NFC warranty tags could end proof of purchase headache

United Tectsa’s system will allow consumer electronics makers to provide retailers and consumers with an easy to use way to handle warranty and guarantee claims.

United Tectsa
TECTSA: Using NFC and SMS to confirm warranty eligibility

Indian firm United Tectsa has introduced a new type of NFC tag that can be used to store the individual warranty details of manufactured products.

The development from the smart card and RFID tag manufacturer could spell the end for the consumer headache of having to search for bills and warranty documents when a product breaks down and needs repairing or replacing.

United Tectsa’s warranty management system uses a four step process:

  • An NFC tag is fixed to the product by the manufacturer, at the factory. Details such as its serial number, product code, batch number and manufacturing date are written to the tag. This data, once written, cannot be changed by anyone.
  • When a retailer or dealer sells the product to a customer, their dealer code, invoice or bill number and date of purchase is written to the tag, using a standard NFC phone. Again, this information is then locked down and cannot be rewritten.
  • Should the product ever break down, the customer simply brings it back to the store — or the dealer makes a visit to the customer — and the information stored on the tag is read by the dealer’s NFC phone.
  • An SMS message is automatically sent to the manufacturing company’s server each time a tag is read. The server then replies to the dealer, again via SMS, with a confirmation that the product is within its warranty period so that repairs can be performed or the product can be replaced.

United Tectsa’s Shruti Dubey told NFC World that an additional advantage of the system is that the manufacturer can then use data collected by the system to maintain a database of complaints and claims about particular products or models.

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