Starting to believe that Tech Support gets Sales Bonus. Seems like lately, half the time I call complaining about ??? I now get claims that ‘your transmitter warrantee is expired - time for a new one’ and now ‘your receiver warrantee is expired - time for a new one’. And when asked why that means my problems are electronics ‘FDA tests indicate after warrantee readings may be questionable’. That certainly does not answer why ??? occur many times each month regardless of age of use OR why when all OK the readings are typically within their guidelines.
So if my electronics warrantee is expired that means I need to purchase new? Interesting as I control $100,000 + of electronics, most of which came with 1 or 2 year warrantees and still working properly 10 to 20 years later.
Question - other than dying batteries in transmitters and other HARD failures of TX & RX does anyone here experience any validity in 'Warrantee Expire = Buy New???
No. MM sensor transmitters have a short warranty. From experience, we have seen them last many times longer than the warranty period. It would be folly to purchase a replacement prior to the device actually pooping out, IMO.
I have never gotten anything new when it goes out of warranty. I had 3 Minimed pumps over a 25 year span, so you can tell I didn’t replace when they said I should. I’ve been on a Dexcom for 2-3 years now and have only replaced my receiver once. Transmitter yes but it tells you when. I figure if it’s working why replace. I never had problems with my old receiver and still have it and it still works. Always good to have a back up. I think it is all about keeping the money coming in as that is the only way to stay in business but I’ve never been told I need to replace. Just get my emails, saying I’m out of warranty.
I get extremely frustrated when some sensors start giving ??? for 1/2 to 2.5 hours on day 4, while others wait until day 7 to start acting up. And then they give this Warrantee Expired - Buy New BS. Though I was not going to fall for their sales ploy, they did get me wondering if my Electronics were getting questionable.
My Receiver is only 13 months old and my Transmitter has been ‘Out of Warrantee’ since I started using it 9 months ago. As long as battery is reported OK, I will continue using.
By throwing this BS at me, I will indeed request a replacement sensor even IF it is on day 7 when 3 hours of ??? occur. Let that shoot them in the foot.
The Medtronic MiniLink transmitter has a one year warranty. For some reason I think it says the warranty is 6 months in some of their documents. But I asked about this while getting Medtronic to include my MiniLink in the list of devices in my Medtronic account and was told the warranty really is one year.
I expect that typically the Medtronic transmitter eventually dies for the same reason the Dexcom transmitter eventually stops working — the battery fails. For the MiniLink that would mean it becomes impossible to recharge the MiniLink’s battery.
If you could somehow cut open the transmitter case, replace the battery, and reseal the case, you could probably keep using it for a much longer time. But that’s way beyond my skills and thus nothing I expect to ever attempt.
I wonder if the MiniLink battery will simply abruptly fail one day or if it will parallel my experience with other rechargeable batteries and begin to hold a charge for shorter & shorter periods just before the end? I think I would prefer the latter scenario since that would give me a window of time to request a replacement.
When I know it is dead or dying, I’ll have to ask the VA to submit the paperwork to get it replaced. My guess is that process would take from one to three (or more) weeks. But it doesn’t make sense to do that until it is actually dead or dying. Medtronic no doubt starts the warranty clock ticking at the time they sell/ship a transmitter.
the VA pays for sensors, transmitters, the pump, sets, and supplies? I’m eligible for VA but have never seen any of their doctors (other than the time I wasted my time driving over 100 miles to see those clowns when I was trying to get benefits for Agent Orange exposure. Since I’m a T1, they wouldn’t give me disability benefits. thanks, Uncle Sam).
I would expect your battery to behave as other rechargeables. One thing to pay attention to is recommended charging procedures - ie recommendations may be to occasionally get to near dead before fully charging to avoid an unacceptable battery memory. This is a great site to search further for user experience.
As Dexcom starts their warrantee when item departs factory, reason my TX was out of warrantee before I even pulled it out of its packaging, I imagine Medtronic to be same.
I don’t really understand how the VA works and I have no idea if there is a general policy about CGM and/or pumps. All I know is that the doctors I have seen authorized it for me. My guess is it might depend more on which regional VA you go to and, in particular, what the doctor you see there is like.
Since the VA buys the equipment and then gives it to you, it can lead to some unexpected annoyances. Medtronic had no idea I was using Enlite’s and at first refused to offer support to replace a “bad” Enlite because they had no prescription for Enlite’s on file for me.
Ever try to get a written prescription from the VA these days? Since everything is done by computer, almost none of the doctors carry VA paper prescription pads. Mine didn’t believe she could even write a VA logo paper prescription. Fortunately another doc who was in the room when I asked my doctor for a script had a pad of scripts on her. 
I remember that from my early experience with rechargeables. But I have also read that (most of?) the current crop of rechargeables no longer have that memory problem. But it’s pretty much a moot point with the Medtronic transmitter battery since one almost always runs it down to the end. In my experience the MiniLink transmitter battery won’t last longer than ~7 days from a full charge, give or take a few hours.