Manufacturers' warranties expire or can lack the required technical support coverage needed. In the context of badging products, the PVC badge printer, laminator, and ID management software, are the three primary products needing extended coverage.
Types of Extended Support Agreements
Both PVC printers and ID management software manufacturers may offer ESA coverage. Most require annual renewals and can only be extended to a maximum defined-year coverage.
eXpress badging offers ESA and EEPP coverage to bridge the gap of technical support while under manufacturer warranty or extended warranty coverage. An eXpress badging™ ESA or EEPP is ideal for extending beyond the manufacturer's warranty terms, ensuring our customers benefit by receiving the most out of their investment even after warranty expiry.
Manufacturer ESA
Support Coverage for PVC Badge Printers & Laminators
A printer manufacturer may offer additional services extending the parts and labor outside the standard warranty terms and a loaner/replacement warranty. They vary by manufacture.
Here are some general findings:
- eXpress badging™ manages all Mfr ESAs for all customers under coverage
- Most require the ESA to be procured at the time of product purchase
- Most include parts and labor coverage, with limited print head coverage
- Most extend the loaner/replacement printer coverage
- Up to Two years for HID/Fargo
- Up to five years for IDP
- No extension for Swift Pro
- No PVC printer manufacturer's ESA has a service level agreement SLA addressing a guaranteed length of time regarding printer downtime; it is up to the customer to manage this liability with their supporting authorized dealer.
- A loaner or replacement printer can take upwards of a week or more to arrive
- A warranty printer repair can take from one to three weeks to be returned
- eXpress badging offers an Enterprise Express Printer Program (EEPP) to address extended turnaround time issues, or the customer can have eXpress badging print and issue badges during downtime under a contracted engagement.
- Extended Warranty shipment terms vary from the customer covering all shipping costs to shared shipping, where the customer covers shipping to the manufacturer, and the manufacturer covers return shipping.
Support Coverage for ID Management Software
Outside the standard warranty terms, a desktop software manufacturer may offer additional services that extend same-version upgrades and direct technical support. They vary by manufacturer.
Here are some general findings:
- eXpress badging manages all Mfr ESAs for all customers under coverage
- The ESA must be purchased with the software and can not lapse in coverage
- New Version upgrades are not included, some offer discounts
- Most do not include more than basic training for new staff, if at all.
- ESAs are sold by the number of active licenses in use
eXpress badging ESA
An ESA from eXpress badging allows you to reap benefits from our factory-trained staff and acquired knowledge base developed from supporting numerous badge production systems since 1993. You can depend on eXpress badging to increase your products’ life cycle through proper training and maintenance practices. Our coverage will also reduce system downtimes when troubleshooting and repairs are required, and we resolve most support calls immediately without the need to call more than once.
ESA Includes:
- An active Veonics Portal license includes our ESA
- 12 months of eXpress badging™ remote PC technical support
- Priority support response within four business hours
- Phone and email-based technical support
- We provide remote PC basic training for new users
- Remote PC assistance for badge template creation and edits
- Remote PC assistance for moving the badging system to new computer hardware
- Troubleshooting, resolution, and warranty management for needed repairs
- Discounts on upgrades and off-warranty repairs
eXpress badging Enterprise Express Printer Program (EEPP)
EEPP is an advanced replacement printer program for enterprises with multiple printers and requires minimal printer downtime when under manufacturer warranty and after the warranty expires. A pool of printers is purchased by the customer and managed at/by eXpress badging for each participating location. Even though many PVC printer manufacturers’ warranty includes a loaner/replacement, their expediting timeframe to confirm and ship can take a week or longer for the unit to arrive. This EEPP does not eliminate the chance that a replacement EEPP printer fails; it is designed as the most cost-effective method of reducing downtime.
- Billed Per Participating Locations
- EEPP printers are shipped after adequate troubleshooting time did not solve the issue
- EEPP printers are shipped the same business day (before 2:00p EST)
- A printer, or pool of matching printers, is maintained at eXpress badging for management. (PRINTERS NOT INCLUDED/SEE BELOW)
- The EEPP printers will be used on a first-come, first-served basis by each location to decrease downtime when their printer is being repaired.
- The EEPP printer is shipped on a shipper account (UPS/FedEx) number provided by the customer.
- The location uses the box the EEPP came in to ship the printer needing repair. If the printer box is discarded or lost, a fee of $150 will be invoiced.
- Once the original printer is repaired, it is placed back in the EEPP pool of printers.
- Printers needing replacement (out of Mfr warranty) will be sold a printer upon PO receipt and then swapped with the EEPP printer. EEPP replacement printers quality fo 10% discount, and which does not apply to new additional printers.
- Any location requiring their original printer to be returned, both shipments of the swap will be charged using the customer's shipping billing account per stated/approved shipping terms.