Hardware Warranty Policy

Hardware Warranty Terms

These Hardware Warranty Terms supplement, are subject to and form part of the Sophos End User Terms of Use (the “Agreement”) which is available at https://www.sophos.com/en-us/legal. All capitalized terms used below shall have same meaning as in the Agreement.

1. BASE WARRANTY

Sophos warrants that during the Base Warranty Period, the Hardware shall be free of defects in materials and workmanship and will perform substantially in accordance with the Documentation, when used in accordance with the Documentation.

2. BASE WARRANTY PERIOD

The base warranty period for the Hardware will run for 12 (twelve) months from the date Sophos processed the order from its channel partner (the “Base Warranty Period”).

3. EXTENDED WARRANTY

Provided that Customer is the original purchaser (as evidenced by Sophos sales records, and except where otherwise required by law), Sophos warrants that during the Extended Warranty Period, the Hardware listed in Section 4 below, shall be free of defects in materials and workmanship and will perform substantially in accordance with the Documentation, when used in accordance with the Documentation.

4. EXTENDED WARRANTY PERIOD

The extended warranty period for the Hardware listed below will run from the date Sophos processed the order from its channel partner until expiry of the periods stated below (the “Extended Warranty Period”):

“End-of-Life Date” means the respective end of life date, as updated by Sophos from time to time, and published at: https://support.sophos.com/support/s/article/KB-000035279?language=en_US

5. SOPHOS’ OBLIGATION. If the eligible Customer notifies Sophos in writing of a breach of either of the above warranties during the relevant Warranty Period, Sophos’ entire liability and Customer’s sole remedy shall be (at Sophos’ option and subject to these Hardware Warranty Terms): (i) to correct, repair or replace the Hardware and/or Documentation as applicable within a reasonable time, or (ii) provide, or authorize the appropriate Partner to provide, a refund of the Fee paid for such Hardware. Any refund authorized will be paid only following the return of the Hardware to the address provided by Sophos, accompanied by proof of purchase, and will be calculated on a three (3) year straight line depreciation basis. Any items provided as replacement under these Hardware Warranty Terms will be warranted only for the remainder of the respective original Warranty Period.

6. STANDARD HARDWARE REPLACEMENT

A. Upon perceived failure of the Hardware covered by the foregoing warranties; Customer is required to contact Sophos for a Return Merchandise Authorization (“RMA”) number. Sophos will issue the requested RMA after Sophos determines that the Hardware is eligible for replacement.

B. Customer will return the defective Hardware or component part(s) of the Hardware to the return location designated by Sophos. It must be securely and properly packaged with carriage (and insurance at Customer’s option) prepaid by Customer and the RMA number prominently displayed on the exterior of the packaging.

C. Customer Disposal of Defective Hardware

1. Authorisation of Disposal: Notwithstanding Section 6.B, Sophos may, at its sole discretion and subject to applicable law, instruct Customer in writing to dispose of any Defective Hardware in lieu of return. Customer shall not dispose of Defective Hardware under these Hardware Warranty Terms unless and until it has received such written instructions from Sophos. Where applicable laws prevent the Customer from following Sophos's disposal instructions, the Customer shall promptly notify Sophos in writing. In such case, the standard return procedures under Section 6.B shall remain in effect.
2. Disposal Requirements: Where Sophos has instructed disposal under Section 6.C(a), Customer shall:
   1. dispose of any Defective Hardware in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations (including, without limitation, e-waste, environmental, recycling and data security requirements);
   2. ensure complete destruction of all functional components and ensure that all data, configurations, and stored information have been securely erased or backed up prior to destruction; and shall not transfer, sell, or otherwise dispose of any Defective Hardware to any third party for continued use;
   3. retain and, upon Sophos's request, provide reasonable written proof of compliant disposal of such Defective Hardware within fifteen (15) days of such request, unless a different timeframe is stated in Sophos's written instructions; and

   4. Customer retains full responsibility and liability for any data that remains on the hardware to the extent permitted by applicable law. Sophos has no obligation to remove, recover, or protect such data.

      Sophos may condition the shipment of replacement Hardware on receipt of reasonable proof of compliant disposal from Customer in accordance with this Section 6.C(b). Failure to provide proof of compliant disposal within the applicable timeframe may be treated as a failure to return any Defective Hardware for purposes of Section 11 (Failure to Return Hardware).

      Unless otherwise stated in Sophos's written instruction or prohibited by applicable laws, Customer shall bear all costs and expenses associated with disposal of Defective Hardware in accordance with this Section 6.C.

