Ever wondered what it would be like to rent an air-conditioner instead of spending a large sum upfront? Well, wonder no more – water and air purifier retailer SK Magic Malaysia has teamed up with Samsung to offer the latter’s WindFree products on a rental basis, similar to its other products.
The WindFree air-cons differentiate themselves through their indirect cooling feature, channelling air through 23,000 tiny holes on the front instead of blowing a cold blast of air right at you. This has the added benefit of reducing energy consumption by up to 77%; you can also set the air-con to cool the room quicker using the direct Fast Cooling function.
Aside from that, you can control the air-cons remotely using your smartphone, albeit only with Samsung’s own SmartThings app. The Premium Plus models have a couple of additional features over the standard Deluxe – a triple-layer Tri-Care Filter and a Freeze Wash function that freezes and defrosts the heat exchanger to clean it.
“We are thrilled with this strategic partnership with Samsung Malaysia as it will further allow both parties to continue innovating and providing a future-forward technology that would raise the quality of life among Malaysians,” said SK Magic Malaysia managing director Andy Kim. “The collaboration has opened a new way for every Malaysian to enjoy the latest technology at an affordable price, eventually offering a holistic living environment for them.”
But is it really an “affordable” price? A total of four variants are being made available through this service – the WindFree Deluxe in 1hp and 1.5hp versions and the WindFree Premium Plus with outputs of 2hp and 2.5hp. There are Lite, Basic and Special rental packages for each, each coming with different levels of maintenance included.
The Lite package essentially gives you the air-con as is, without any servicing on top. The Basic package adds major servicing that includes deep cleaning of both the indoor and outdoor units every 18 months, while the Plus throws in minor servicing every six months, consisting of a filter wash, jet wash, UV sterilisation and exterior cleaning. The monthly cost of each air-con is as follows:
Samsung WindFree Premium Plus 2hp
Samsung WindFree Premium Plus 2.5hp
By comparison, Samsung’s retail prices of the air-cons are RM2,099 for the Deluxe 1hp, RM2,399 for the Deluxe 1.5hp, RM3,999 for the Premium Plus 2hp and RM4,549 for the Premium Plus 2.5hp.
As you might expect, it’s quite a bit more expensive to lease the air-cons in the long run, instead of just buying them outright. All packages are provided under a five-year contract, which means that even with the bargain basement Lite, the total cost comes up to RM4,740 for the Deluxe 1hp, RM5,340 for the Deluxe 1.5hp, RM7,140 for the Premium Plus 2hp and RM7,740 for the Premium Plus 2.5hp.
Selecting the Basic plan bumps up the overall cost to RM5,940 for the Deluxe 1hp, RM6,540 for the Deluxe 1.5hp, RM8,340 for the Premium Plus 2hp and RM8,940 for the Premium Plus 2.5hp. It gets seriously pricey for the Special plan – over five years, you’ll be paying RM6,540 for the Deluxe 1hp, RM7,140 for the Deluxe 1.5hp, RM8,940 for the Premium Plus 2hp and a whopping RM9,540 for the Premium Plus 2.5hp. And you still have to return it at the end of your rental period!
The situation is further complicated by the fact that Samsung bundles its own maintenance packages into its instalment plans. You can choose between one-, two- and three-year packages, with payments spread over six, 12 or 24 months and servicing performed either every three (Lite) or six months (Premium). You do pay more every month, but in return you end up paying less overall – and you get to keep the air-con.
Say, for instance, you want to purchase the WindFree Deluxe 1hp with the three-year Lite package and a 24-month instalment plan. The monthly payments of RM135 will be a bit higher than the RM109 you would pay with SK Magic’s Special plan, but the overall cost would only come up to RM3,243.15 instead of RM6,540. Yes, you don’t get five years of coverage and you also only receive three years of warranty, but it’s half the money.
Even with the Premium package with double the service intervals, you’re only paying RM4,003.15, with monthly instalments of RM167. That’s less than you’d pay to rent the same air-con as is, without any maintenance. Click on these links to find out more about SK Magic’s and Samsung’s packages.