Warranty

What is covered

Products are covered by the warranty offered by their manufacturer, which typically covers defects in materials and workmanship for a stated period or tread depth. Coverage, duration and remedies are set by the manufacturer and vary by brand and product.

The Auto Rack is a reseller. We select and supply products made by other companies, and the warranty on any product you buy from us is theirs, not ours. We pass it through to you, we open the claim on your behalf and we chase it, but the manufacturer decides the outcome and the manufacturer pays it.

We do not offer a warranty of our own on top of that, and we would rather say so plainly than let a page like this imply one exists. What we do offer is the returns process, which covers the first 30 days and does not depend on any manufacturer agreeing with you, and the statutory rights described at the foot of this page, which we cannot take away.

What is not covered

Manufacturer warranties generally exclude:

• road hazard damage — punctures, cuts, impacts, potholes, curb damage — unless you bought separate road hazard coverage
• wear from under- or over-inflation, misalignment, worn suspension components, or failure to rotate
• damage from improper installation, mounting, balancing, or incorrect torque
• damage from overloading, exceeding the speed rating, racing, off-road or competition use
• vandalism, fire, collision, chemical exposure, or improper storage
• cosmetic corrosion or finish wear on wheels caused by harsh cleaners, salt or neglect
• normal tread wear and tires worn to the wear bars
• products with the DOT code, serial number or markings removed or altered

Consequential costs

Warranty remedies are limited to repair, replacement or credit of the product itself, as the manufacturer determines. To the maximum extent permitted by law, neither the manufacturer nor we cover mounting, balancing, alignment, disposal, taxes, towing, storage, rental vehicles, lost time, or other consequential costs — see section 9 of our Terms of Service.

How to make a claim

Email contact@theautorack.com with your order number, clear photographs of the issue and the product markings (including the DOT code for tires), your current mileage or approximate distance driven, and a description of the problem.

We will open the claim with the manufacturer. Most manufacturers require the product to be inspected by an authorized dealer before approving a claim, and their decision governs the outcome.

Keep the product — do not discard or replace it before the inspection, or the claim will usually be denied.

Timing

Claim assessment depends on the manufacturer and typically takes 2–6 weeks. We will keep you updated at each stage.

Stop using any product you believe is defective. Continuing to drive on a damaged tire can be dangerous and can void the claim.

Proof of purchase

Keep your order confirmation. Warranty claims require proof of purchase from us, and coverage applies to the original purchaser only unless the manufacturer states otherwise.

What we disclaim, and what we cannot

Except for the manufacturer’s warranty described above, and except for the rights set out in the next section, and to the maximum extent the law permits, products are supplied as is. We disclaim all other warranties, express or implied, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and durability, and any warranty arising from a course of dealing or usage of trade. Our liability is limited as set out in section 9 of our Terms of Service.

Rights that cannot be disclaimed

The paragraph above is not the whole story, and in Ontario it is expressly overridden in several places. These rights survive anything on this page or in our Terms:

• The Consumer Protection Act, 2002 (Ontario) applies the implied conditions and warranties of the Sale of Goods Act to every consumer transaction, and section 9(3) makes any term that purports to negate or vary them void. A disclaimer of merchantability or fitness has no effect against a consumer in Ontario.
• Section 7 of that Act makes void any waiver of a substantive or procedural right it gives you, and section 8 preserves your right to start or join a class proceeding.
• The Sale of Goods Act (Ontario) implies that goods correspond to their description, are of merchantable quality, and are reasonably fit for a purpose you made known to us and relied on us about.
• The Competition Act prohibits misleading representations about a product’s performance, and gives you a remedy if one was made to you.
• The consumer protection legislation of your own province applies on the same footing where you live outside Ontario, and where it gives you more than Ontario law does, it is the one that counts.

These are not concessions we are making. They are the law, they take priority over anything we write, and if something on this page conflicts with them, they win and the rest of the page continues to apply.