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Warranty Terms

Diff Lab operates in Queensland, Australia and abides by the requirements set out by the Queensland Government which can be found here:

QLD Government Consumer Guarantees

These are the guarantees Diff Lab makes about its products:

Acceptable quality.

Diff Lab guarantees that goods will be of acceptable quality. At the time of purchase, they:

  • are fit for all of their usual purposes
  • are acceptable in appearance and finish
  • have no defects
  • are safe (for legal road use)
  • are durable (for legal road use).

Diff Lab adds the following as guidance for the consumer:

  • Used parts will appear used
  • Used parts are fit to be used, but are not new parts
  • Used parts may have some visible defects or wear which will not affect their operation or longevity
  • Diff Lab's products are safe for road use so long as they do not contain any off-road/motorsport-only internals (example BMW Motorsport parts)
  • Diff Lab's products are durable enough for long-term road use. For motor racing use, this is anyone's guess. Products may need regular servicing and rebuilds if used in motorsport applications. This is the life the consumer chose and the consumer understands this.

Fit for a specific purpose

Goods are fit for the purpose for which they were intended. The caveat is that the consumer must use Diff Lab's professional advice when selecting products which meet their requirements and are fit for that specific use. Deciding the intended use after the fact is not good enough.

An example of this might be: a customer purchases an LSD to suit his or her turbocharged BMW. The customer discusses the purpose with Diff Lab and is recommended a suitable product. The customer does not change the intended use, or vehicle specifications beyond what was discussed with Diff Lab. The product works well and is covered under warranty should any problems arise.

This is a grey area when the consumer considers the horsepower and torque capabilities of differentials. A product may last for decades in one consumer's 600HP road vehicle, and fail in another customer's 300HP race vehicle with wide slicks, solid bushes and solid metallic clutch. Because conditions vary so much, it is impossible for Diff Lab to determine how much horsepower and torque any given product can safely handle. Diff Lab will suggest products which give the consumer the best chance of success. The consumer decides whether or not they are prepared to proceed. The consumer owns that decision, and must take responsibility for caring for and maintaining their Diff Lab product as to avoid failure. It is simply not the case that a consumer has grounds to severely damage a product with harsh driving, and expect Diff Lab to replace it at no cost, because Diff Lab suggested that the product was suitable for the consumer. Diff Lab relies on the consumer to provide clear and accurate information about the way in which the product will be used. It is not possible for Diff Lab to verify the accurateness of statements made by the consumer related to the intended use of the product.

If a product has been recalled because it is unsafe and no longer deemed fit for the purpose in which was supplied, Diff Lab may ask that the product is returned to be repaired or replaced. It will not be refunded.

Accurate description

Diff Lab's online descriptions are accurate and guaranteed to be correct. If not, Diff Lab will remedy and description and the product supplied. If Diff Lab cannot remedy the situation, the unused (in original packaging) item can be returned for a refund. This applies to new items only.

Samples or demonstration models

Diff Lab does not offer samples, but may demonstrate differential or engine products in race vehicles. Diff Lab guarantees that if a product is sold as being the exact item used in the race vehicle, and the consumer purchases that product based on that advice, the product will be the same item which was demonstrated. Should any discrepancy arise, Diff Lab will remedy the situation.

Spare parts and repairs

Diff Lab keeps spare parts for most items in stock, and can usually source others within a reasonable time. Diff Lab provides repair facilities. Diff Lab does not pay for repairs performed elsewhere, because Diff Lab strictly, and with no exceptions whatsoever, provides this service in-house only. Any part which is subject to service or repair under warranty must meet these conditions or will cease to have any warranty either expressed or implied:

