Back in December of 2008 we first heard from HP that they had plans to introduce an Out of Warranty service option that would provide a way for MediaSmart Server customers to get factory service for failed or damaged Servers even after the warranty period had expired. There hasn’t been any further updates on when this service might be available, but we’ve now discovered that there have recently been a couple of new Warranty service options quietly made available from HP that should be of interest to owners of the MediaSmart Server.
Forum member “jandsbob” first alerted us that HP was now selling extended warranties for the EX485 and EX487 servers, and shortly afterwards forum member “element” provided the link to the same warranty for the LX195. After clicking the above links, be sure to click “Accessories” to view the Extended Warranty details.
HP MediaSmart Server Extended Warranty Options
Around the same time that we saw the Extended Warranty show up on the HP site, forum member “element” provided some info on the new Out of Warranty (OOW) Service option that appears to be a quite new offering from HP. According to “element”, the details on the OOW Service option include:
HP now offers OOW repairs.
It costs 65$ for them to send you a box with shipping label.
When they contact you with a quote, 30$ of that 65 goes to the cost if you accept to get your unit repaired.
If you think the quote is too costly, you’ll get your server back in a few days under the initial 65$.
Long-time forum member “TxDot” called HP Support to inquire about the OOW Service, and received this info:
I called HP to inquire a little more about the OOW program. I mentioned my situation (diode knocked off MOBO (purchased used like that)) and they indicated that it might be repaired or it might be replaced. That makes me think that for the folks who have damaged the Sata back plane can send in their unit and get it fixed/replaced.
We’ve received no official word from HP on either of these Warranty options, but I do have a request into HP asking if they have any official details on the OOW service beyond what we’re hearing from the Support team and I’ll update this post with more details if I hear anything back.
While the MediaSmart Server has generally been quite reliable, it is nice to see HP continuing to support customers by making a repair service available for those few hardware failures we’ve seen in the community. If you end up using the OOW repair service, let us know how your experience goes.
Article by Alex Kuretz
I'm Alex Kuretz, and I'm the founder of MediaSmartServer.net. I was the Lead Test and Integration Engineer at HP for the MediaSmart Server until April 2008 when I moved on to other opportunities outside HP. I've kept active in the Windows Home Server community, creating several add-ins and helping users make the most of their Home Servers.
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since it might be a while before you get any information, can you repont and not just update this post please
If I get any info that seems worthy, then certainly it will go in a new post.
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