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guarantee and warranty

English translation: The above definitions are well and good; however, in practice, ...

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15:31 Dec 29, 2002

English to English translations [PRO]
Law/Patents

English term or phrase: guarantee and warranty

What are the main difference between guarantee and warranty?

R. Chopra

English translation:The above definitions are well and good; however, in practice, ...

Explanation:
there are differences in expectations between a product guarantee and a product warranty. Frequently a guarantee implies that you get your money back if a product is defective, whereas a warranty may just agree to repair the defect.

A Limited Warranty (more and more common nowadays) puts certain conditions and limitations on the parts covered, type of damage covered, and/or time period for which the agreement is good. I don't think I have ever heard of a limitied guarantee.

In some sense I think warranty has become a weasel word for guarantee. You expect less, and you get less.

Selected response from:

Refugio
Local time: 11:48

Grading comment

Thanks
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +4

The above definitions are well and good; however, in practice, ...

Refugio

4 +3

Warranty more US EN usage, Guarantee more UK EN plus

Hermeneutica

5 +2

By way of additional information to JCEC's answer

Paul Stevens

4 +3

Definitions

JCEC

There isn't one ...

David Knowles

3 +1

You can't use warranty as a verb.

Alaa Zeineldine

Answers

10 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

Definitions

Explanation:
guarantee

1. Something that assures a particular outcome or condition: Lack of interest is a guarantee of failure.

2.

- A promise or an assurance, especially one given in writing, that attests to the quality or durability of a product or service.

- A pledge that something will be performed in a specified manner.

3.

- A guaranty by which one person assumes responsibility for paying another's debts or fulfilling another's responsibilities.

- A guaranty for the execution, completion, or existence of something.

4. A guarantor.

warranty

1. Official authorization, sanction, or warrant.

2. Justification or valid grounds for an act or a course of action.

3. Law

- An assurance by the seller of property that the goods or property are as represented or will be as promised.

- The insured's guarantee that the facts are as stated in reference to an insurance risk or that specified conditions will be fulfilled to keep the contract effective.

- A covenant by which the seller of land binds himself or herself and his or her heirs to defend the security of the estate conveyed.

- A judicial writ; a warrant.

4. A guarantee given to the purchaser by a company stating that a product is reliable and free from known defects and that the seller will, without charge, repair or replace defective parts within a given time limit and under certain conditions.

www.yourdictionary.com

JCEC
Local time: 14:48
Native speaker of:

French
PRO pts in pair: 59

21 mins confidence:

There isn't one ...

Explanation:
... at least as far as consumer goods and products are concerned.

Both set out what the seller or manufacturer promises to do if the goods are not of the required standard or fail in use.

David Knowles
Local time: 19:48
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in pair: 596

27 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

The above definitions are well and good; however, in practice, ...

Refugio
Local time: 11:48
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in pair: 485

Grading comment

Thanks

46 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

By way of additional information to JCEC's answer

Explanation:
I would add that, in an insurance context, a "warranty" is a strict condition that must be complied with.

Ref: 20+ years' insurance broking experience.

Paul Stevens
Local time: 19:48
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in pair: 4

1 hr confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

Warranty more US EN usage, Guarantee more UK EN plus

Explanation:
In addition to the other good pointers given in previous answers ... I remember I basically had to learn to say "warranty" instead of "guarantee" for appliances etc. when I went to live in the US.

Within the US, you give a guarantee, that is you promise for sure something will happen, and a warranty is more the scope of what is guaranteed. You could, for the purposes of this discussion, say, "we guarantee that the warranty conditions will be complied with".

Although I feel really certain of this, I am marking myself one down from "I am sure" because it is such a fine line.

HTH

Dee

Hermeneutica
Local time: 20:48
Native speaker of:

Spanish,

English
PRO pts in pair: 4

15 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

You can't use warranty as a verb.

Explanation:
Just pointing out what Dee has implied in her example combining the two words.

Alaa Zeineldine
Egypt
Local time: 21:48
Native speaker of:

Arabic,

English
PRO pts in pair: 198

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guarantee and warranty

English translation: The above definitions are well and good; however, in practice, ...

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English translation: The above definitions are well and good; however, in practice, ...

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KudoZ™ translation helpThe KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

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