Why it Pays to Fill Out that Little Warranty Registration Card on Anything You Buy

Product warranty, customer service rep, helpdesk agent, product registration, defective product return, original receipt, restocking fee ... these words are the stuff nightmares are made of, right? Keep reading!

My husband has very bad problems with his gums and has been through a myriad of torturous gum cleaning and scraping treatments, and even some bone replacement surgery due to his bad gums. After his last bone replacement surgery, his dentist recommended a Philips Sonicare toothbrush and said it would help him keep his gums in better shape. So I bought him a Philips Sonicare Elite toothbrush for his birthday about 6 months ago. There was a big "ouch" to the pocketbook to the tune of $170.00, but figured if the toothbrush saves money in dental visits and less pain for my husband by keeping his gums in good shape, then it's worth the cost.

My husband absolutely loves his Philips Sonicare Elite toothbrush and had a checkup at the dentist last month and the dentist said he could see improvement and to keep up the good work. So we're both really loving this toothbrush ... until a couple of weeks ago. Out of the blue, without any warning, the toothbrush just quits working. No warning signs of anything amiss, just one morning all that happens when hubby tries to power it on is a whining sound like gears trying to grind but nothing works. All of the indicator and power and charge lights are on, but the head of the toothbrush does not pivot or twirl or move at all.

Of course we no longer have the original box and have no idea where we put the warranty info or user manual or original receipt. But in the back of my mind I do remember sending in that little white warranty card to register the toothbrush. I normally don't bother to take the time to do that, but for some reason I did this time, and I'm certainly glad!

I go to the Philips website and go to the "contact us" section and see a "live chat" customer service button. So I click the live chat and start a session with Sean the chat agent. I explain the problem and go through some basic questions and answers, some basic troubleshooting (simple questions just to be sure I'm not a twit and haven't been charging the toothbrush or haven't been using a dead outlet or blown a GFI outlet). Sean assures me that every Sonicare is covered by a two-year warranty, and the typical lifespan of the product is considerably longer. He also assured me that since I had registered my toothbrush that the entire unit would be replaced. So within 15 minutes I have verified everything to the satisfaction of "Sean the chat agent" (my new BFF) and he gave me a confirmation number for our chat and said he would be sending me a prepaid UPS label to return the defective toothbrush. He gave me instructions on packing and labeling the old toothbrush and how to track the return of my defective product and how to track the new replacement toothbrush. It took about 2 weeks for the replacement unit to arrive. I couldn't believe the process went so seamlessly!

So I give the Philips company kudos for standing behind their product and warranty, and 2 thumbs up for the ease of use of their online chat assistance, and hubby is happy to have his Philips Sonicare Elite toothbrush back. I also urge everyone to start taking the time to fill out those pesky warranty / registration cards when you buy things. You never know when you'll get a defective product!