3. Unauthorised Disposal: Any disposal or treatment of any Defective Hardware that is not in accordance with this Section 6.C constitutes a material breach of these Hardware Warranty Terms. Unauthorised disposal shall be treated as a failure to return any Defective Hardware for purposes of Section 11 (Failure to Return Hardware), and Sophos's rights under Section 11 remain unaffected. In such case, and without prejudice to any other rights or remedies available to Sophos, Sophos may invoice Customer for any reasonable costs, expenses, fines or penalties incurred by Sophos as a result of Customer's non-compliance with this Section 6.C, except to the extent prohibited by applicable law.
4. Producer Responsibility: Nothing in this Section 6.C shall be construed to limit, waive, or transfer Sophos's non-waivable statutory obligations under applicable producer responsibility, WEEE, or e-waste regimes. Where such obligations apply, Sophos shall comply with all requirements imposed by law, and Customer's responsibilities under these Hardware Warranty Terms are in addition to, and not in substitution for, any such statutory obligations of Sophos.

D. Replacement Hardware Shipment: Upon receipt of any Defective Hardware by Sophos, or, where Sophos has instructed Customer to dispose of any Defective Hardware in writing pursuant to Section 6.C, upon Customer's confirmation of compliant disposal of such Defective Hardware and provision of any reasonably requested proof of disposal within the applicable timeframe, Sophos will (at its cost) ship replacement Hardware to Customer in accordance with these Hardware Warranty Terms.

E. If Sophos receives an automated failure notice from the Hardware, Sophos may issue an RMA to Customer and ship replacement Hardware without the need for Customer to contact Sophos. In such case, these Hardware Warranty Terms shall apply just as if Customer had placed a call for warranty coverage.

7. ADVANCE HARDWARE REPLACEMENT

A. For certain Hardware, Customer may be able to purchase a support contract that extends and/ or enhances the Hardware replacement cover. More information can be found at https://www.sophos.com/en-us/support/technical-support.

B. Any extension and/or enhancement under sub Section A above can in no event extend beyond the End-of-Life Date (“Supported Period”).

C. Where a support contract for XG and XGS has been purchased more than thirty (30) days after expiry of (i) any applicable Warranty Period or (ii) the previous support contract, Customer will not be entitled to receive replacement Hardware during the first three (3) months of such support contract (“Waiting Period”), unless reinstatement is purchased at an additional fee to waive the Waiting Period.

D. If the Hardware is covered by a support contract which includes advance hardware replacement and the respective Hardware fails during the Supported Period, Customer is required to contact Sophos for an RMA.

E. Provided the request has not been raised during the Waiting Period, upon approval of the requested RMA, Sophos will ship the replacement Hardware to Customer before the defective Hardware is received by Sophos.

F. Upon Customer’s receipt of the RMA, Customer must, within fifteen (15) calendar days, return the allegedly defective Hardware as directed by Sophos. Customer will use any packaging supplied by Sophos. If no packaging is supplied, Customer will package the defective Hardware in a manner designed to avoid further damage to the Hardware. In either case, Customer will ship the Hardware to Sophos, at Sophos’s expense, via the carrier indicated by Sophos.

G. Customer Disposal of Defective Hardware

If Sophos instructs Customer in writing to dispose of any Defective Hardware in lieu of returning it pursuant to Section 7.F, Customer shall comply with the disposal requirements set out in Section 6.C above. All provisions of Section 6.C shall apply to such disposal, including without limitation the requirements for compliant disposal, proof of disposal, cost allocation, consequences of unauthorised disposal, and preservation of Sophos's producer responsibility obligations.

8. REPLACEMENT. Any replacement Hardware shipped under these Hardware Warranty Terms may, at Sophos’ sole discretion, (i) be new or refurbished, (ii) be the same or a higher revision model, or (iii) Sophos may repair and return the same Hardware to Customer. The replacement Hardware might not be able to support the same Software (or the same release) used on the defective Hardware.

9. TITLE AND RISK. Title to the Hardware giving rise to a warranty/ support claim under these Hardware Warranty Terms shall pass to Sophos upon receipt by Customer of the replacement Hardware, or on receipt by Sophos of the defective Hardware at the return location indicated by Sophos, whichever is the sooner. Title to replacement Hardware provided to Customer under these Hardware Warranty Terms shall pass to Customer upon shipping by or on behalf of Sophos, or receipt of the defective Hardware by Sophos, whichever is the later. Risk of loss in relation to the replacement Hardware provided to Customer hereunder passes to Customer upon shipment of such Hardware by or on behalf of Sophos. Customer shall be responsible for obtaining and paying for any insurance desired by Customer.

Disposal by Customer

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this TITLE AND RISK section, and except to the extent prohibited or otherwise required by applicable laws and regulations, the following shall apply:

1. Title and Liability for Disposed Hardware
   1. Title to, and all liability and responsibility in respect of, any Defective Hardware subject to written disposal instructions from Sophos under Section 6.C (and, if applicable, Section 7.G) shall remain with Customer and shall not pass to Sophos;
   2. These Hardware Warranty Terms do not create any obligation for Sophos to provide disposal services or assume responsibility for Customer's disposal of any Defective Hardware pursuant to Section 6.C or Section 7.G; and
   3. Sophos disclaims all ownership obligations and liabilities for any Defective Hardware disposed of by the Customer in accordance with Section 6.C or Section 7.G or otherwise.
2. Producer Responsibility: Nothing in these Hardware Warranty Terms shall be construed to limit, waive, or transfer Sophos's non-waivable statutory obligations under applicable producer responsibility, WEEE, or e-waste regimes. Where such obligations apply, Sophos shall comply with all requirements imposed by law, and Customer's responsibilities under this section are in addition to, and not in substitution for, any such statutory obligations of Sophos.
3. Title to Replacement Hardware: Title to replacement Hardware provided by Sophos shall pass to Customer in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this TITLE AND RISK section, regardless of whether any Defective Hardware is returned to Sophos or disposed of by Customer under Section 6.C or Section 7.G.

