Will Third-Party Optics Void Your Warranty?
As a long-established supplier of third-party optics, Worldwide Supply often hears the question: “Will third-party optics void the warranty on my OEM hardware?” The short answer is no. While OEM’s warranties do not cover third-party optics, the MagnusonMoss Warranty Act prohibits them from revoking warranty support on their equipment due to the use of third-party optics.
The Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act is a United States federal law that was enacted in 1975 and it governs warranties on consumer products. The law was created to fix problems as a result of manufacturers using disclaimers on warranties in an unfair or misleading
manner.
If I Am Using Third-Party Optics, Will I Be Refused Support?
“A tying arrangement occurs when, through a contractual or technological requirement, a seller conditions the sale or lease of one product or service on the customer’s agreement to take a second product or service.” The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 and the Clayton Act of 1914 both prohibit tying arrangements. How does this apply to third-party Optics?
See Cisco’s policy below:
“When a product fault or defect occurs in the network, and Cisco concludes that the fault or defect is not attributable to the use of third-party memory, cables, GBICs, filters, or other non-Cisco components installed by a customer or reseller, Cisco will continue to provide support for the affected product under warranty or covered by a Cisco support program.”
In the course of providing support for a Cisco networking product, Cisco may require that the end user install Cisco transceivers if Cisco determines that removing third-party parts will assist Cisco in diagnosing the cause of a support issue.
Bottom-line: Original Equipment Manufacturers cannot void the system’s manufacturing warranty and support if a customer used third-party components – transceivers.
Optical Transceiver (OT) Competitive Landscape