  1. In the case of an alleged faulty differential or parts contained within, the differential shall not be disassembled by any person other than a representative of Diff Lab.
  2. Diff Lab will not appoint any other differential shop to be a representative of Diff Lab.
  3. Draining of oil from differentials for inspection is permitted, though the oil is to be supplied to Diff Lab in a clean, sealed container.
  4. Diff Lab has the final say in whether any item supplied has a manufacturing defect within the 12 month warranty period. The consumer understands and agrees to this before purchasing.
  5. Diff Lab may escalate the issue to the manufacturer of a certain component if a representative of Diff Lab believes there to be a manufacturing defect present. The manufacturer will then be responsible for inspecting the component for manufacturing defects. Diff Lab will respect the manufacturer's decision, and the decision will inform Diff Lab's position on the matter.
  6. Diff Lab will liaise with the manufacturer on the consumer's behalf to obtain warranty replacements outside of Diff Lab's 12 month warranty period.
  7. Diff Lab will cover the cost of returning goods to the manufacturer within the 12 month warranty period, should Diff Lab determine that there is a manufacturing defect present.
Some goods (for example genuine BMW Motorsport parts) have no warranty from the manufacturer, are not fit for road use, and may have a limited life in racing applications. The customer acknowledges that these items are for off-road use only, and are not covered by warranty against damage. Some parts, however, do have a warranty when used for dedicated motorsport applications (for example MFactory and Wavetrac limited slip differentials). If you're unsure, ask Diff Lab about each manufacturer's warranty terms.
Diff Lab could not possibly be more specific and deliberate about the way in which a suspected faulty part is returned. For example, if you have purchased a ring and pinion set and installed it yourself, and you believe there is an issue with it, you will supply the entire differential to Diff Lab for inspection. You will not remove the ring and pinion. If you purchase a limited slip differential and install it yourself, you will supply the entire differential to Diff Lab for inspection. If you do not supply the entire assembly, Diff Lab will not honour any warranty. The installation and setup of these items is critical to their performance and longevity. If the consumer expects warranty coverage, the consumer will permit Diff Lab to inspect the assembly for workmanship, quality and correctness. 

Our promise
Promises made over and above the QLD Government's requirements will be supported by Diff Lab where Diff Lab has specifically stated so on this page. For example, the customer's accessibility of the lifetime warranty on certain MFactory products and lifetime warranty on Wavetrac torque-biasing differentials. Certain manufacturer's offer no warranty on breakage (for example Cusco, OS Giken, BMW Motorsport). Diff Lab does not extend warranty coverage to these items for breakage either.
Promises about performance are not generally made at Diff Lab, because performance in your own vehicle is hard to measure and quantify. Diff Lab's product descriptions are statements about Diff Lab's own experiences with the performance of certain products. They are not promises that you will experience the same performance, even though you almost certainly will (that is not a promise).
Promises made about product longevity which extend to years or decades are not made by Diff Lab. One consumer may break a product after a month of hard use, and another may find that the product outlives them. This is why Diff Lab never says that any product will have a measurable lifespan and warranty period of a certain number of years. The closest thing we would say is for example: these LSD clutch plates should last at least a few years of regular driving. These things are very hard to predict and measure. Some items, however, are guaranteed to last a lifetime and that promise is made and backed by the manufacturer.
The lifetime of a product sold at Diff Lab is one year from the date of purchase, and this is also the warranty period. When participating in motor racing, the expectation is that parts are replaced periodically, whether they have failed or not.
Certain products (for example ball bearing kits) have a short lifespan and require frequent oil changes and careful setup. Some may specify that gear lapping is recommended also. Where this is the case, those product descriptions note these conditions. 
Lifetime Warranty Conditions
MFactory: Diff Lab's warranty on MFactory (also Synchrotech and YCW) products is 12 months from the date of purchase. Beyond this period, Diff Lab can assist customers to access any manufacturer's warranty which may extend beyond 12 months. Diff Lab may be able to take care of warranty claims under MFactory's lifetime warranty on certain components, and perform an inspection, report and warranty claim to the manufacturer on behalf of the customer, at no cost to the customer, at our discretion. Diff Lab is not obliged to honor MFactory's warranty directly. MFactory's representative has the final say in whether a component has a manufacturing defect, after Diff Lab's 12 month warranty period has lapsed.
Wavetrac: Diff Lab's warranty on Wavetrac products is 12 months from the date of purchase. Beyond this period, Diff Lab can assist customers to access any manufacturer's warranty which may extend beyond 12 months. Diff Lab may be able to take care of warranty claims under Wavetrac's lifetime warranty on certain components, and perform an inspection, report and warranty claim to the manufacturer on behalf of the customer, at no cost to the customer, at our discretion. Diff Lab is not obliged to honor Wavetrac's warranty directly. Wavetrac's representative has the final say in whether a component has a manufacturing defect, after Diff Lab's 12 month warranty period has lapsed.
Ownership
Diff Lab promises that goods sold are the property of Diff Lab, and that nobody will chase you for them.

