'Epson Cover Plus' to provide additional margins

Epson India, has introduced "Epson Cover Plus", a new scheme for their channel partners in India. Epson Cover Plus provides users with an option to extend the warranty period, in addition to the one year warranty, which is given to Epson products at the time of purchase.

Warranty period for dot matrix and inkjet printers could be extended to one or two years with an additional payment of Rs 700 (for one year) and Rs 1,260 (for two years). Similarly the warranty period for laser printers could be extended with an additional payment of Rs. 1,330 (for one year) and Rs. 2,394 (for two years), and Rs 690 and Rs 1,242 respectively for scanners.

Epson Cover Plus forms are given with every purchase of Epson products, which ranges from dot matrix printers, Stylus inkjet printers, laser printers and scanners. During the warranty period, Epson, through its authorized service outlets, shall repair the malfunctioning unit by repairing/replacing the defective spare parts or module free of cost.

Replacement excludes consumables such as ink, toner cartridges and ribbons, photo conductor/drum cartridge of laser products, plastic and rubber components, print heads of dot matrix printers.

Epson plans to introduce this scheme in other parts of the country by the year-end. Through this scheme the channels are expecting the margins to go up to 10 percent.

Currently, the scheme is available in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Baroda, Calcutta, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune and Thiruvananthapuram. For this, online helpdesk has been made available in Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi and Calcutta.

A universal number, which can be accessed throughout the country, will be made available soon.

"The online helpdesk is backed with the IVR operation (Interactive Voice Response system) which facilitates a 24 hour contact point, instant information relay either through fax or by voice and Automated Tele Audit," says Arun Gupta, General Manager — Sales & Marketing, Epson India.