Product Warranties

PLEASE NOTE:

We will not address a shipping damage/ defect claim or service/ warranty support issue, without a support ticket being generated. Please see the "Procedure" section of our Exchange & Return page. NO EXCHANGES OR RETURNS WILL BE ACCEPTED WITHOUT A VALID ATHORIZATION NUMBER. Many manufacturers or distributors require a written record of the warranty request with details and photos of the issue. Using this contact method will help us to help you, faster. Please provide as many details about the issue as possible. Details should include what happened prior to the issue occurring, and what the current concerns/ problems are. Generic descriptions such as "my machine is broken" are difficult to interpret and will result in unnecessary time delays if we have to contact you for further details, in order to proceed. Therefore, please be as specific as possible.
We will not accept returns, shipments relating to warranty, or exchanges that do not have original packaging (Please also refer to our Exchange & Return Policy). A machine or grinder that is shipped without original packaging is almost certainly going to be destroyed during transportation. It is also a good idea to keep packaging in case of warranty issues or maintenance/ repairs in the future. The original packaging is specifically engineered to reduce the possibility of shipping damage.

IMPORTANT:

Commercial use of items intended for home use will void the warranty with NO exceptions.
Use of hard or distilled water:
ALWAYS use soft water. Do not use tap water, hard water, distilled water or reverse osmosis water. Using anything but soft water will damage the machine and will void the warranty with NO exceptions.
Lack of machine maintenance:
Please follow all maintenance instructions carefully. Backflush your machine after every ten (10) espressos with water and backflush after every forty (40) espressos, with detergent. Failing to do so can cause catastrophic damage to the machine. Signs of failure to follow these guidelines will void the warranty with NO exceptions.

Special Cautions

Before shipment almost all espresso machines and grinders are removed from packaging and tested. This is done to ensure that they arrived without damage from overseas shipment and to add to or modify packaging for shipment. Many machines are also bench tested. Grinders may have some residue from testing upon arrival. Signs of opened packaging or grinds does not mean the product was returned or used by another customer.
Movement during shipping:
No matter how well products are packaged, they sometimes get jostled around during shipment, causing components within the machine, such as electrical connectors to move around. In most cases, the solution is easy to fix with tech support, and is not considered a defect.

Troubleshooting - Most Common Causes of Problems

Incorrect initial set-up:
Follow “first time use” instructions carefully, especially around purging air from the system and filling the machine with water. Incorrect set-up can damage the machine or cause inconvenient issues, (e.g. causing overheating protection devices to reset the machine). When a machine resets it is not considered a “defect,” as it is a built-in safety feature designed to protect the product from damage.
Incorrect grinder settings and tamping technique:
Watch this video on proper tamping technique and grind size adjustment. Many perceived machine defects are solved with learning proper technique. Espresso making is an art that has to be learned and takes practice.
Incorrect milk frothing techniques:
Watch this video on proper milk frothing It takes practice to perfect your technique.

Warranty Conditions

Please see individual product pages for applicable warranty details/ coverage for each specific product or contact us. In general, warranty is one (1) year, unless otherwise noted. Warranty is provided through the manufacturer, dealer or distributor, depending on the brand. Warranty for machines covers parts and labor limited to manufacturer's defects, unless otherwise noted.

Warranty Terms

The following exclusions to limited warranty are applicable to products, as noted and include (but are not limited to):

Expendable items and items whose damage occurs as a result of failure to follow instructions that come with the product;
Problems related to water damage, poor water quality, and scaling;
Products for which the applicable serial number has been removed or altered;
Any product that has been damaged or rendered defective as a result of accident, abuse, misuse, lack of reasonable and necessary maintenance/ cleaning, neglect, faulty installation, mishandling, damage during shipment for warranty repairs, line power surge or any external causes;
Operation of product outside the parameters stated in the user documentation that shipped with product;
Usage of parts not manufactured by original manufacturer;
Modification or service by anyone other than our authorized distributor or an authorized warranty provider;
Any acts of God, such as, but not limited to, lightening, flood, or fire;
The cost of installations or routine maintenance items, such as gaskets, o-rings, grinding burrs, and other normal wear and tear items;
Usage of product intended for home use within a commercial environment/ setting/ purpose;
Warranty period is not transferable;
Shipping costs to ship product back to authorized warranty center;
On-site labor, or labor at any location not previously authorized, and/ or expedited shipping cost of parts to customer for self-repair;
Products shipped or brought outside the United States of America;
Cosmetic defects;
During first startup, machine reset switches sometimes reset before water is added to the machine to prevent damage to the heating element. This is not considered a defect as the reset is performing as intended – to protect the heating element. For this reason it is important to follow manual guidelines for filling or connecting the machine to water.

Defective Equipment and General Warranty

To increase your customer satisfaction, most household equipment is tested either in the country of manufacture, the importer's location, and/ or at The Concentrated Cup’s location (or one of our supplier’s locations). Please contact us for assistance in determining the nature of the issue.

This policy only covers orders and shipments within the boundaries of the contiguous United States. This policy does not cover international orders, APO/ FPO shipments, shipments made within the contiguous United States and then brought/ shipped outside the United States by the customer (or one of his/ her agents), or shipments made outside the contiguous United States. Shipments damaged in transit are not covered by this policy. Please refer to the “Shipment Delivery: Damages in Transit” section of our Shipping & Delivery page. This policy does not cover any labor costs assumed by the customer, unless explicitly ordered under the written direction of a Concentrated Cup business partner, who will make a judgment of the facts on a case-by-case basis.

Household or home-classified equipment which arrive defective or become defective due to manufacturer's defect within 5 calendar days of the invoice date will either be replaced or a replacement part will be shipped by either The Concentrated Cup, supply partner or the manufacturer at the sole discretion of The Concentrated Cup, supply partner or the manufacturer. Please review the “Defects (Upon Receipt)” section of our Exchange & Return page.

Customer is responsible for all shipping charges if the replacement remedy presented by The Concentrated Cup, supply partner or the manufacturer is not desired by the customer. If an item is returned and not found to be defective, all charges and fees, subject to this agreement, will be deducted from any credit owed to the customer. The verification of a defect can only be determined by The Concentrated Cup with or without support of the manufacturer or supply partner. Please reference the “Procedure” section of our Exchange & Return page. The determination of the replacement depends upon the extent and magnitude of the defect. In some cases, we may ask you to change an internal part. All defects on household equipment occurring after 5 calendar days of the invoice date will be covered under the respective warranty of the manufacturer or representative thereof.

This policy does not cover defects caused by user error or negligence, including, but not limited to, not reading the owner's manual or instructions included with the purchased item. Adjustments are not considered defects. Temperature and/ or adjustments (e.g. foot height, pump pressure, etc.) on espresso machines are not considered defects when within the respectable range set forth by the manufacturer or The Concentrated Cup. During shipment, it is common for wire connections to get disconnected from heating elements or other components. This is generally an easy solution and is not considered a defect.