At Valco, nothing gets thrown away. Not headphones, not speakers, not even Henri's Alfa Romeo, even though it would deserve it. We have our own repair shop in Kajaani where our VMK headband models actually get repaired. Speakers and NL earbuds are the exception: they aren't repaired individually, a warranty fault is handled by replacing the unit with a working one. With the headband models we don't ship you a new unit and send the old one to a landfill like the big corporations do.
This is one of the things that sets us apart. And one of the reasons the Death Star budget is growing slowly.
Warranty repair (24 months)
All Valco devices come with a 24-month warranty. If the device breaks in normal use during the warranty period, the repair costs you nothing. Zero euros. No hidden fees.
The warranty covers material and manufacturing defects. It doesn't cover the dog eating your headphones, driving over them with your car or wearing them in the sauna. You know the drill.
If the warranty has only just expired, we're talking days or weeks, we're not going to leave you hanging over that. We're human.
Repair package outside the warranty
If the warranty has expired or the fault is your own doing, you can buy a repair package. The price is always a flat 69 €, and it includes the repair itself, spare parts and shipping both ways. The service works within the EU and covers the VMK headband models (VMK25.2, VMK25, VMK20, VMK19 and VMK15). There is no repair package for NL earbuds or Nordell speakers: those get a 24-month warranty exchange instead, and broken units are recycled into spare parts.
The repair works as long as more than half of the parts are still there. If the headphones are basically in atoms, the repair package isn't worth buying, we'll figure out a better solution together instead. After a successful repair, the device also gets an extra year of warranty from the repair date, so for 69 € the old one comes back practically as good as new.
Typical repairs:
- Battery replacement
- Speaker driver replacement
- Hinge repair
- Electronics repair
- Ear pad replacement
Hannes and the rest of the repair team look at every device individually. No assembly-line diagnostics.
How does the process work?
- Get in touch: send us a message at info@valco.fi. Tell us which device, what's wrong, and include your order number and a photo of the device. A photo speeds things up considerably.
- You get instructions: we tell you whether it's a warranty repair or a repair package, and give you shipping instructions.
- Send the device to Kajaani: pack the device properly. It doesn't have to be the original box, but don't ship it in an envelope.
- We repair and test: the repair shop fixes the device, tests it and makes sure everything works.
- We send it back: you get a working device in the mail.
The whole process typically takes about a week, depending on the mail and the repair queue.
Before you ship it, try this
Many a "fault" resolves itself without a repair. Before you pack the device in a box, try these:
- Bluetooth problem: Restart the headphones and your phone. The headphones may be trying to find another device.
- Older over-ear headphones: Plug in the AUX cable and unplug it, this works as a reset.
- Ear pads coming off: They're designed to be removable. Twist them back into place.
If nothing helps, then off to repair it goes.
Why repairing makes sense
A small company can't compete with Sony or Bose on advertising budgets. But we can do one thing they don't: repair your device instead of steering you towards buying a new one.
It makes sense for you, for us and for the planet. And less electronic waste means more resources for building the Death Star. Everybody wins.
