Philips Sonicare Toothbrush Warranty: How It Works

Within the manufacturing process Philips do try to ensure a high standard of quality that should limit the potential need to return for faults. From our very own hands-on we can confirm that the standard of Sonicare products is very high.

They have been manufacturing electric toothbrushes for many years, so are very experienced and this allows for a certain standard to be implemented into all products.

Inevitably though being an electronic product it can go wrong.

The first thing to do is run through some of the tips we offer in our Sonicare troubleshooting and common issues guide.

If the troubleshooting doesn’t help resolve the problem, your toothbrush will require additional troubleshooting and potentially repair.

So what is the process when it does? How long is the brush covered for?

You can find the answers to these questions and more below.

Key Points

• Guarantee commences from the date of purchase.
  • Buy the brush on 1st February 2020, the warranty will be valid until 21st January 2022.
• Under the terms of the guarantee, Philips Sonicare will for free of charge repair any defects or problems with the toothbrush that are as a result of a fault in the materials or workmanship in the construction and manufacture of the product.
  • If the brush stops working for no reason this would be repaired for free.
  • If the brush stopped working because it has been dropped from a height and damaged it this would not be covered.
• The guarantee does not cover faults as a result of improper use.
• If you try to repair or modify the brush the warranty will not be valid.
• Wear and tear of brush heads are not covered under the warranty.
• The warranty repair must be carried out by Philips Authorised Service Centre.
• The warranty will be voided if electric rechargeable handle damage is found to be attributed to the use of non-Philips Sonicare replacement brush heads.

How can I get my Sonicare electric toothbrush serviced in the UK?

The best procedure is to book your toothbrush in online here or call Philips customer service support centre, in the UK for Sonicare products on 0207 949 0240.

You can use other contact methods available here if you prefer.

Explain the issues you are having and they will advise based on the model and the fault.

According to Philips Sonicare current procedures (which of course might change) should your toothbrush fails to work properly they can arrange a free of charge replacement of the faulty handle or charger (depending on the fault found).

This allows for a swift and effective resolution to an issue you may be having.

For In Warranty Service: Contact Sonicare on 0207 949 0240 and explain the fault.  They will take a few details and arrange for a replacement to be sent out in most instances. Alternatively, book your toothbrush in online here.

For Out of Warranty Service: There is no support for customers with brushes outside of normal warranty periods.  You are expected to safely dispose of the brush and purchase a new one.

How long is the warranty on a Sonicare electric toothbrush?

Should your toothbrush no longer function and need repair, the good news is that the brush is covered by a 2 year warranty/guarantee.

As we understand it, this 2 year warranty applies globally, but if you are not in the UK or Ireland we advise double checking this information.

Therefore, if your brush has stopped charging or won’t switch on then no problem you are covered.

However one small caveat that does not seem to apply to other toothbrush manufacturers is that the battery within the brush is only covered for 12 months from date of purchase and not 24.

This is not very clear prior to purchase nor included on the documentation.

However, the instances where the battery is at fault are very low as the batteries tend to last a lot longer, employing a tried and tested construction and used in millions of products worldwide.

The guarantee commences from the date of purchase. Buy the brush on 1st February 2020, the warranty will be valid until 31st January 2022.

Register your Sonicare electric toothbrush

It is advisable to register your electric toothbrush once you have purchased it.

All you need do it head to: https://www.philips.co.uk/myphilips/login.html

Here you can create an account (or login if you are an existing user).  You can create an account using an email address or password or even via your social network accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google.

Once you have registered and activated the account, you can select your specific electric toothbrush from the list of models and enter the date of purchase and proof of purchase.

You will receive confirmation of the registration and the brush will now show within your account.

From here you can gain access to supports, manuals, FAQ’s write reviews and more.  Much of this is a little misleading and actually only redirects back to the original product page on the Sonicare site.  You generally get the basic information but not much more than you really need.

Is there an extended warranty option?

No, Philips do not offer an extended warranty option.

What is covered in the Sonicare warranty?

The warranty starts on the day of purchase and runs for 2 years.

