we will ship you a replacement express overnight no charge. 2nd replacement arrives in 2 days as promised. Them cartridges are expensive, but their tech support for printers (at least business class printers) is very good. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brother-laser-printer-technical-support/549756/26 "2010-08-14T02:49:45Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > If you can’t articulate a relevant difference then it looks to me like they’re both stupid hoops. Not something an a honorable company would do. I’m not saying I can’t. I’m saying it’s a pointless exercise. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brother-laser-printer-technical-support/549756/27 "2010-08-14T03:17:39Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > > [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > > > If you can’t articulate a relevant difference then it looks to me like they’re both stupid hoops. Not something an a honorable company would do. > > I’m not saying I can’t. I’m saying it’s a pointless exercise. [“I choose not to run”.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Race_%28Seinfeld%29) 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brother-laser-printer-technical-support/549756.md?page=1)