From time to time, we at OWC hear from a customer who has been told by a service provider that one of our upgrades voids their machine’s warranty. As we have covered the past, this is simply incorrect. But this doesn’t just apply to those in the United States. Countries around the world also have laws in place to protect consumers who make upgrades to their machines.

In fact, a customer in Australia who upgraded with OWC contacted us recently after he was refused warranty service by a technician. The technician claimed while replacing his machine’s fan that the customer’s OWC Data Doubler voided his warranty. The technician noted that should his motherboard fail, his warranty would be voided because of the Data Doubler. But after some intrepid persistence, a more senior employee later notified the customer that the technician was “absolutely and positively incorrect.”

Unfortunately scare tactics and misinformation like this are occasionally used so a manufacturer can refuse to make repairs to a part covered by the warranty simply because an entirely separate part has been upgraded by the user. But as seen above, staying informed is the best weapon against these tactics.

Common upgrades such as memory, hard drives, SSD/flash drives and optical drives install into existing locations in a machine without modification to the system, and their presence does not cause harm to the machine. And simply installing them does NOT void your warranty.

Like the United States, which has specific consumer protections, most other countries offer protection that users should be aware of. And while sometimes there is posturing by a service representative, it’s in the interest of both the manufacturer and customer that the warranty be honored with fairness to the customer. Here are some examples of other countries with such laws in place:

• Australia
• China
• France
• Ireland
• Italy
• Japan
• Germany
• New Zealand
• Spain
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom

These consumer protection laws are not uncommon and ensure your right to warranty. However, do be aware that the “you break it, you buy it” rules still apply. Some upgrades are being made increasingly difficult today. Professional service for some upgrades is something you should absolutely utilize to ensure your protection if you are not comfortable with an upgrade process.

As always, OWC is committed to serving our customers in the best way possible. And to prove this commitment, in the event a warranty is denied on grounds of OWC Data Doubler present – OWC will be the first to back that customer up and see that their warranty is honored one way or the other. That’s just part of the “OWC Difference” that we strive to make every day!