If your Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush product is defective during the warranty period, Sonicare will repair or replace it free of charge.

Examples of what the warranty will cover, but not limited to are:

• The brush no longer charging or holding charge
• The battery life lasting less than the advertised time
• The brush no longer switching on or off
• The brush intermittently stops working
• The brush speeds up and slows down for no reason

The warranty does not cover cosmetic damage such as scratches, or damage caused by:

• A battery fault that begins more than 12 months after purchase
• Normal wear and tear
• Accident, misuse, dirt or water
• The product being tampered with
• Improper use
• Repairs carried out by agents not authorised by Sonicare
• Failure to take proper care of the product, including recharging
• The product being altered or used for commercial purposes

Is the warranty and repair process free?

If the fault with your electric toothbrush falls under the terms of the warranty and is within its warranty period, Philips will normally for no cost to yourself, send out a replacement brush to replace your faulty one.

How long will the process take?

The Philips Sonicare repair process is generally very quick.

Once you have logged the fault a resolution will be offered.  More often than not this will be a replacement brush, but this is not a guarantee.

In this instance you will be asked to provide some details and a new brush will be sent to you within few days.

Will they collect the toothbrush?

No.  Whilst subject to change, you will normally not be required to send the brush back, but do not dispose of it until such times as you have spoken to Philips and made appropriate arrangements with them.

How long will I be without a toothbrush?

On the rare occasions a brush should falter, Philips will look to resolve the issue promptly once they become aware of it.

Within a few days of logging the fault, you should have a new brush delivered to you.

Will they not just replace the toothbrush?

Normally yes, but this is subject to Philips Sonicare customer service policies and whether certain conditions are met.

Do I need my receipt?

Retaining your receipt will be advantageous when it comes to booking your toothbrush in for any warranty repair, so it is worth keeping hold of.

Even better, go online, register your brush and upload a copy of the receipt when you buy the brush and then you and Philips have a digital record of this.

My electric toothbrush is outside of the warranty period can I get it repaired?

No.  No policy exists for repair to toothbrushes outside of warranty.

I am not in the UK, where and how to do I get my brush repaired?

If you are not a UK resident, but have a Sonicare electric toothbrush your brush will likely be subject to the same warranty conditions, but regional variances in policy can occur.

Refer to your manual/documentation provided in the box at time of purchase for your local warranty procedure and support contact numbers.  

Is the battery in my Sonicare electric toothbrush handle replaceable?

The battery inside is not really designed to be replaceable.  The handle within which the battery is contained is sealed and there is no simple process to remove or replace this.

Trying to do so will invalidate your warranty and likely make the brush unusable.

For any faults, battery or otherwise contact your local Sonicare support team.

What is the full warranty wording?

Slightly confusing, there is the wording that appears on the documentation that came in the box and the wording that appears on the Philips website.

They are similar.

Copied from the documentation included in the box:

Philips warrants its products for a period of two years after the date of purchase.  If any defect due to faulty materials and workmanship occurs within this two year warranty period, Philips will repair or replace the product at its expense.

Philips will only pay for repair or replacement if convincing proof is provided, for instance by means of a receipt that the day on which service is claimed is within the warranty period.

The warranty does not cover products and/or product parts that are subject to wear that can be considered as consumable parts by their nature or that are made of glass.

The warranty is not valid if a defect is due to damage caused by incorrect use, poor maintenance (e.g. parts blocked by scale) or if alterations or repairs have been carried out by persons not authorised by Philips.

For the appliance to be used correctly the user should strictly adhere to all instructions included in the user manual and should abstain from any actions or uses that are described as undesired or which are wanted against in the user manual.

Important warranty restrictions for certain product materials.

For some products the warranty may be subject to certain restrictions, for instance as a result of the type of material used.  Warranty restrictions, if any can be found under the heading ‘Warranty restrictions’ in the chapter ‘Warranty and Support’ of the user manual.

These warranty restrictions do not affect your statutory rights.

