My Warranty!
Well, after years of selling Megatouch games with an "unofficial" warranty policy, I've decided that I should probably have something in writing. I get a lot of questions about what I will do if a game breaks, support, etc. So, I guess it makes sense to have a formal written policy that clearly outlines everything. So here it is!
In writing this, I wanted to try to determine a fair policy while having one that was simple to understand. My initial outline was pretty complicated, so I've just decided to make it a flat policy:
I will guarantee that your game will work when you get it, and if there are any problems in the first 6 months or so of ownership (No, I'm not going to leave you in the wind when the 181st day rolls around), I will take care of it at my expense. Now, this may mean you having to open up the back of the game and "get your hands dirty" so to speak, so that you can be my eyes and ears during the diagnosis of the problem. But if any problems arise, I will take care of them! This includes the monitor, touchscreen, hard drive, cd rom drive, power supply, game boards, fans, wiring, and DBV. If there are any more components that I didn't mention, they are also included! But I think I got most of the big stuff.
Now, I'm sure you are asking, "What happens when the 6 months is up?" First off, let me say that I don't think you have too much to worry about. If you purchase a game from me, it has been completely taken apart, cleaned, checked, and it is working 100% when it leaves my hands (please read my eBay page for more info about this process). Assuming that the shipping company doesn't put a forklift through it, it is probably going to continue functioning properly for a long time. Because I take care of most of the routine maintenance before I sell a game (fans, power supplies, hard drives, CD rom drives), you will most likely have years of gameplay with no problems. Occasionally, however, parts fail prematurely. Every CD rom based game that I sell gets a brand new CD rom drive (no one else does this). I've shipped 50+ CD based games in the last year, and I've had 2 or 3 BRAND NEW cd rom drives fail with less than 10 hours of use! They don't build em like they used to, I guess. And the only thing I can do about that is make it right! And I will. In fact, I'll replace a failed CD rom drive, hard drive, power supply, or fan for as long as you own any game that is purchased from me! Parts beyond that will be replaced for free at my discretion. I will not cover negligence such as lightning storms, scratches on the touchscreen (you have to really be trying to scratch one), or dropping the game off the bar.
Furthermore, I will be more than happy to answer questions about the game, upgrades, repairs, etc for as long as you own the game. If you have the game for 3 years and the monitor goes out, CALL ME FIRST! Chances are I know someone in your area, or I can ask around and find someone in your area who will treat you fairly. Also, say the game doesn't boot all the way, or is making a beeping noise (or one of 20 other things), there's a good chance that I can diagnose the game over the phone and we can have you back up and running in a few minutes.
Alright, this is the last thing because this Warranty page is already a pretty good read. If you buy a game from me and put it in your home, it is probably going to last you forever. Merit (The manufacturer of the "Megatouch") is a GREAT company. They have great products, great support, and are a big reason that I do what I do! They designed these games to run 24/7 for years in a bar where there is smoking/drinking/fighting/etc. If you put one in the game room at your house and use it 5 hours a day (which is probably not possible for most people), that's a walk in the park! It should last forever.
Alright, this is REALLY the last thing. I'd watch out for sellers who make comments like "because this item is electronic, it is sold as is", or whatever. Look, I have enough confidence in the service that I provide and my knowledge of these games to know that I can stand behind what I sell! 99% of my buyers will never have to use the warranty policy! That's part of the reason that I've never had an official policy until now. It just wasn't necessary! But if a seller doesn't have enough confidence in his product to guarantee that it will work when it gets there (much less 6 months after that), do you want to send them a dime?