Available to use

Diff Lab guarantees that we will not demand goods back after the consumer has received them, so long as there is no safety issue with them. Diff Lab will also not prevent you from using them, unless it is to prevent harm to you or the product. Goods are free to use as intended and should cause no harm. Consumers are aware that on-road and off-road motor racing can cause harm, and that Diff Lab is not liable for any personal injuries caused to any person, or any harm caused to property. The customer accepts all responsibility for the dangers of motor racing, and using Diff Lab products for motor racing.

Diff Lab will not limit how the cunsumer uses goods. The consumer may do with them as they wish. Though Diff Lab may decide that the consumer no longer has any warranty either expressed or implied because the consumer is using goods outside of the agreed safe operating parameters. Diff Lab does not have to provide notice that this decision has been made until the time of a warranty claim expressed by the consumer.

This promise does not extened to illegal activity. Diff Lab's products are not for illegal use (for example illegal road racing, speeding, wheelspins, dangerous driving, etc). The consumer understands and agrees with this prior to purchasing items from Diff Lab. The consumer understands that they have no claim against Diff Lab if illegal activities with motor vehicles cause harm to a person or property.

No debts or hidden charges

There are no hidden charges behind any Diff Lab products. The amounts on the web site are the total and final amount to be paid for the item. They do not include installation, oil, rebuild kits etc, unless specified. These items are not hidden charges.

Due care and skill

Diff Lab can guarantee that all due care, competency, skill and suitable equipment is used to assemble all Diff Lab differentials. External services are used to manufacture products, and to repair specialist parts. Diff Lab guarantees that these external services are selected for their competency and excellence. Th quality of their work is at least equal to the quality of Diff Lab's work. 

Finished in a reasonable time

Diff Lab guarantees that work will be completed in a reasonable time. Here are those reasonable times:

  • Differential rebuild - less than 1 week 
  • Gear lapping and differential rebuild - less than 2 weeks
  • Post online orders (item is in stock) - less than 2 days
  • Supply item which is out of stock at manufacturer - enquire.

Warranties against defects

Diff Lab guarantees standard consumer rights, and does not have a specific policy on warranties against defects. Diff Lab does not guarantee against failures, because Diff Lab is in the business of producing products which are treated harshly and can be prone to failure because of the environment they operate in (motor racing, drift, rally, modified high horsepower street vehicles etc). Diff Lab understands that the products provided are used in harsh environments where they are stressed to the limit. Diff Lab makes every effort to ensure that consumers are provided with products and services which consider their indented use and stress level. Diff Lab suggests that occasionally vehicle components fail during motor racing, and that is part of the sport. 

Certain products sold at Diff Lab do have warranties over and above standard consumer rights (for example MFactory, Wavetrac) and these companies may  choose to replace products damaged during motor racing events, under their lifetime warranty structure. It is at the discretion of these companies as to whether these items are replaced, and it is not Diff Lab's decision.

Refund policy

Diff Lab's refund policy reflects standard consumer rights, but includes the following guidelines which are here to guide the consumer in making decisions about how they treat and respect Diff Lab products if they expect a refund on a purchase:

  • Products modified by the consumer have no warranty whatsoever and are not subject to a refund in the even of failure or damage.
  • Products found to be mistreated or misused by the consumer have no warranty whatsoever and are not subject to a refund in the event of failure or damage.
  • Differential assemblies have a 12 month warranty on the new parts used only (bearings, gears, limited slip).
  • Differentials assembled with used parts (to save the consumer money versus buying new parts) have a 3 month warranty on the used parts.
  • Products which are installed by the consumer have a 12 month warranty against manufacturing defects only, and are not covered for damage caused by improper installation, improper setup, improper oil selection, harsh use, lack of oil or improper run-in. Diff Lab assembles differentials in-house, so there should be no reason to have a unit assembled elsewhere, risking your consumer rights by having the unit assembled by an incompetent person. Refunds are not given where an incompetent person has damaged a product purchased at Diff Lab. No compensation is paid either.
  • Manufacturing defects are identified by Diff Lab should this occur. Manufacturing defects are not identified by the consumer. Diff Lab's say on whether an item contains a manufacturing defect in the first 12 months (the warranty period) after purchase is final. Refunds will only be given on specific items which are found to have manufacturing defects. If the cause of the problem is unclear and cannot be traced back to a manufacturing defect by either Diff Lab or the manufacturer, no refund will be given. Diff Lab may opt to replace or repair the item depending on the circumstances in which the damage occurred. 

