In the early days of the compact disc, Philips offered a warranty extension for its compact disc players, recognizing the revolutionary nature of the technology and its potential for defects. One such owner of a Philips CD player was able to take advantage of this offer and, in March 1984, he exchanged his defective Hitachi DA1000 for a brand new Philips CD202, at an additional cost of 200 guilders.
The Philips CD202, a beautiful and high-quality player, was a hefty investment at the time, costing nearly a month's salary. But for this owner, it was worth it to be a part of the revolutionary world of compact disc technology. This story, along with the accompanying letter, leaflets, and receipt, offer a glimpse into the early days of the compact disc era and the excitement and innovation that came with it.
![Philips warranty extension letter Philips CD202]()
![Philips CD202 receipt]()
DutchAudioClassics contacted the previous owner of the Philips CD202. His story:
In the early days of the compact disc era, a young music lover decided to invest in a state-of-the-art CD player. He saved up for months, determined to get his hands on the latest technology in digital audio. After much research, he decided on the Philips CD202. He remembered being struck by its sleek design and high-quality sound.
When he finally made the purchase, it was a significant financial commitment - almost a month's salary. But he knew that it was worth it for the pure, perfect sound that the Philips CD202 promised.
As the months went by, he enjoyed his new CD player to the fullest. He listened to his favorite albums with a clarity and detail he had never experienced before. He invited friends over to listen to his new toy and they were amazed by the sound quality.
In August 1984, he received a letter from Philips offering an extended warranty on his CD player. He was impressed by the company's commitment to customer satisfaction and took advantage of the offer.
Years have passed since then, but he still has fond memories of his Philips CD202. He looks back on that era as a "nice hi-fi era" and is grateful for the experience of owning such a high-quality piece of equipment. He still has the warranty letter and the receipt of purchase and he is proud to say that he was one of the first people to own a CD player.
The contents of the warranty extention letter:
Dear Madam, Sir,
We are pleased to inform you, as owner of and Philips Compact Disc player, of an interesting service facility. This is the Service Certificate, a service guarantee that we have been offering for many products for several years. Such an agreement is now also possible for your Compact Disc player.
Although it may be expected that due to the great attention that has been paid to development and production, the aftercare of the Compact Disc player will be low, failures cannot always be prevented.
A Service Certificate gives the owner, against payment of a small amount per year, some interesting advantages, namely:
- at a fixed low price, repairs are carried out;
- after a paid repair, a 3-month warranty on the entire device starts again.
- the Service Certificate can be extended from year to year up to a maximum of 5 years after the warranty expires.
For more information, please refer to the attached leaflet.
Although a Service Certificate can in principle only be taken out during the warranty period, we have temporarily made an exception for Compact Disc owners. If you have a Compact Disc player of which the warranty period has already expired, we advise you to contact one of our Service Centers where you will receive further information.
A list of addresses is attached.
If the warranty period has not yet expired, we recommend that you send in the request card immediately. You may forget it later.
We wish you much listening pleasure and are always happy to be at your service.
![Philips waranty extension letter Philips CD202]()
![Philips waranty extension letter Philips CD202]()
The Philips warranty extension letter sent to Philips Compact Disc owners begin '80s
![Final listening inspection Philips CD202 in factory Hasselt]()
Final audio inspection of the Philips CD202 at the factory in Hasselt
![Dealer information leaflet Philips CD202]()
Dealer information leaflet Philips CD202
The Philips warranty extension letter sent to Philips Compact Disc owners begin '80s
Final audio inspection of the Philips CD202 at the factory in Hasselt
Dealer information leaflet Philips CD202