Question about sending any imported console for warranty

[mizuiroRSG]

Hi. I have some question that I'd like to ask.
I wonder if I could send any Japanese console to the company who made it for warranty in the United States, I don't know if they'd send me a US version of the console.
Even if I'd not have to add some additional details about saying it's a Japanese console or handheld, I'm not sure if it's gonna work.
I'd like to give me some piece of advice for that. Thank you.

[xbl0x180]

Read the warranty and see which countries are covered. I think my 360 from Hong Kong is only covered in certain Asian countries.

[mizuiroRSG]

I believe the USA consoles are covered only in US and Canada. I have a Japanese PSP which I bought from Target years ago, not the US one. I don't think it's covered in US. Not sure if I could send it to Sony without giving more details about it. If I do, maybe they'd send me a US one as a replacement? Need any help?

[dcharlie]

really depends on the machine and the company

MS -are- taking Japanese machines in the US (friends have returned there and have had replacements) and they -are- taking US Machines in Japan (had mine fixed)

depends what needs to be fixed i guess - the X360s above returned as the region they were sent as.

[mizuiroRSG]

What about Sony?

[honorless]

If it's the PSP that needs replacement, you shouldn't need to worry about whether you get a US or JP system back. All PSP games except Battlezone are region free, so unless you desperately need 1seg, the JP comic book reader and/or the ability to watch JP UMD movies...it won't matter what region PSP you get back.

Got no idea whether Sony will honor the warranty, though. Sorry.

[Jockel]

It's a good idea to slip a note in saying that you'd love to get that particular console or another one of the same region back.

[njiska]

really depends on the machine and the company

MS -are- taking Japanese machines in the US (friends have returned there and have had replacements) and they -are- taking US Machines in Japan (had mine fixed)

depends what needs to be fixed i guess - the X360s above returned as the region they were sent as.

Microsoft will do warranty repair on out of region consoles without any issue. I had a long talk with an MS rep about this when I was afraid my JP 360 was having issues and he explained that the original purchasing region and the region you're submitting the repair from do not matter.. The case created with MS even states it's an Out-of-Region Warranty repair so it doesn't get replaced with another regions model.

[xbl0x180]

Wow. Sweet. Actually, I looked at the box for my 360 and it says it's a Korean console... it's got hangul writing all over it!

[mizuiroRSG]

Apologies for the bump. My J-PSP has its dpad loose, even after playing fighting games for a long time, and a screen with a few dead pixels. Even if I buy an imported console, then it'll be covered with warranty in the US. Maybe mine was out of warranty, perhaps?

Maybe I could contact Sony about what was going on with it. Hell, Target does sell cheap and strange stuff.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

True story about having to buy a U.S. region PSP back in April/May 2000 four times due to defective LCD screens with a few dead pixels not working. Bought the first and second PSPs (with the dead pixels issue) from Target and got my money back with no questions asked nor any hassle. Bought the third PSP from Wal-mart and it was a fucking fun filled day trying to deal with the customer returns staff. They told me that the inside serial number located behind the PSP's battery door had to match exactly with the outer serial number on the PSP outer box or else, they wouldn't issue me a refund. It took a bit of time to find both numbers and make sure that they matched -- four different customer return staff members checked to make sure that it was so. I personally asked what the big deal about returning a PSP was and was told how they do handle such defective PSPs by doing a certain procedure, hence the end-result of longer waiting in line for other customers wanting to return items. So after having to deal with that issue, I went down to another local Target store and bought a fourth PSP. Took it the customer service desk and had the staff open it up/confirm to make sure that it was free from the dead pixel syndrome -- it was 100% working, paid for it right on the spot and went home satisfied.

So I learned my lesson the hard way not to buy a such PSP from Wal-Mart ever again (even if their defective brand new).

I'm not sure what SCEA's policy would be towards fixing a JPN region PSP (even if the original JPN PSP's warranty expired years ago). I do know that you can buy an extended warranty for your new PSP-3000, PSP Go and the latest PS3 console models through the PSN site if you want to. Might make better sense to get/buy an extended warranty honored through the store chain that sells them just in case.

In the Golden State of California, there is what's known as the "California Lemon Law", which states that if a customer has to return same said defective item three times under the original manufacturer's warranty grace period, it's free of charge upon picking it up the fourth time (it's highly unlikely that this type of situation will occur though but it's good info to know before-hand when it comes to purchasing consumer goods, especially with high-end consumer electronic goods). Of course, there's always bound to be some lemons as with any 1st-gen consumer goods -- that's way it is.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~