Manufacturing date limits warranty

It speaks volumes as to the expected longevity & reliability of new items.

Many ZW sellers on the secondary market, for example, will warranty a 50-65 year old transformer for a year.

ADCX Rob posted:

It speaks volumes as to the expected longevity & reliability of new items.

 

Yes. It says it all!

I think the manufacturing date may be stamped inside the box on one of the flaps.  But, don't hold me to that.  I haven't bought a new Lionel locomotive in over a decade.

Fred

Maybe they should all have a "Use by" or "Best by" date stamped onto the bottom of the box!

Jim

Oman posted:

... The warranty limit should be based upon delivery date to dealers, not manufacturing date.

I really don't know what to believe anymore.  The story is always changing, re: manufacturing date vs. dealer taking delivery for warranty purposes.

I recently took delivery of the new Lionel command controlled #342/#345 culvert accessories earlier this week.  The shipping cartons are now labeled with an OBS date (not sure what OBS stands for), and these accessories have an OBS Date of 11/18/2016.  Today is 2/18/2017.  So that's roughly a 3-month window.  Prior to OBS dates, the shipping cartons had a DOM date, which I had always presumed was a "date-of-manufacture" date.  Typically, those also had a 3-month delta between the date-stamp on the box and arrival at dealers.

3 months doesn't sound like a lot to squabble over though.  I suppose the real issue was the importers just threw a stake in the ground to tell consumers they weren't gonna provide warranty service for NOS that had been sitting on a dealer shelf for 3 or 5 years (depending on the importer).

David

I'll jump in and say that I always thought it went by the purchase date from the dealer when you fill out the warranty card and send it in.  It worked that way with my TIU.  I filled out the card and mailed it as soon as I bought it three years ago.  I had a major problem with the TIU at 11 months.  When I called MTH, they told me it still had a month on the warranty, and they had me send it in for repair and paid shipping both ways.  I seldom buy new.  I only have one engine I bought new, and I don't fill out cards for the few freight cars I buy new.

Just go by the catalog date if, as you say, you want to be safe.  It's really equivalent to worrying about whether it will rain on the day of the picnic you have planned next year.

What, me worry? 

Weather is unpredictable. Buying a NIB product from an authorized dealer should be predictable. I'm not going to buy if I do not get a full 12 month warranty.