Warranty Policy
Last updated: 9 April 2026
This policy forms part of, and should be read together with, our Terms & Conditions.
- Overview
1.1 This Warranty Policy applies to refurbished servers, storage equipment, networking equipment, telephony equipment, components and related hardware sold by Server Site (Pty) Ltd (“Server Site”, “we”, “us”, “our”).
1.2 Server Site primarily supplies business and professional customers.
1.3 By placing an order, the customer warrants that it is purchasing the goods for business or professional use.
1.4 If the customer is a juristic person, the customer further warrants, unless it disclosed otherwise to us in writing before the sale, that its asset value or annual turnover equals or exceeds R2,000,000.
1.5 Where any customer is entitled to protection under the Consumer Protection Act, 2008 (“CPA”), the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, 2002 (“ECTA”), or any other law as a matter of law, nothing in this Warranty Policy limits any right that cannot lawfully be limited.
1.6 Nothing in this Warranty Policy is intended to exclude or limit any liability or obligation that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited, including where sections 60 and 61 of the CPA apply.
- Standard warranty periods
2.1 Unless a different warranty period is expressly stated on the product page, quotation, invoice or in writing by Server Site, our standard warranty periods are:
- Refurbished hardware generally: 12 months
b. Drives, including HDDs and SSDs: 90-day limited warranty
c. Batteries and consumables, including RAID controller batteries, CMOS batteries and battery-backed cache modules: 90-day limited warranty
2.2 The warranty period runs from the date of delivery or collection, as applicable.
2.3 This warranty applies only to the original purchaser from Server Site and is not transferable unless we expressly agree otherwise in writing.
2.4 Extended warranty options may be available for certain products at our discretion and only if confirmed by us in writing.
- What this warranty covers
3.1 This is a limited hardware warranty only.
3.2 It covers outright hardware failure under normal, intended use during the applicable warranty period.
3.3 If a valid warranty claim is approved, Server Site may, in its discretion:
- troubleshoot remotely first;
b. repair the item;
c. replace the failed component only;
d. replace the full item with the same or a reasonably equivalent item; or
e. issue a credit, refund or partial refund if repair or replacement is not reasonably possible.
3.4 Replacement parts may be refurbished, equivalent, compatible or higher-spec parts, and may differ in brand, model or revision from the original part, provided they are reasonably functionally equivalent or better.
3.5 Any repair or replacement carried out under warranty will carry the balance of the original warranty period or 90 days, whichever is longer.
3.6 Any remedy under this policy is subject to Server Site first inspecting, testing and confirming the reported fault.
- Refurbished condition
4.1 Server Site sells refurbished and used enterprise hardware.
4.2 Minor cosmetic wear, marks, scratches, discoloration, replaced parts, labels, non-original packaging and similar non-material differences are normal and do not constitute defects.
4.3 Minor differences that do not affect core functionality will not constitute a warranty defect.
- Hardware-only position
5.1 Unless expressly stated otherwise in writing, all goods are sold as hardware only.
5.2 Unless expressly listed, the sale does not include:
- any operating system;
b. any software;
c. any software setup or software support;
d. RAID setup or RAID configuration;
e. integration into the customer’s environment;
f. migration services;
g. on-site support;
h. remote-management advanced licences or subscriptions, including iLO, iDRAC or similar paid features;
i. Cisco licences or subscriptions;
j. Sophos licences or subscriptions;
k. OEM support entitlements, paid support packs or paid service-pack access;
l. firmware entitlement access; or
m. any other licence, subscription, service or entitlement not expressly listed.
5.3 Equipment may not have the latest BIOS, firmware or software version installed.
5.4 Access to the latest firmware, BIOS, service packs, subscriptions, support portals or paid OEM update channels is not guaranteed and is not included unless expressly stated in writing.
- What is included with the product
6.1 Only the hardware, components and accessories expressly listed on the product page, quotation, invoice or packing note are included.
6.2 Unless expressly listed, items such as drives, caddies, blanks, bezels, faceplates, rail kits, cards, transceivers, licences, subscriptions, software, adapters, cables, power cords and similar extras are not included.
- Customer responsibilities
7.1 The customer is responsible for ensuring that the goods are suitable for its intended use, environment and workload.
7.2 This includes responsibility for checking compatibility with the customer’s:
- existing hardware and software environment;
b. rack, rails, power, cooling and electrical environment;
c. networking and storage environment;
d. operating system and application requirements;
e. licensing requirements; and
f. intended workload and drive usage profile.
7.3 Enterprise hardware should be installed, configured, updated and operated by suitably qualified technical personnel.
7.4 Faults or damage caused by improper installation, configuration, handling, updates or operation are not covered.
7.5 Routine installation or replacement of customer-side field-replaceable parts, done correctly and in line with manufacturer guidance, does not by itself void the warranty. However, Server Site is not responsible for any fault, damage, incompatibility or instability caused by those parts, their installation, or later changes to the supplied configuration.
7.6 The customer is responsible for:
- backing up all data before use, before any firmware or BIOS update, and before returning any item for inspection or warranty;
b. using the correct power, cooling and environmental conditions;
c. ensuring proper handling and anti-static procedures where relevant; and
d. not swapping out, removing, altering or materially modifying the supplied hardware in a way that prejudices testing or changes the supplied configuration without our prior written approval.
