Policy for Broken, Lost or Stolen dongles. Are dongles guaranteed ?

Yes, dongles are guaranteed for 5 years EXCEPT when: 

• the dongle is physically damaged (crushed, broken, etc...) 
• the dongle is lost 

Check the procedure below, depending on what happens.

My dongle is not working anymore but is not physically broken

First make sure that it doesn't work and review the article available by clicking here, which can help you to find some common causes of dongles not being recognized.

If after having read this article, your dongle is still not recognized when plugged in:

1. Send us an email saying that your dongle doesn't work anymore.
2. Softron will issue a temporary software license that can be activated on the web so you can keep on working.
3. Send us back the dongle. Be aware that shipping is at your own cost and responsibility, so use a service that allows for tracking such as FedEx or DHL. (Do NOT use registered mail). If the dongle gets lost on its way to us, it will be considered as lost  and you will have to purchase a new license again. This shipping cost must be entirely covered by you, so make sure to pay the eventual duties.
4. Once we receive the dongle, we analyze it and we consider the 4 different cases:

• If the dongle is not physically broken but doesn't work anymore, and you have purchased less than 5 years ago, the guarantee applies and we send back a new one to you at no charge.
• If the dongle is not physically broken but doesn't work anymore, but you have purchased more than 5 years ago, you will have to purchase a new dongle from the online store, as well service fees and we will transfer the license to the new dongle (see the procedure for broken dongles above).
• If  we notice that the dongle is physically damaged, you will have to purchase a new dongle from the online store and we will transfer the license to the new dongle (see the procedure for broken dongles above).
• If nothing is found faulty with the returned dongle and you misused it, Softron will invoice you the shipping and some administrative costs to return it to you. 

My dongle is physically broken (you can see it)

In the event that you have a physically broken dongle:

1. Send us an email saying that your dongle doesn't work anymore.
2. Purchase a new dongle from the online store.
3. Softron will issue a temporary software license that can be activated on the web so you can keep on working.
4. Send us back the dongle. Be aware that shipping is at your own cost and responsibility, so use a service that allows for tracking such as FedEx or DHL. (Do NOT use registered mail). If the dongle gets lost on its way to us, it will be considered as lost and you will have to purchase a new license again. This shipping cost must be entirely covered by you, so make sure to pay the eventual duties.
5. Once we receive the dongle, we transfer the license to the new dongle and send it back to you (the cost will only be the purchase price of the new dongle, no additional charge applied BUT we need to have the dongle back, without it, we will consider it lost). We ship using FedEx International priority, so it is usually pretty quick. Depending on where you are, it should take 1-2 days to arrive (might be longer if you live in a remote place).

My dongle is lost or has been stolen

Your dongle is your license, and we have no way to deactivate a dongle remotely, so any one who found it or stole it can use it. This is why we recommend to insure dongles, the same way you insure a valuable hardware, and to do a complain to the police if it was stolen.

When a dongle is lost or stolen, unfortunately the only possibility is for you to purchase a new full license, dongle, etc... :-(

While you investigate, make sure to send us an email saying that your dongle was lost or stolen and we will issue a temporary software license that can be activated on the web so you can keep on working.

Additional Terms and Conditions

• Softron warranty covers only defects in materials and workmanship under normal use. It does not cover:
  • damage caused by accidents, abuse, misuse, mishandling, or improper installation;
    unauthorized modifications, repairs, or tampering;
  • damage resulting from use outside of the recommended environmental or electrical specifications;
  • cosmetic damage that does not affect functionality;
  • loss, theft, or physical destruction of the product.
• Warranty claims must be accompanied by a valid proof of purchase indicating the purchase date and product serial number.
• Outbound shipping from Softron to the dealer or customer is covered. Inbound shipping from the customer to Softron is not included.
• The customer is responsible for the inbound shipping cost and must use an insured shipping service (such as FedEx or UPS), and not registered mail.
• We will ship only to the same country as the one used for the original order.
• Customers are responsible for securely packaging the product when shipping it to Softron for warranty service. Products damaged during shipping due to inadequate packaging will not be covered under warranty.
• Softron’s liability is limited solely to the repair or replacement of the defective product under the terms of this warranty. Under no circumstances shall Softron be liable for any incidental, consequential, or indirect damages, including but not limited to loss of data, loss of revenue, or business interruption.