BenQ has announced changes to its support and the sale of interactive flat panels (IFP) following Steljes Ltd, its sole distributor, going in to administration on May 23, 2016 [1].
The onsite warranties and technical support on units sold to reseller partners before May 20, 2016 were sold and managed by Steljes Ltd. BenQ is unable to comment on the status of these warranties, however it can confirm that the default warranty supplied by BenQ UK Ltd to Steljes Ltd was a return to base warranty (RTB) and is now legally the remaining warranty. However with BenQ’s commitment to the UK education channel, the decision has been made to takeover and honour these onsite warranties sold by Steljes Ltd* before administration.
For product imported into the UK by BenQ after the May 20, 2016, BenQ will supply the warranty support directly, using its existing customer service centre and its UK onsite service partner for continued quality service.
Royce Lye, UK General Manager told us “The decision to do the right thing and support the schools who have committed to the BenQ brand was something that we, as a company, felt strongly about. This unfortunate situation highlights that when choosing a manufacturer and reviewing its warranties, it’s imperative that you pick a brand that will continuously support you both today and tomorrow.”
As Steljes Ltd was the exclusive partner for BenQ’s interactive flat panels, there will be further announcements regarding the supply channel. Royce Lye told us “We enjoyed a successful 10 year partnership with Steljes Ltd with strong IFP sales. The news of its administration came as a surprise, but we will endeavour to work closely with our loyal reseller partners and support them as much as possible.”
Reseller partners can contact their BenQ account manager directly or the BenQ UK offices for updates and sales support.
*Only including BenQ IFP sold to resellers before the May 20, 2016 and the warranty will need to be validated online before September 30 2016 here [2].