In NA the retailer is only, legally, involved up to the first 30 days. After that the manufacturer warranty takes over, which can be anywhere from 90 days to 5 years depending on the device.
30 days, some items can be less and some stores (Costco) can have a longer return/exchange period.
Thanks for the clarification on that. It's kind of funny, as I haven't really paid much attention to that side of things as (1) I haven't had anything fail within 30 days... yet; and (2) I would have just assumed that they were trying to make out like they were being helpful about it, if that makes sense. Put another way, I would have assumed that it was easier to just go straight to the manufacturer anyway, despite how painful that can be.
It's a loophole in the consumer protection system. Basically you can return any item for any reason in the first 30 days, including failure, and the store can't refuse it (some exceptions apply). If you're dealing with the manufacturer your purchase can be out for repair for weeks if not months. So from a customer view it makes sense to return it to the store.
30 days, some items can be less and some stores (Costco) can have a longer return/exchange period.