Stock & Noble
- BY Tripti Kakkar
A warranty is a form of guarantee offered by the manufacturer or another party regarding the condition of a product. The warranty also covers the terms and conditions of repairs and exchanges in the event a product does not function as described or expected.
The problem is different manufacturers offer different kinds of warranties on different fencing products. For example, Limited warranty, Lifetime warranty, manufacturer’s warranty, transferable warranty and so on.
How to judge which warranty and what conditions protect your interest? What do different terms mean? Whether the entire product is covered or only a part of the fencing is included in the contract?
At Stock & Noble, we provide high-end property owners across Australia and New Zealand with the finest fencing solutions. While sourcing globally recognised and successful products for our portfolio, we ensure the warranty is of the highest standards and offers great coverage for our clients. In this article, we want to share learnings based on our years of experience and expertise in analysing and approving hordes of warranty documents.
You will learn about different types of warranties offered by fencing manufacturers through real samples. You will also gain an in-depth understanding of the terms frequently used in describing the conditions. Most importantly you will feel confident in reading and analysing a warranty document to decide whether the specific horse fencing is right for you and your property.
Different types of horse fencing warranties
While different manufacturers offer different kinds of warranties, below are some of the most common ones offered on horse fencing.
Transferable Warranty
In a transferable warranty, the manufacturer allows the warranty to be transferred should the property be sold. There are differences in these conditions from manufacturer to manufacturer, which should be examined and understood. There are only very few manufacturers that offer it.
Limited Warranty
The term ‘limited warranty’ refers to a warranty that covers just specified parts, specified types of defects, or other conditions. In buying such a product, it is important to fully understand the meaning of “limited” since it can mean almost anything the retailer decides. The warranty often only covers the parts and not the labour required to complete the repair.
The Horserail product range, for instance, offers a 30-year limited warranty on some products. You will find in the fine print that the manufacturer’s warranty is on non-electric, and for defects resulting from manufacturing.
Paint products are subject to the same situation. Paint manufacturers claim they have a 10-year guarantee against fading and cracking; however, you have to recoat and clean the surface regularly and if you can’t prove this warranty doesn’t apply.
Long and short of it is that if someone is willing to put a warranty on the product and for a certain time frame they believe in the product.
Lifetime Warranty
Lifetime typically does not mean a person’s lifetime or the length of time they own a product. Instead, it usually refers to the expected life of a product. In testing, manufacturers may determine how long something will last and then give it a true lifetime age. That would mean people getting a lifetime warranty should ask what the life of the product is, as defined by the manufacturer or business offering the warranty.
For example, Legacy Rail Bold claims, Lifetime warranty which is equal to 65 years.
Lifetime Limited Manufacturer’s Warranty
In a limited lifetime warranty, a manufacturer is contractually obligated to replace parts of a product that break or are defective. Despite this, the manufacturer is not legally required to replace parts not covered by the warranty or if they are broken or misused.
The warranty typically excludes damage caused by incorrect installation, abuse, misuse, natural disasters, abnormal mechanical or environmental conditions, repair, or modification.
Important points to note about horse fencing warranty
No horse fencing manufacturer offers a “Full warranty”.
Most warranties are valid for a replacement or repair only on manufacturing defects.
You must read the fine print and conditions thoroughly before buying the product
Keep your warranty documents always in a safe place, away from the possibility of damage.
- Warranty only includes the material, not the labour cost to re-install or repair.
Comparing different warranties of horse fences.
To help better understand different types of warranties and their meaning, let’s take the example of Flexible plastic rails or more commonly referred to as Horserail. Here are the different warranties different manufacturers offer on this horse fencing option.
We have shared real samples of warranties as offered by the manufacturers on their website and discussed the key takeaways.
Warranty on Legacy Rail Bold
Type of warranty: Lifetime Limited Manufacturer’s Warranty
Warranty: Legacy Rail Bold has a Lifetime Ltd. Mfg. Warranty against any cracking, peeling, chipping, discolouration, manufacturer’s defect, or UV weathering. It does not cover abuse or misuse. With Legacy Rail Bold, the warranty is transferable from the first owner to the next.
