Over the last several years, some manufacturers have radically changed the wording in their warranties, resulting in confusion about what the warranty really means. We wanted to cover some of the basics with you, and explain what some of the terms really mean.

LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY
This does not mean forever. It means “what the manufacturer thinks the expected lifetime of the tanning bed should be”. This could be 2 years, or it could be 10 years. In short, it means nothing.

WARRANTY ON WORKMANSHIP
Another confusing term. When was the last time your “workmanship” broke? You would expect it would mean that the bed is covered from defects from manufacturing, but the term doesn’t have clear legal meaning, so you must assume it has no meaning.

UNDER NORMAL USE
This is a little more forward, and has some legal meaning. The problem is “normal use” would be determined by a judge in a court of law if you and the manufacturer disagree as to the real meaning. It obviously excludes abuse or misuse. Misuse would mean using a home tanning bed in a commercial environment, or using the tanning bed for something besides tanning people.

PARTS WARRANTY
This covers the parts, but not the labor or shipping. Unless they specifically state that they pay shipping, you always do. Same for labor.

PRORATED WARRANTY
This means the part is covered PARTIALLY. For instance, if the acrylic has a “prorated 1 year warranty”, and it proves defective after 6 months, you would be responsible for paying for 50% of the retail price of the acrylic, plus shipping. Prorated warranties are generally to cover “consumables” or parts they know will wear out over time, like the acrylic or hydraulic cylinders.

PARTS THAT PROVE DEFECTIVE
This means you don’t get the replacement parts until the manufacturer has established that the part is defective, and that it is not your fault for it being defective. Not all warranties have this term.

REPLACE OR REPAIR, AT OUR OPTION
This means the manufacturer has the option to either fix the defective item, replace it with a new part, OR to replace it with another REBUILT or REFURBISHED item. This isn’t necessarily bad, but just know what you are getting before you buy. This is not the most common of terms for tanning beds, as most parts are not refurbished.

There are other terms you need to look at carefully (and beware of in some circumstances). The main goal is to fully understand before you buy, and really, look at any warranty with a skeptical eye. This would apply to more than tanning beds, of course.

The main terms to beware of are “limited lifetime” and “workmanship” which have no actual meaning, but sound really important. Focus instead on the “parts replacement” and “labor” sections of the warranty, which give you a real understanding of what is covered and what is not.

You will likely NOT be sending your tanning bed back for repairs, as the shipping costs are extremely expensive, so expect to supply your own labor. Also, tanning bed manufacturers do NOT have “local repair centers” simply because the industry is not large enough to support this.

After several years, and a few changes to the look and format of the webpage, we have decided to start over and redo the entire site as a one way blog. This will allow us to provide more content with less hassle, and will make it much easier for you to search the database for answers to questions.

So what is our goal? To focus on questions and answers that pertain specifically about tanning beds. You won’t find so much about lotions or lamps here, instead we want to deal with issues such as how to maintain your tanning bed, what you can expect from owning one, and some tips on ownership. We focus on the hardware, and how you can keep your tanning bed running in new condition, and where possible, in “better than new” condition.

Look around and see what we have to offer. Of course, while we are updating the site and making changes the selection will be rather thin, but you can expect much more in the future. Thanks again for stopping by. We hope you bookmark us now, and make us a regular part of your tanning experience!