Who can help me decipher AcerCare Singapore's reply..

So I contacted AcerCare Singapore (where my notebook came) and inquired about their own warranty guidelines about upgrading their notebooks. Attached is the exchange:

So, what does this mean regarding being able to retain the warranty after upgrading the CPU etc? Also, where did you guys see your internal Acer sticker?

They're really cryptic sometimes, is this how they evade their Warranty stuff?

 

Some machines have an internal sticker and others don't. Basically they said that even if you open up the machine and replace the CPU they will service the machine under warranty unless the item you replaced is what caused the fault. As far as hard drive goes it is considered a user replaceable part long with memory so under law they have to service the machine. It is extremely rare for memory or a hard drive to screw something else up in the system and even then its hard to isolate the problem to those two components.

 

LOL!
I don't know but I heard that Canada there seems don't care about the warranty stickers(I heard from someone last time).
I stay above(north) your country, kisetsu17.

My warranty stickers was destroyed during the 1st day I bought it, because I upgraded my AS 6920G from 2GB RAM to 4GB RAM(I already bought this laptop more than 1 year, the warranty is currently out even if the stickers were still there without a flaw).
If the warranty straight KO if the stickers void, this is really awful. I am not sure it is really like that.
Imagine if you mistaken put your laptop on some rough surface(spike), the warranty stickers surely get slashed/penetrated. Then, Acer said your warranty voided because of that. Could this be lame and fake? More like a scam. I hope this isn't right.

 

That's because in Canada and the US these stickers are worth diddly-squat, legally speaking. gus6464's explanation is certainly correct in the US or Canadian context and I'd say it reflects what the CSR said in the email.

What happens is that company lawyers ask the production line to put stickers on your computer and in your computer to scare you away from opening the case. They also sometimes put clauses which have no legal force in your warranty, again to scare you away from opening the case.

I don't know anything about warranty enforcement in the rest of the world.

Oh, also kisetsu17 says that Acer US and Acer Canada requires that you put back the original parts into the computer before servicing. They can certainly ask you to do that but if you do not do that and if your warranty is still in effect, it does not give them the legal right to deny you service. And we've already established that just replacing "user replaceable parts" is not enough to void your warranty. So if you replace a 80GB drive with a 160GB one, and you need service, they can't deny service merely because you replaced the drive. Nor can they legally make service conditional on putting back the old drive.

It is still a good idea to send a laptop for service with its original parts if that's possible. For one thing, it reduces the chances of a warranty dispute. (Because a warranty dispute sucks, even if you are legally right.) Also, there have been reports of technicians stealing parts. If the bill of sale says there was a 80GB drive in the computer when you bought it, the technician could be tempted to steal your 160GB drive and put an old 80GB in there. When you complain, the company will point to the bill of sale. It is moreover a good idea to wipe the drive off of all personal data because technicians have been known to search through drives for all kinds of things.

 

I'm the fellow that said Acer Canada will also service post-upgrade, as long as the original bits are back in.
Of course, not knowing where my original 1GB RAM module went is slightly irksome...
Sage advice overall, Lemur. +rep indeed.

 

So I got another mail from AcerCare Sg..

So, no answer regarding where the internal sticker is, plus the rep is saying they don't recommend or encourage upgrading the CPU etc (sorry forgot to indicate that a CPU upgrade is what I was concerned about lol) but he/she never really said anything about it voiding warranty. Maan, sometimes they'd really go at great lengths just to mislead, huh.

Well right now regardless of the case I might just first send in the notebook for repair (got a busted LCD, right now using external LCD monitor) and then try to do the upgrade when the processor arrives. Although the CSR did clarify that removing/damaging the VOID sticker in the memory/harddrive lids won't void warranty (which was one of my earlier concerns) it really just sorta made it much more unclear to me. Nobody here's from Singapore and upgraded and then sent in their notebook for repair?

(Looks at Lemur's avatar, remembers song "I like it movin' movin'!" lol)

 

I'm a newcomer to computers so please forgive the n00b question but would upgrading the CPU cause the computer to run hotter ?
If yes then the following is understandable:

I guess for local means Singapore and South East Asia in general.
The average daytime temperature in Singapore is 30 Celsius with 75% humidity, other areas of South East Asia would be similar.
Overheating is a big problem and an almost necessary Note/Netbook accessory is a cooling fan (the type that sits under the Note/Netbook)
I am in Malaysia at the moment and can tell you it is hot, hot, hot. The air that my Netbook cooling fan is circulating is hot.

I don't think anyone is trying to mislead you.
It seems to me that upgrading the CPU does not void warranty but they don't recommend or encourage it because they feel it could cause problems that they would have to deal with

They are just being polite and friendly, as in:
Thanks for the mail.
Thank you
Best regards


All the best, woz of oz

 

Hi pal. I am from Malaysia as well. Which part are you staying now?

As for the upgrading of CPU or GPU or whatever hardware, of course, it is not encouraging. Yet, it won't void the warranty(perhaps Malaysia's Acer is different, who know?).
Malaysia temperature is high without a signle doubt. But 30C is way too high to mention for indoor. Outside the house(outdoor), it might be 30-35C but in the house(indoor) even without air conditional, it is only 25-28C.

I don't use any cooler currently. I plan to buy 1 in the coming PC fair. I can push my GPU overclock further with a cooler + my undervolted CPU.

 

EDITED: Oops, didn't see the post above.

Anyway, you just came a few hours ahead of another of Acercare Singapore's definitive reply.

So this means: WOOOHOOO! Lol. So Acer Singapore has the same policy as Acer Canada (and perhaps every other Acer? hope so ) about upgrading. Yeaaaah!

Thanks for all the help guys. (celebrates lol)

 

Depends, if your new CPU has a higher TDP. But undervolting usually compensates for it.

Yeah, I know. Just kicking some dirt around trying to joke. I know, it's not effective, haha lol