With Indian government announcing a 21-day lockdown that is in place till April 14 due to Covid-19, several brands including OnePlus, Huawei, Realme and Oppo have extended warranty services for their devices. The lockdown move from the Indian government meant to contain the spread of the Coronavirus has resulted in the shutdown of non essential services along with the movement of citizens. Several other countries have also imposed lockdowns and that has led to the brands to do their bit to support its customers. Extended warranty period and extended replacement period are some of the common steps taken by the brands while OnePlus is also offering back-up devices in certain regions.
OnePlus Support: Extended Warranty, Updated Returns and More
OnePlus announced on Wednesday that the company has extended the warranty and updated its returns policy as it seeks to support the needs of its customers amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
The company in a note explained that the warranty period of its devices that expires between March 1 and May 30, 2020 has been extended to May 31, 2020. Further, the company is also extending its returns period to 30 days from the existing 15 days.
OnePlus would also be providing two-way free shipping for all returns, replacements and repairs.
Additionally, OnePlus would also be providing back-up devices to its customers whose phones are out for service. The company said that the back-up device program is currently in pilot stage with limited devices.
“Initially, the back-up device program will be in the pilot stage available for Europe and North America with limited stock, however, we will do our best to support you,” OnePlus said in the note. “We are aiming to make the process simple and fast so that users who don't have a spare phone at hand during repair can easily apply for a back-up unit through OnePlus support channels.”
OnePlus has also set-up a dedicated FAQ page where it has provided further information on its support during the coronavirus lockdown where it revealed that it has suspended its service centre operations.
The company said that the services at its fulfilment center have also been suspended and that its customers can experience delays to their orders.
“Preventive measures have been implemented at all locations, including enhanced cleaning procedures, strict hygiene, sanitation requirements, and requiring work from home in accordance with guidance from local government and public health authorities across the globe,” OnePlus said.
Huawei, Realme and Oppo: Extended Warranty and More
Similar to OnePlus, Huawei announced on Wednesday that the company has extended the warranty on its devices to June 30. The company said that the extended warranty is applicable to all its smartphones, smartwatches and accessories and is applicable to devices whose warranty expires between March 21 to June 21, 2020.
Realme on Thursday announced that the company “during this tough period” would be extending its warranty period to May 31, 2020 and updating its replacement period to 30 days. The company said that the extended warranty would be applicable to those devices whose warranty expires between March 20 to April 30, 2020. Similarly, the extended replacement period is applicable to those who purchased the devices between March 15 to April 30, 2020.
Another BBK Electronics company, Oppo also announced on Thursday that it would be extending the warranty of its products to May 31, 2020. The company explained in a note that the extended warranty period is applicable to those products whose warranty expires between March 23 to May 30, 2020.
Oppo said that it would also be extending its customer service offers including its one time screen replacement and complete damage protection offer to May 31, 2020. However, the company said that the customers are required to provide a valid warranty card and valid purchase invoice to claim warranty. For those without the valid documents, Oppo said that it would calculate the warranty from date of activation or post 90th day from date of manufacturing.
“Let's show our gratitude to the health workers & community workers by strictly following social distancing,” Oppo said in the note.