Support

Support during and after the warranty period can be obtained in all countries where the product is officially distributed by Philips.  In countries where the product is not distributed by Philips service is provided by the national Philips organization.  In this case there may be some delay if the required spare parts are not readily available.  Turn to your dealer or an authorised Philips service centre for service.  Contact the consumer Care Center in your country if you need more information or if you have problems obtaining service.  If there is no Consumer Care Center in your country you can contact the Service Department of Philips. Address and phone number can be found in the grey section of this leaflet.

The full and official wording of the Philips Sonicare warranty from their website, which then linked me here when I selected UK:

The warranty begins on the date of purchase as stated on your proof-of-purchase and expires at the end of the period indicated in the section “Warranty period” below. In case you lost your proof-of purchase, the retailer is unknown or the product was purchased from an unregistered seller e.g. via on-line auction channels, the warranty period is considered to have started three months after the date of manufacturing indicated on the product or as derived from the serial number of the product. For products without production date or serial number on the product a valid proof-of-purchase is required.

Where a repair is not possible or is deemed uneconomical Philips may agree to replace the product with a new or refurbished product, at Philips discretion and the warranty will continue from the date of original purchase.

The Philips warranty applies provided the product has been handled properly for its intended use and in accordance with the operating instructions.

What is excluded?

The warranty does not cover for the losses consequent in nature, including but not limited to loss of data or loss of business and does not apply if:

• The proof-of-purchase has been altered in any way or made illegible.
• The model number, serial number or production date code on the product has been altered, removed or made illegible.
• Repairs or product modifications have been carried out by unauthorized service organizations or persons.
• The product is being used for commercial purpose.
• The defect is caused by abuse of the product or by environmental conditions that are not in conformance with the recommended operations of the product.
• The defect is caused by connection to peripherals, additional equipment or accessories other than those recommended by Philips.
• The unit has been damaged, including but not limited to damage by animals, lightning, abnormal voltage, water or fire, natural disaster or transportation.
• The product is defect due to wear of parts, which can be considered as wearable- or consumable parts by their nature.
• The product does not function properly because it was not originally designed, manufactured, approved and/or authorized for the country where you use the product, which might occur in instances where the product has been purchased in another country other than that of its intended use.
• The product does not function properly due to problems with access to and or connection with service providers, such as interruptions in the access networks (e.g. TV cable, satellite or Internet), faults on the subscriber’s or the correspondent’s line, local network fault (cabling, file server, user’s line) and faults in the transmission network (interference, scrambling, faults or poor network quality).

Service needed?

In order to avoid unnecessary inconvenience, we advise you to read the user manual carefully and/or consult the support section of this web site before contacting Philips or your dealer. To obtain service within the warranty period please contact the Philips Consumer Contact Centre via chat, email or phone call. Philips contact details can be found on this website. When your product is no longer within warranty you can contact the nearest authorized Philips Service Centre directly.

To be able to help you efficiently when you contact Philips please have available:

• the proof-of-purchase, e.g. original invoice or cash receipt, indicating the date of purchase, dealer name and model number of the product
• your product serial number or production date code as indicated on the product.

The model number (also sometimes called model ID), serial number or production date code can be found in the battery compartment, or on the back or bottom of the product.

Warranty period

The warranty period for all Philips products is 24 months, except for the following product categories:  Toothbrushes battery 12 months

Contact Philips Sonicare

For the most accurate and up to date information we advise speaking to the Sonicare customer affairs team within your country.  Their contact numbers are as follows:

UNITED KINGDOM

Philips Centre
Guildford Business Park
Guildford
Suney
GU2 8XH

0207 949 0240 (local rate)

www.philips.com/support

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Philips Electronics Ireland Ltd
Philips House, South County Business Park.
Leopardstown
Dublin 18
Republic of Ireland

015 24 54 43

Northern Ireland: 0207.949 0240 (local rate)

www.philips.com/support

For other countries, please refer to this document.

***PLEASE NOTE: Electric Teeth are not affiliated with Philips Sonicare directly.  The information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing and provided in good faith.  It is subject to change at any time. It is provided primarily for UK-based Sonicare customers.***