I recently purchased an H2S printer and all going great so far. I noticed on the packaging it says not to dispose in case it needs to be returned under warranty and being rather large I was after opinions on how likely that was. Has anyone ended up having to return a whole printer that wasn’t DOA or damaged in shipping? I gather for general warranty repairs Bambu tends to diagnose remotely and send replacement parts you install yourself?
I have no experience in warranty cases with Bambu but depending on your local legislation what Bambu writes on the packaging is merely a recommendation and nothing they can define as requirement for a warranty case. EU and Australia seem to have similar legislations on that which specify that original packaging cannot be a requirement for returning a product. It only has to be packaged safely. The original box obviously often makes life easier though and eliminates any discussions on what “safe” actually is.
Based on my observations here on the board they however rather tend to send spare parts and seem to treat unit replacement as last resort. Thus the challenge seems to more often lie on the user’s skills to install those parts.
I would suggest to hold on to the packaging you received with your printer, for at least the duration of the applicable warranty period as stipulated in the consumer protection legislation of your country, and not just for the limited warranty period Bambu is usually offering.
In the EU the minimum warranty period is 2 years, with some member states extending this period up to 3 years (i.e. Spain). Depending on your location, that warranty period might be shorter (usually 1 year after the purchase), with some countries providing a better or lesser consumer protection. It’s up to you to find out what legal warranty period applies in your case.
Why I’m saying all this, you might ask? Simply because one never knows when the brown smelly thing might hit the fan and you’d need to make use of that packaging. In the meantime, you may use the packaging to store other items until the warranty period expires, then decide whether to hold on to it or dispose of it.
It’s your call.
I kept all of my packaging until the warranty expired.
Without the original packaging, I think Bambu will send (and charge for) a new printer, refunding the cost after they recieve the old printer, shipped to them in the new box.
I’ve had to. Hold onto it for a few weeks, find a creative spot for it that doesn’t disrupt life, and if the printer is working well after you’ve put it through it’s paces then you can make a decision.
We recently had a case here on the forum where someone threw away the packaging. His printer broke after just one week. Bambu asked him to send it back, but that turned into a big problem because he had tossed the box on the very first day. Now he has to wait quite a while for Bambu to send him a replacement box, since this isn’t part of their usual process.
So my recommendation is the same: always keep the packaging - at least one or two months.
Furthermore, if you do decide to sell the printer, the box will increase its resale value.
I have rooms in my house dedicated to storing the boxes used to hold printers, computers, TVs, phones and tablets.
Warranties have passed on many.
This maybe a me issue though.
Until about a month ago, I still had the box from my 1989-era Northgate 286 PC. It was large enough to be storing two assembled 27" bicycle wheels…
Thanks for the advice everyone, I decided to play it safe, pack it down a bit and put under the house for the duration of the warranty.
Every single 3d printer producer do diagnose issues remotely and then send parts for the user to install and fix the issue
I’m past three years on my X1C. The box has been stored in the barn. I wonder if BL would even want that box now. 
They wouldn’t want neither: the box and/or the printer, as both are out of warranty coverage. 
Not BL but you can sell that box online may be if anyone needs it to repackage its X1C for shipping/moving.
Very low chances of that happening.
Shipping charges are based on weight AND volume. Empty boxes of that size can be very expensive to ship.
I think a X1C box contrarily to a H2 box falls within the standard shipping size and you can meet standard cheap shipping charges for it. It might depend on the region you’re in though.
Standalone X1C Box: 480 × 480 × 535 mm (~18.9" × 18.9" × 21.1")
Assuming a 1 to 5 pound empty weight, shipping to a nearby city (90 miles):
- FedEx online calculator estimates $68 to $83. (Residential destination costs more).
- US Postal Service quotes $78 to $88.
- UPS online calculator reports Temporary Service Issues, Please try again later.
Picking a destination only 10 miles away and dropping off the box at a FedEx location only reduces the charge by $5.
Buying an empty box is not a good option unless you are buying from your next-door neighbor.
I think the OP has already decided what to do.
I believe there’s no further need to debate or elaborate on the pros and cons.