Instrument Warranty
FEI recognizes the critical nature of our customer's research and operations, and we're committed to providing the highest-quality tools that yield maximum reliability and availability. That's why every FEI system includes a standard 12-month warranty contract with:
- Planned maintenance
- Access to FEI Technical Support
- On-site Service Visits, when required
- Access to RAPID Remote Diagnostics, if applicable
- Access to FEI.com for Owners forums and support network, with registration
In addition, FEI offers a number of service plans that can be upgraded and tailored to meet specific customer requirements.
FEI offers extended service contracts tailored to fit your needs, ensuring maximum protection for your investment.
Instrument Maintenance and Extended Service Contracts
FEI service contracts offer complete lifecycle support for optimum system performance. Typically, FEI's standard service contracts include:
- Planned maintenance
- Onsite service visits
- 24/7 service operations (in many geographic areas)
- Access to FEI technical support
- Account management
- Global logistics
There are also several options available for additional protection with FEI service contracts. These include three standard plans to completely customizable plans, all of which cover travel, labor and expenses. In addition, FEI maintenance agreements offer these benefits:
- Basic plans provide a 15 percent discount on parts and response time is within two business workdays.
- Standard plans cover all parts except those on the exclusions list with two business workdays' response time.
- Premium plans cover all parts except those on the exclusions list with response time within one workday.
Considering a Services Asset Management Provider in Lieu of an FEI Service Contract?
- These providers typically exclude coverage on all 3rd party accessories and high cost items such as high-tension tanks, chillers, and electron columns. Be sure to understand what is covered and what is excluded. Many times these excluded items will mean the difference between a "cost" savings and actually paying more for less service.
- Systems covered under the 3rd party plans routine suffer from degraded performance due to the following reasons:
- Maintenance actions are delayed for cost savings reasons.
- Because of the hassle to generate a service call through the 3rd party provider customers will often wait and combine issues into a single service call.
- Without regularly scheduled PMs subtle decreases in performance go unnoticed until it is so great it is unavoidable.
- An FEI service contract has a targeted onsite response time (typically 48 hours maximum). Insurance plans will use language that infers a "guaranteed response time" or "same coverage levels" as the equipment manufacturer contract however that is not accurate. FEI can only guarantee response to our service contract customers and that is our priority. For a time & material agreement customer (which is the case for 3rd party insurance customers) we will only offer reasonable effort response. Without the certainty of a guaranteed response time delays may increase system downtime. System downtime has a "cost" and should be considered when comparing plans.
- Catastrophic failures that require excluded or uncovered high cost items will add significant unpredictability to your annual costs. With an FEI Service Contract your service costs are fixed with the amount known up front and more easily budgeted. And unlike with insurance arrangements FEI will not significantly increase (or cancel) your coverage due to too many "claims".
If you're an owner or user of an FEI instrument and wish to purchase a service contract, register or login to FEI.com for Owners and submit an online request.