7.7 The warranty may be void where components have been swapped, removed, added or replaced, or where the hardware has been materially modified, in a manner that prejudices testing, alters the supplied configuration or contributes to the fault.
- Delivery issues, shortages and DOA
8.1 Visible transit damage, shortages, missing items or incorrectly supplied goods must be reported to Server Site within 48 hours of delivery, together with photos and the relevant invoice or order details.
8.2 Dead on arrival (“DOA”) claims must be reported within 7 days of delivery or collection.
8.3 Late reporting may result in the claim being rejected where this prejudices our ability to investigate, test or recover against a courier, supplier or insurer.
- Warranty claims procedure
9.1 All warranty claims must first be reported to Server Site and authorised by us before any item is returned.
9.2 Warranty claims must be reported as soon as reasonably practicable after the fault is discovered, and in any event within the applicable warranty period.
9.3 To initiate a claim, the customer must provide, where reasonably available:
- proof of purchase;
b. the invoice or order number;
c. the serial number of the affected item; and
d. a reasonably detailed description of the issue.
9.4 Do not ship or return any product without prior authorisation and, where applicable, a Server Site return reference number.
9.5 Warranty claims should be submitted to [email protected] or by calling 010 001 1116.
- Carry-in / carry-out warranty
10.1 Our warranty is carry-in / carry-out unless we agree otherwise in writing.
10.2 This means the customer is responsible for returning the item to Server Site and collecting it again after inspection, repair or replacement.
10.3 Server Site may, at its discretion and without obligation, offer best-effort remote diagnosis for hardware warranty claims before requiring the item to be returned.
10.4 Server Site may also, in its discretion, choose to send a replacement part instead of requiring return of the full unit. This is entirely discretionary and does not create any ongoing obligation to do so.
10.5 We do not provide on-site support unless separately agreed in writing.
10.6 Items returned for inspection or warranty must be packaged properly and securely. Damage caused by poor packaging or inadequate transport protection is not covered.
10.7 For exported or international units, return shipping to South Africa, insurance, customs clearance, duties, taxes and related costs are for the customer’s account unless we agree otherwise in writing.
- No-fault-found and customer-side issues
11.1 If, after testing, we find that:
- no fault exists;
b. the fault is intermittent and cannot reasonably be reproduced;
c. the issue is caused by customer setup, software, firmware, BIOS, RAID configuration, network configuration, compatibility, power, cooling, dust or environment; or
d. the issue is caused by misuse, damage, customer changes or third-party work,
then the claim may be rejected.
11.2 In such cases, Server Site may charge reasonable inspection, testing, labour, administration and related costs.
- Specific position on drives and batteries
12.1 Drives are covered only by a 90-day limited warranty against outright hardware failure.
12.2 Drive warranty does not cover:
- workload suitability;
b. read-intensive, write-intensive or mixed-use suitability;
c. endurance depletion;
d. normal wear;
e. performance degradation over time;
f. customer workload mismatch; or
g. compatibility with the customer’s intended platform, controller, firmware or use case.
12.3 Batteries and consumables are covered only by a 90-day limited warranty.
12.4 Battery runtime, battery life expectancy, battery degradation and reduced hold time over time are not guaranteed.
- Exclusions
13.1 This warranty does not cover any loss, fault or damage caused by or relating to:
- misuse, abuse or neglect;
b. accidental damage, drops or physical impact;
c. improper installation, handling, transport or storage after delivery;
d. incorrect power, electrical faults, surges, lightning, UPS failure or unstable supply;
e. poor cooling, poor airflow, overheating, excessive dust or unsuitable environmental conditions;
f. liquid, water, fire, smoke, corrosion or other environmental damage;
g. overclocking or operation outside manufacturer specifications or intended use;
h. malware, viruses, ransomware, hacking, cyber incidents or security breaches;
i. unauthorised repairs, tampering or material modifications;
j. software issues of any kind;
k. licensing issues;
l. integration issues;
m. data corruption or data loss;
n. third-party accessories, peripherals or items not supplied by us; or
o. any cause outside normal intended hardware use.
13.2 Firmware or BIOS updates performed by the customer or a third party are entirely at the customer’s own risk.
13.3 Any failure, corruption or “bricking” caused during or after a firmware or BIOS update, including due to power interruption, wrong file, failed update process or other update-related issue, is excluded unless Server Site separately agreed in writing to perform that work.
- Custom-configured systems and special orders
14.1 Custom builds, configured-to-order systems and specially sourced items are not returnable for change of mind, compatibility issues, ordering mistakes or project changes.
14.2 They remain covered only for valid hardware failures within the applicable warranty period.
- New goods and pass-through warranties
15.1 Where the customer purchases brand-new components or goods through Server Site, those items may be subject to the manufacturer’s or distributor’s own warranty terms, turnaround times, approval criteria and remedy process.
15.2 In those cases, Server Site may assist with facilitation, but the final warranty outcome may remain subject to the distributor’s or manufacturer’s decision.
- Data, downtime and loss
16.1 The customer is solely responsible for backing up and protecting its data.
16.2 This warranty does not cover data loss, downtime, loss of profits, loss of business, loss of production, loss of contracts, third-party costs, reinstallation costs, reconfiguration costs or indirect or consequential loss, subject always to clause 1.5 and clause 1.6 and any rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.
16.3 For fuller limitation-of-liability and indemnity provisions, please refer to our Terms & Conditions.