Yahoo Autos Read the manual before buying a major product
A New York woman was left dumbfounded when she discovered that the storm door she had purchased was so difficult to put together that she'd have to pay a professional $200 to do it for her. And a Consumer Reports staff member was disappointed after buying a $100 electronic activity tracker only to find out that it transmits data to the iPhone, not to the Android phone he owns.
You can avoid these kinds of post-purchase regrets by reading the product manual or instructions before buying that new car, appliance, computer, or other expensive or technologically complex item. Such documentation increasingly is available for download from manufacturer websites (typically in pdf format). Since you'll need to read it anyway after the purchase, why not do so before buying and possibly avoid some disappointing surprise and the feeling that you wasted your money?
What you find could make the difference between whether you buy a product, choose another model or make, or forgo the purchase. It can also be a sobering counter to the advertising hype or sales pitch that took your attention away from all the not-so-stellar details you'll wish you had known about before you handed over your credit card and lugged that monstrosity home.
Just thumbing through the manual or instructions can remind you of all those things you meant to ask about before you got googly-eyed over the prospect of owning that latest, greatest new gadget. Or it may make you think of questions to ask.
A specifications page in the manual can help you determine whether that refrigerator is too big for the space you have for it or whether that home theater receiver can work with a record turntable without your having to buy additional equipment.
Reading the manual or instructions also can help you plan your purchase. Do you need to buy special cables for that new TV? Did you remember to hire a plumber to install a water line for the ice maker that comes with your new fridge? Will you have to purchase a separate, external drive if you want to read or burn CDs or DVDs with that new laptop?
Of course, reading the manual or instructions isn't the only way you can find out what extras you'll need, and it's just part of the research you should do when considering a major purchase. You also should read the product description and any list of frequently asked questions, as well as look for user and professional reviews, such as those in Consumer Reports. But reviewing the documentation could be the piece that makes the difference.
What to do
Here are some of the things you should look for when going through the manual or instructions.
Warranty and technical support. Often the manual is where you’ll find the written warranty. Find out exactly what it covers, what it excludes, and how long it lasts. What do you have to do to file a claim? Who pays if you have to return the product to the manufacturer, and who covers the cost of shipping it back? Does the manual include a list of service centers that you can call or take the product to for repairs? If so, is there one near you? How do you go about getting technical support? Is there a toll-free phone number? Is the warranty transferable to subsequent owners?
