Warranty Question

I got my Clip via ebay, brand new & unopened. But I was wondering… the warranty states: “This warranty is provided to the original end user purchasing from SanDisk or an authorized reseller, and is not transferable. Proof of purchase may be required.” Does this mean the warranty is void to me?

Message Edited by Sasafrass452 on 02-02-2008 05:36 PM

I think sandisk just ask you for a proof of purchase for new items purchased on ebay. Used products obviously have no warranty

That’s good to know… At least I’m covered if anything happens to my Clip. Thanx.

Beware. “Authorized Reseller” could mean you are “SOL” if you don’t buy from an AUTHORIZED bricks-n-mortar retail store.

This is quite common in today’s e-marketplace and I’ve found this to be absolutely true of many consumer electronics devices (read Canon’s warranty sometime, I guarantee you’ll never buy a digital camera on line).

This is ostensibly to protect the manufacturer from unscrupulous online vendors who could be selling refurbs, OOB returns, etc. as NIB, and undercutting MSRP by a few percentage points. The protection is built in to the cost differential and in  most cases, I won’t gamble on internet sales of NIB devices.

Keep in mind also that improperly storing devices with rechargeable batteries can negatively impact the battery life and capacity. Ditto for “NOS” / overstock of, for example, 1GB Clips that may be slow movers, given the availability of higher capacity devices in the product family. And you have no idea how these vendors are storing their inventory - perhaps a climate controlled warehouse, or possibly an unheated garage / damp basement in a flood plain…

Message Edited by Click on 02-04-2008 12:46 PM

SOL? NIB? NOS? OOB? Forgive me, but I have no clue what those are.

And BTW, I have a camera… a Canon… that I bought online from a very reputable place with excellent service.

Sorry about the abbreviations

SOL = S**t Out Of Luck… :smiley:
NIB = New In Box
NOS = New Old Stock (obsolete or otherwise not in great demand stuff laying around in a warehouse)
OOB = Out Of Box - customer returns, open box product, could be resealed (shrink wrap is not hard to re-apply)

I have no doubt that your Canon vendor is reputable, but have a look at the warranty just the same. Unless they have re-written it lately, it states that internet purchases are excluded.

Nice, hah?

Thanx for the explanation… My Clip came in a new/unopened box as I said in my original post. I had no choice but to cut the plastic in which the Clip was packaged, just to get it out. The round seals on the box were not cut, & it doesn’t say the unit was refurbished. Trust me, there’s no way it could’ve been repackaged by some “schmoe” living who knows where… So, the bottom line is I’m covered?

I don’t see anything in the warranty that indicates otherwise (aside from the statement under discussion)…register it on the SanDisk website as usual. I’m guessing they have a pretty good idea of what serial number blocks went to what suppliers…

I don’t see or hear much about issues here.  For example, if you received the Clip as a gift (and didn’t have a receipt, as a result) but needed warranty service within a year of the product’s introduction, you likely would not have any issue.

Keep in mind that the manufacturer’s warranty for the Clip is one year for parts and labor and is valid for the original end-user. The Clip was first sold in about late October or early November 2007. Thus, every single Clip in existence today is under one year old. So, unless it has been subject to abuse (such as being disassembled), misuse or accident, or has been resold as used on eBay, every single Clip in existence today is under warranty.

Message Edited by BigJohnL on 02-05-2008 08:06 AM

Ok, I registered my Clip. But where do I find the serial number, in case I need it? Good to know I’m still covered by the warranty…

The serial number is shown in the dialogue window when you right click the Clip connected to your computer and select ‘Properties’.

Ok, I’ll take a look. I use Linux, so it may not show the serial number in the properties. I’ll see…

no its not, its the alphanumberical numver under the clip, or on the botto of the player.

Thanx! I took a closer look, & with a magnifying glass I saw the number. It’s printed so small, I could barely see it!

The serial number on the bottom of your Clip is a strange cookie!

It’s a laser etched strip of characters along the device’s bottom…but all is not as it appears. 

The internal serial number is 32 digits long, and I’d guess the 16 trailing zeroes are not significant.  This is the serial number accessed via “properties” on the PC.

My big question remains as yet unanswered: the bottom of the device physical number.

Guess what!  It isn’t entirely unique.  I have four clips, and the two black 2GB ones have the same serial number!  Oh, the humanity!!  Run for the storm cellar!!  Has anyone seen the cat?

Well, the pink one and blue one have different ID numbers as well.  Looks like the 6 digits are unique to the color black on mine, and the last four letters change between the pink/blue as well.

I haven’t received a reply from SanDisk regarding properly registering these wee beasties; I registered the first two black ones with the identical external number.  Perhaps I’ll try another e-mail.

Bob (cross-eyed from reading wee numbers again) :smiley:

Perhaps that number (the etched, physical number) is the model number, with a unique number for each color/GB size?

A related question: How many years does the warranty last? Cause my certificate says 5 which is ridiculously high.


Warranties can go country-by-country.  Yours is 5 years–good show.  In the U.S., it’s 1 year.