Kundenunzufriedenheit und Stornierungen durch geringwertige oder unnötige Zusatzgarantien

Definition

Australian consumer authorities and commissioners have repeatedly questioned the value of extended warranties, urging consumers to be sceptical and highlighting that existing ACL consumer guarantees often provide similar or better protection at no extra cost.[6][9] CHOICE’s mystery shopping of major electrical retailers showed that extended warranties are heavily pushed and that explanations of what is actually covered versus what the ACL already guarantees are often unclear or misleading.[4] This dynamic leads to a growing body of consumer information from the ACCC, state agencies and financial education sites telling consumers that many extended warranties are poor value or unnecessary.[5][6][8][9] Logic‑based impact: when customers subsequently learn that they may not have needed the warranty, or when a claim is denied because the issue is not covered as expected, they frequently complain, seek refunds or escalate to regulators and ombuds services. For a mid‑sized retailer generating AUD 1–3 million annually from extended warranty sales, even a conservative 10–20% of contracts resulting in partial refunds, credits, cancellations or loss of future business due to dissatisfaction equates to AUD 100,000–600,000 per year in margin erosion. In addition, each complaint and refund request consumes back‑office labour (customer service, legal, escalation handling), representing further implicit cost. Although exact internal figures are proprietary, the strong public messaging from government and consumer bodies against low‑value extended warranties implies a rising propensity for customers to challenge or cancel such products, directly impacting revenue retention and customer lifetime value.[4][5][6][8][9]

Why This Matters

The Pitch: Australian 🇦🇺 retailers in appliances and electronics forfeit an estimated 10–20% of extended-warranty revenue to cancellations, goodwill credits and churn driven by perceived low value or redundant coverage. Better product design, transparent communication and automated eligibility checks reduce refunds and preserve high-margin revenue.

Affected Stakeholders

Chief Customer Officer / Head of CX, Chief Financial Officer, Head of Product / Warranty Product Manager, Customer Service Manager, Complaints and Dispute Resolution Teams, Store Managers

Related Business Risks