10. NO FAULT FOUND. Should the Hardware returned by Customer: (i) be deemed by Sophos not to be defective or ‘no fault found’, or (ii) be missing any Hardware or components, Sophos will invoice Customer or direct the applicable reseller or distributor to invoice Customer, and Customer will pay the cost of any replacement Hardware that had been sent to Customer.

11. FAILURE TO RETURN HARDWARE. Where Sophos ships replacement Hardware before receipt of the defective Hardware and Customer fails to return the defective Hardware as requested within thirty (30) days of receiving the replacement Hardware, Sophos may at its sole discretion, and without further notice to Customer, invoice - or direct the applicable reseller or distributor to invoice, Customer for the replacement Hardware and Customer will pay such invoice within thirty (30) days of the date of such invoice. Once payment is received by Sophos, title to the replacement Hardware shall pass to Customer.

Clarification for Disposal Scenarios

For clarity, this Section 11 does not apply where:

1. Sophos has instructed Customer in writing to dispose of any Defective Hardware pursuant to Section 6.C or Section 7.G; and
2. Customer has disposed of any Defective Hardware in compliance with all requirements of Section 6.C (including, without limitation, compliance with applicable laws, rendering the Hardware permanently unusable, and providing proof of compliant disposal within the applicable timeframe); and
3. Customer has confirmed such compliant disposal to Sophos within the timeframe stated by Sophos or, if no timeframe was stated, within fifteen (15) days of receipt of Sophos's disposal instruction.

Where Customer fails to comply with any of the requirements in Section 6.C or fails to provide timely confirmation and proof of compliant disposal, Sophos may treat such failure as a failure to return any Hardware under this Section 11 and may exercise any and all rights and remedies available under this Section 11, including without limitation invoicing Customer for the replacement Hardware at Sophos's then-current list price.

12. DISCLAIMER. IN ADDITION TO THE WARRANTY DISCLAIMERS IN SECTION 7.2 OF THE AGREEMENT, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW SOPHOS DISCLAIMS ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAINTAINING OR PROTECTING ANY CONFIGURATION SETTINGS OR DATA FOUND ON THE RETURNED HARDWARE OR COMPONENT PART THEREOF. CUSTOMER IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR REMOVING ANY AND ALL OF CUSTOMER'S DATA FROM THE DEFECTIVE HARDWARE BEFORE SHIPPING THE HARDWARE.

13. EXCLUSIONS

A. This Hardware replacement offer covers repair or replacement of the Hardware should it fail due to a manufacturing defect during the Warranty and/ or Supported Period. It does not apply to Software, configuration or configuration assistance, or any other Product, Service, or support. Sophos will replace Hardware with a like model or newer equivalent if the exact Hardware purchased is not available. Sophos does not guarantee backward compatibility of the replacement Hardware.

B. This Hardware replacement offer does not apply to:

1. repair or replacement caused or necessitated by: (i) accident; unusual physical, electrical or electromagnetic stress; neglect; misuse; fluctuations in electrical power beyond those set out in the specifications; failure of air conditioning or humidity control; improper maintenance, or any other neglect, misuse, abuse or mishandling; (ii) force majeure, including, without limitation, natural disasters such as fire, flood, wind, earthquake, lightning or similar disaster; (iii) governmental actions or inactions; (iv) strikes or work stoppages; (v) Customer’s failure to follow applicable use or operations instructions or manuals; (vi) Customer’s failure to implement, or to allow Sophos or its agents to implement, any corrections or modifications to the Hardware made available to Customer by Sophos; or (vii) such other events outside Sophos’ reasonable control; and/or
2. repair or replacement that would be contrary to Sanctions and Export Control Laws.

 

C. ALL HARDWARE WARRANTIES ARE NULL AND VOID IF ANY WARRANTY STICKERS ARE TAMPERED WITH OR ARE MISSING, OR IF THE HARDWARE WAS REPAIRED OR ALTERED BY PERSONNEL OTHER THAN THOSE AUTHORISED BY SOPHOS.

14. CHANGES. Changes to these Hardware Warranty Terms shall be effective thirty (30) days from the date Customer is advised of changes. Such notice may include posting of the revised Hardware Warranty Policy to this website.

Revision Date: 29 March 2026

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Archived Versions

• 17 August 2023
• 17 January 2022