Without warranty intervention – tech is trash

- Three-fourths of world’s technology users expect to discard tech devices within first five years

LEXINGTON, Ky.- A vast majority (78 percent) of people surveyed do not expect their technology devices to last more than five years; 60 percent of the 10,000 respondents across 21 countries believe the materials used to construct devices could be made of better quality, and their responses suggest that gadget failures ultimately lead people to abandon brands.


Trust in the quality and durability of technology devices (mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras, printers) is shockingly low according to a global survey conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Lexmark International, Inc. (NYSE: LXK).


However, all hope is not lost for technology manufacturers.


Eighty-three percent of respondents said they have more confidence in technology devices with longer warranties.


“The survey results support exactly what Lexmark has heard from our customers during the past several years. They tell us that by offering longer warranties, they feel more confident in the longevity and durability of the device, or printer, in our case,” said Tonya Jackson, director, sustainable technology and operations. “We’ve also found that a longer warranty motivates people to repair defective devices rather than throw them out – a clear benefit to the environment and a key reason why Lexmark took an industry-leading position, offering a 5-year warranty on most of our Professional Series inkjet AIOs, including our new Professional Series inkjet line to be released in the coming weeks.”


When specifically asked “which element is most likely to reassure you about the durability of the device,” nearly 40 percent worldwide said they would be most reassured by a long warranty.


Global technology users’ top-of-mind

* Warranties boost confidence in technology devices
Only 2 percent of people believe high price equals durability
Age division: nearly 30 percent of those 50 years and older expect their devices to last more than five years; 17 percent of those 15-34 believe as such
24 percent of people responded that they would change brands based on a device failure
Females have slightly higher device longevity expectations than males

Trash talk


Despite the fact that 67 percent of people worldwide feel guilty when they dispose of a device rather than seeking repair, nearly half (48 percent) admit they will trash an out-of-warranty device rather than having it repaired. North Americans, Australians and Western Europeans were the most inclined to throw away defective devices that are no longer under warranty, whereas people in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and South America are more likely to seek repair for the defective device.

To learn more about Lexmark’s industry-leading, 5-year warranty, click here.

ABOUT THE SURVEY


Lexmark’s “State of Printing” survey was conducted from March 12 to April 6, 2009, by Ipsos, and queried 10,507 individuals across 21 countries. There were at least 500 interviews per country, of national representative samples of the target, in each of the following countries:


Austria, Canada, Denmark, USA, France, Australia, Germany, Brazil, Italy, China, Netherlands, Mexico, Norway, Russia, Poland, South Africa, Romania, Turkey, Spain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), U.K.