Warrantees as money savers

[Joel_BC]

I don't expect I'm the only one who can readily think of some instances where warrantees have saved the household some money.

I can easily think of instances involving a few tools, where registering the product and saving the warrantee document has worked to my benefit. For instance, a chainsaw - basically a good tool, but needing replacement of a part after 18 months or so. I bought the saw new, and it had a two-year warrantee. So the replacement of ignition parts, plus the shop time involved (at around $60/hour), came at no cost to me. In this case, the dealership I bought it from had done the warrantee registration - so although I brought my receipt of purchase with me, they actually had my name, phone number, and date of purchase on their computerized records at the dealership.

A smaller but more recent example... My wife gave me a couple pairs of socks for Christmas one year. They were good quality, and she got a three-year warrantee when she bought them! She saved the receipt. Through normal use, I'd put holes in two of the socks in about two-and-a-half years. She took the socks and the receipt into the store with her a few weeks back - and despite the surprised look on the face of the saleswoman, they replaced the socks.

One time I bought a good-quality pepper grinder for my wife for her birthday. Same deal - saved the receipt. The thing had a part that broke. Got a replacement, no problem.

Do you have similar stories?

 

[Hinotori]

We'd bought a car from my Mom a couple years ago. Well the shocks were pretty much shot on them and they were 10+ years old, so before we transfered it she wanted them fixed. She had a lifetime warrantee and Mom keeps all paperwork. She took it all in and told them she needed them fixed. They tried the "you must have all paperwork and be original owner" appparently thinking she wouldn't meet the requirement. I think that's the first time anyone had gone in after so long. Many don't keep their cars that long, much less reciepts and paperwork.

 

[Joel_BC]

We'd bought a car from my Mom a couple years ago. Well the shocks were pretty much shot on them and they were 10+ years old, so before we transfered it she wanted them fixed. She had a lifetime warrantee and Mom keeps all paperwork. She took it all in and told them she needed them fixed. They tried the "you must have all paperwork and be original owner" appparently thinking she wouldn't meet the requirement. I think that's the first time anyone had gone in after so long. Many don't keep their cars that long, much less reciepts and paperwork.

That's right, I think. I believe they count on at least 50% of people not keeping (or being able to find) their warrantees. And with items like machinery (chainsaws, shocks, etc), I think they also feel a lot of people will just forget about the terms of the warrantee, even if they did stick the warrantee/bill-of-sale away somewhere. Plus, with people selling their cars and even certain homestead-type machinery within five years or less, well the percentage who will come back, warrantee in hand, will be pretty small. I tend to feel that's what the companies believe makes the whole warrantee idea work out for them (in their favor).

I do tend to feel that a lot of people keep track of their warrantees when it comes to computers they've bought new.

 

[hqueen13]

We ended up having to get BOTH of our recliners repaired only about a year after we bought them. Thankfully they had SOME warranty, it wasn't 100% covered, but it was more than what we would have had otherwise!

Every little bit helps. I always appreciate companies that stand behind their products.

Its not a warranty story, but something similar... I wrote the maker of the stirrups that I have on my saddle because they are supposed to have a special feature that the side of the stirrup detaches if you fall to prevent your foot from getting caught up in the stirrup. When I fell, my foot didn't actually come out the way it was designed to release, and I ended up upside down with my rear end sitting on my horse's front feet and my foot in the air having JUST released from the stirrup (he's tall, if he had been short, I think my foot might have still been hung up). Someone from the company wrote me a VERY nice message explaining why they thought that the stirrup didn't release, and offered some grease (I had NO idea that this existed!) to help make sure the mechanism performed better next time (not that there will be a next time....) AND they offered me a pair of their really nice gloves. I was rather blown away.

 

[Joel_BC]

hqueen13, the story about the stirrups is a good one - I mean the company's response. Some companies still operate on the basis of pride in design & workmanship, and still do care about their customers. Maybe they are generally the smaller companies.

 

[hqueen13]

I think you're mostly right, Joel, the smaller companies take the time to do so because they know the value of their customers still. This company isn't tiny by any stretch, but they're no Ariat, either. We already have 2 pairs of boots between us made by them, plus the stirrups, and I'll be buying from them again.

 

[Hinotori]

The stirrup thing reminded me of a knife my husband has. It was like 15ish years old and the grips had deteriorated. So he wrote to Kershaw asking if they made grips for it anymore and how much it would cost to buy some new ones. They asked for mailing info and we thought they were going to send a price list. They send out a new set of grips for it free of charge. I like their quality any which way, but that really made me think well of them.

 

[hqueen13]

Oh, nice to know about Kershaw! I love it when companies surprise you like that. I wasn't expecting it with the Stirrups either. I didn't even know there was such a thing as "stirrup grease" - they use it to lubricate the "joint" where the stirrup breaks away. For a smaller person like me it helps to have a "looser" connection so that it breaks away easier if I do fall. I don't plan on that ANY time soon though

 

[hqueen13]

Actually, this does remind me that the barn had a pair of Fiskars loppers that we use to take care of the trails and such. The barn manager said that she once snapped the handle off of them (probably trying to cut something a wee bit too big, LOL). She contacted Fiskars and they told her to send them back and sent a completely NEW pair, no questions asked.

 

[Joel_BC]

When those companies make good on something that gives out or breaks down before it probably should, it's as good as a warrantee. But, like you say, can't count on it. So, when a warrantee does come with a product, it's good to save the papers that establish when you bought the item and what the warrantee offered was.

One thing that bugs me is when you have bought a tool that gives out just past the warranteed expiration. For instsance, I had a cordless electric drill that, like most or all of them, came with two rechargeable batteries. I'd paid about $135 for it. After the warrantee expired one battery began to take less and less of a recharge, finally the second battery got like that too. Being a frugal sort, I went to the dealership and tried to see if I could buy replacement batteries. The dealer told me the price would be $94 each! - but they could offer me a discount, and it would only be $87 each. So, to replace two batteries would cost me $174 ($40 more than I'd paid for the drill, the original two batteries, the recharger, and the case). :/