Warranty cards generally aren’t needed for product warranty coverage. The cards, which usually ask questions about a buyer's income and/or product preferences, are mainly used for marketing purposes. For example, if you bought a coffee maker, a company may try to sell you its bread maker, or a computer software manufacturer may let you know when an updated version becomes available.
On the plus side, warranty cards are really the only way a company has of alerting you in case of a product recall. In addition, many companies allow warranty registration forms to be filled out online.
When it comes to actually using a product warranty (e.g., when an appliance does not operate), saving the receipt for the product purchase is more important than returning the warranty card. One recommended strategy is stapling it to the back of the product owner's manual and filing the manual in a file folder for product use-and-care manuals.
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