Here are the reasons why Diff Lab would offer a refund:

The item has a major problem, for example:

  • The item has a problem that would have stopped someone from buying the item if they had known about it (this does not mean, it's broken now, but was not broken when the consumer purchased it)
  • The item is unsafe (this means it was unsafe on the date it was purchased, in the condition it was purchased in, not because it is now unsafe because the consumer has damaged it)
  • The item is significantly different from the description (at the time of purchase, not after the consumer damages it)
  • The item doesn’t do what we said it would, or what you asked** (when it was new, not after the consumer damages it)

If the problem is not major, and the problem was caused by Diff Lab, we will repair the item within a reasonable time. If it is not repaired in a reasonable time you can choose a refund or replacement.

**No Diff Lab product designed for racing use can be guaranteed to be suitable for road use. The customer may request that a racing product be made suitable for road driving, and Diff Lab can attempt to achieve this, but no guarantees are made that racing products are suitable for road use. These are completely different environments. Customers need to understand that race parts are far more aggressive, noisy and harsh than original equipment for road vehicles. Customers opt to use race parts in their road vehicles at their own risk.

The following products are designed and intended for motor racing use:

OS Giken products, MFactory products (see MFactory's declaration here), Cat Cams products, Wavetrac products, BMW Motorsport products, Drexler products.

The following products are designed and intended for road use:

Used (factory fitted) OE components such as limited slip differential units and gear sets. New bearing and seal products fitted as part of differential rebuilds.

Returning items

Please contact Diff Lab before returning items, as there may be something you can do to remedy the issue without having to send a product back. Diff Lab can suggest ways to resolve the situation by email, and the customer shall attempt to resolve the situation by following these suggestions. If the customer follows these suggestions, and they are still experiencing problems, they can return the product and Diff Lab will remedy the situation in-house. The customer doesn't need to request permission to send a product back for repair. Instructions for sending in a product for repair can be found on the contact page. Please notify Diff lab that the remedy did not work, and that the product is being sent in for repair.

Adjustment vs Repair of limited slip units

Diff Lab's differentials are typically fitted with fully adjustable limited slip differential units. A differential which can be adjusted, can be tuned for specific applications. The customer can do this, so long as they do not interfere with the differential's assembly specifications, or cause damage to the product. The need to make a limited slip tuning adjustment to suit the driver's specific vehicle, tyres, suspension and driving style, is not a warranty claim. This is not an indication of a manufacturing defect. No warranty claim will be processed for such events. Diff Lab may offer to make tuning changes to customers' differentials at no cost, at Diff Lab's discretion.

Diff Lab will attempt to set up limited slip differential units to suit the customer's needs at the time of installation. Setup specifications can vary wildly. Diff Lab will use best judgement and experience to determine a setup which meets the needs of the customer. The customer is then free to make setup changes at their leisure, as needed. Making setup changes to the LSD unit does not affect the customer's warranty. The customer opt to send in the differential to Diff Lab and setup changes can be made in-house. Diff Lab may offer this as a free service.

Differential Tuning

Differential tuning specifications can be supplied by the customer. Diff Lab will follow these specifications. Diff Lab is not liable for the accuracy of the specifications provided. Where the customer is not aware of the setup specifications they require, Diff Lab will suggest setup and tuning specifications. Diff Lab does not know the vehicle, the tyres, the suspension, the engine, the driver, the tracks, the conditions, and cannot be 100% accurate with setup. Diff Lab most likely will not get to test the vehicle and check the vehicle setup first-hand, so Diff Lab ask that the customer is reasonable in their expectations when it comes to tuning a differential's setup, without having access to most of the information needed to perform this task. Having to re-adjust the setup is not a warranty issue nor is it a manufacturing defect.

 

A final note on warranties and refunds

Diff Lab strongly, repeat strongly, suggests that differential assemblies are completed in-house at Diff Lab, by the person who knows these products best, has the best equipment, has the bespoke tools, shims, bosses and factory specifications to blueprint these differentials properly. By attempting to save a few dollars by having your Diff Lab parts installed elsewhere, the consumer is at risk. Diff Lab often repairs differentials assembled elsewhere, and knows the dangers of incompetence first-hand. Differentials assembled at Diff Lab do not come back with problems, but differentials assembled elsewhere seem to have no end of problems. When the consumer DIYs the work or has the work done by an incompetent person, Diff Lab may find it difficult to repair, replace or refund the item if improper assembly is the cause of the problem. The consumer is advised that the best possible after-sales service, warranty and refund terms are obtained by having the work performed in-house at Diff Lab.