- Extensive Dealer Network
- Official HIKMICRO Importer & Distributor
- Client Service & Local Support
Returns & Warranty
Something not working as it should?
A Return Merchandise Authorisation is the formal go ahead to send a unit back to us for assessment, repair or replacement. Work through the checks below first, then log the request. Most faults are settled without the unit ever leaving you.
Ask about our Extended warranty & maintenance plan.
Warranty period
3 years, extended to 5 years, 60 months, on the Thermal Africa plan.
You will need
Proof of purchase and the serial number. Returns without both may be delayed.
Response time
Confirm how long before an RMA number is issued.
Where it goes
Our returns department. The address is supplied with your authorisation.
Try This First
A return you avoid is the best kind.
Thermal units are complex and a good number of reported faults turn out to be settings, firmware or power. Four minutes of checking here can save you two weeks without your unit.
Still not right after these checks? Log the RMA below and describe what you tried. It genuinely speeds up the assessment.
Update the firmware
Run the current version through the HIKMICRO app before anything else. A surprising share of image and connectivity faults are already fixed in a later release.
Reset to factory settings
If the image looks wrong, the palette, contrast or calibration settings may simply have been changed. Restore defaults and check again before deciding it is faulty.
Try a different battery
Swap in a known good battery and charge it fully. Erratic shutdowns, short runtime and failure to power on are far more often the cell than the unit.
Check the objective lens
Germanium optics fog, smear and pick up fingerprints like any other lens. Clean it properly and look again in the conditions where the problem showed up.
The Process
Five steps, start to finish.
Nothing should come back to us without an approved RMA number attached to it. This is the sequence.
01
Submit the request
Complete the RMA request form below with the model, serial number and a clear description of the fault.
You do this
02
Attach proof of purchase
Upload the invoice or till slip from the dealer you bought through, along with any photos or video of the fault.
You do this
03
We review it
We assess the request against the warranty terms and may come back to you with a question or a fix that saves the trip.
We do this
04
RMA number issued
Once approved you receive a confirmed RMA number by email, together with the return address and courier instructions.
We do this
05
Send the unit in
Print the authorisation, pack the unit in its original packaging with the document inside, and send it to the returns department.
You do this
Log A Request
RMA request form.
The more detail you give here, the faster this moves. Vague fault descriptions are the single biggest cause of delay.
Have this ready
- The serial number off the unit
- Invoice or till slip from your dealer
- The date you bought it
- A clear description of the fault
- Photos or video if the fault is visible
Would you rather use the form
If you prefer to complete and email the RMA document rather than filling this in, download it here and send it through with your proof of purchase.
Warranty Terms
What the warranty covers.
Here is what your HIKMICRO warranty covers, subject to the applicable warranty terms and conditions.
Covered
- Defects in materials or workmanship under normal use
- Detector, display or electronics failure within the warranty period
- Faults present out of the box
- Units still inside the three year period, or five years on the Thermal Africa plan
Thermal Africa Distributor of Thermal Technology.
Not covered
- Misuse, neglect, accident or damage from impact or water beyond the rating
- Repairs, modifications or opening of the housing by anyone other than us
- Normal cosmetic wear, scratches and marks on the housing
- Units without a valid proof of purchase, or bought outside our dealer network
- Consumables and third party accessories not supplied by us
Thermal AfricaDistributor of Thermal Technology.
Packing And Sending
Getting it back to us in one piece.
1
Print the authorisation
Print the approved RMA document you received by email and put it inside the box. The RMA number should also be written on the outside.
2
Use the original packaging
The factory box and foam were designed to protect the optics in transit. Damage caused in transit because of poor packing is not a warranty claim.
3
Include what is listed, and nothing else
Send only the items you declared on the form. Keep memory cards, personal mounts and anything not part of the fault.
4
Give the courier the RMA number
Whoever delivers it needs the approved RMA number. Deliveries arriving without one may be turned away at the door.
Returns department
Address
Unit 28 Scientia Techno Park, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
Full returns address is supplied with your authorisation document.
Receiving hours
Mon – Fri (8am – 4.30pm)
Who pays the courier
Speak to your dealer
State clearly whether inbound, outbound or both are covered.
What Happens Next
Assessed, then
repaired or replaced.
Every unit that comes in is tested before any decision is made. If no fault is found we tell you that plainly rather than sending it back with a shrug.
01
Booked in and tested
The unit is logged against your RMA number and put through a full functional test.
02
Assessment
We establish whether the fault is covered, and come back to you if it is not.
03
Repair or replace
In warranty units are repaired or replaced. Out of warranty, we quote before doing anything.
04
Back to you
Returned with current firmware and settings configured, the same as a new unit leaving us.
Common Questions
Before you ask.
No. Returns arriving without an approved RMA number may be delayed or refused, because there is no way to match the box to a request or to know what we are meant to be looking for. Log the request first and wait for the number.
Either works. Many clients prefer to go back through the dealer who sold them the unit, and dealers can log a request on your behalf. If you would rather deal with us directly, use the form above and tell us which dealer you bought from.
Start with the dealer you bought from, since they can usually reissue an invoice from their records. Without any proof of purchase we cannot confirm the warranty start date, and the claim may not be able to proceed. Confirm
Log the request anyway. We assess it, then quote you for the repair before any work is done, so you can decide whether it is worth doing. Confirm
Confirm Decide the policy here. Demo stock exists for the dealer network, so it is worth stating plainly whether it can be used for loans during a repair, and under what conditions.
Thermal weapon sights are Munitions List classified and Thermal Africa is a DCAC registered importer and dealer under the National Conventional Arms Act (41 of 2002), registration MS 1-22-0002620. Movement of these units is documented accordingly, so the return may carry additional paperwork. Confirm
Not sure if it is actually faulty
Call us before you pack anything. Describing the symptoms to someone who knows the range often solves it on the phone.