It is strongly recommended that an electric rail be run on the inside of Legacy Rail Bold to keep horses from testing and/or abusing the fence. It also discourages the horses from getting close to the diagonal brace post area which can decrease any possibility of entanglement with it.
To know all the terms and conditions of Legacy Rail Warranty, connect with our fencing expert.
Warranty on Stallion Rail
Type of Warranty: Limited Manufacturer’s Warranty
Duncan Equine warrants that its Products will be free from manufacturing defects for 30 years from the date of their purchase.
Subject to any obligations under applicable laws which cannot be excluded, modified or restricted, Duncan Equine’s liability to You shall be limited (at Duncan Equine’s election) to:
- Replacing the defective Product (to the extent that it is affected by the defect);
- Provide equivalent material in a quantity to replace the defective Product (to the extent that it is affected by the defect); or
- The cost of repairing the defective Product.
This liability does not include or extend to any labour costs associated with the removal or repair of the defective Product or its replacement. Nor does it cover any injury to persons or animals, damage to property, loss of income, profit or business or any other loss (direct or indirect) associated with or caused by the defective Product.
For all the terms and conditions check out Stallion Rail Warranty.
Warranty on the Original Horserail
Type of Warranty: Limited Warranty
For thirty years, commencing on the day that you received the purchased Fence, JWI will deliver a new plastic fence rail adequate to replace any defective fence rail for the replacement price described below if any fence rail purchased by you contains any defect which is a direct result of the material or the workmanship used in individuals in compliance with specifications and requirements provided by JWI.
For purposes of this Warranty, the term Replacement Price will mean the price of the Fence Rail necessary to replace the defective Fence Rail at the time that the replacement Fence Rail is ordered, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of years that have expired since the date the Fence Rail was purchased including the year of replacement, and the denominator of which is Thirty (30). You must pay all costs necessary to remove the original Fence Rail and install the new Fence Rail.
The Limited Warranty only applies to defects in material and manufacturing workmanship.
For all the terms and conditions, check out the complete Horserail warranty.
5 Key takeaways from the 3 different warranties on Flexible Rails.
Legacy Rail Bold offers a Limited Lifetime Warranty while Stallion Rail and Horserail offer only Limited warranties.
Legacy Rail Bold offers a transferable warranty as well.
No rails have included the cost of labour to remove or reinstall.
All 3 rails have multiple terms and conditions for the warranty to be valid.
Across all 3 options, the only real claim that can be made is against a manufacturing defect.
If you want to choose a horse fencing option based solely on warranty, then Legacy Rail Bold definitely offers more years and is one-time transferable as well.
Does your horse fencing have the warranty you need?
A warranty gives you a solid foundation to compare different horse fencing options and the confidence to choose one product over another. While the conditions set out by different manufacturers may vary, they show how much the manufacturers believe in their fencing solutions.
Now you know the most common terminology that’s used in the world of horse fencing warranties. So, there is no need to be overwhelmed or feel intimidated anymore by the legal tone but confidently scan through the main points of what’s covered and for how long. You must also check out the terms and conditions extremely carefully to know what’s not included in the warranty.
Also remember, the warranty is valid only with your proof of purchase so keep all the documents safely and well protected. We would advise you to consider a warranty that’s easy to comprehend, with straightforward conditions and a good time frame of at least over 10 years.
While you are on a journey to compare different warranties and choose the horse fencing that’s right for you, there are other things you must know before you say yes to a fencing option.
What can also prove helpful in bringing some clarity to your vision is answering a few curated questions.
If you have any more questions about the warranty, and terms of the contract or need help in understanding the detailed documents and the key points, feel free to book a personalised consultation. One of our fencing experts will help clear all your doubts and give you the information needed to, create a beautiful equine property.
