Toshiba has become the first producer of mobile computers to provide an unconditional warranty on all its products across the entire Middle East region, according to a company press release. The warranty is effective for 36 months from date of purchase and covers every component in the system against failure or malfunction. The only exclusion is damage attributable to fair wear and tear or caused by misuse.
“Until now, manufacturers’ warranties in our region have tended to be irregular and inconsistent,” says Ahmed Khalil, Middle East sales and marketing manager of Toshiba’s Dubai-based computer systems division. “Some companies would offer a warranty in one country but not in another. Others would vary the terms of the warranty from country to country and from product to product.
“Clearly, that does little to promote consumer peace of mind when buying computers, and that’s what prompted us to introduce our new blanket-coverage warranty for our entire range of mobile computers and accessories.
“We are so confident enough in the performance and durability of our products that we can take the lead in giving our customers a warranty to that effect. Customers can thus share our confidence, knowing that we would not provide such a warranty unless we were pretty sure that our products can and do live up to their promise.
“As a result we have out-distanced other manufacturers who have been unwilling or unable to make the same commitment to unconditional warranties. It’s now up to them to show if their products can justify matching the confidence that we place in ours.”
Toshiba made the world’s first notebook computer back in 1985 and has led this sector ever since, holding the biggest market share internationally. In less than two years since aggressively strengthening its Middle East presence, Toshiba has boosted sales by 180 percent, more than six times the industry growth rate in the region.
The Middle East is switching to mobile computers at a faster rate than Europe, a trend fuelling the phenomenal regional growth and giving Toshiba a regional market share of 25 percent, compared to 14.4 percent in Europe where the company is undisputed market leader.
In value terms, Toshiba is already the Middle East leader but the target is to take top spot for volume as well, the company pres release stressed. “Our new warranty policy will certainly help achieve that objective,” says Khalil.
All Toshiba computer products selling in the Middle East—whether notebooks, PDAs or accessories—are 100 percent manufactured at the company’s European headquarters in Germany. Toshiba Middle East was placed under German control in April 2001, thus shortening the supply chain. Distribution partnerships now operate in nine Middle East countries. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
