Kobalt no hassle warranty????

   / Kobalt no hassle warranty???? #1  

crazyal

Super Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2003
Messages
7,753
Location
Northern Vermont
Tractor
Kubota, Case, Deere
Last summer I picked up a couple of 1/4" coil air hoses (the more expensive blue ones) for the garage. Clearly printed on the package are the words "No hassle Warranty". Last month one of them developed a hole. It looks like it's a defect as there's no cut or pinch mark, just a small hole. So today I went to Lowes to exchange it with a co-worker. While waiting at the return counter I had him walk over and grab one off the shelf figuring that they would just swap them, or so I thought.

The return counter said after the first year you need to contact Kolbalt for warranty issues and then said go to Kolbalt.com. I even showed them the words on the new hose "No Hassle". Went to Kobalt's site and there's nothing about warranties or contacting anyone. I did find a phone number for Lowes customer service so I called it. After 15 minutes on the phone and 3 people later I was transferred to Kolbalt who took another 5 minutes before telling me they don't have repair parts for the hose (no s**t). She then said the store should just exchange the hose, just bring it there (again no s**t). I told her they said to call you and you would tell them what to do. So on my next trip to Lowes I'll try one more time.

It's only a $15 dollar air hose. I only went with the more expensive one because I thought I could just return it if there was a problem. So far no hassle seams to be a lie. I kind of assumed that it was going to be a hassle but I kind of wanted to see just how hard it will be to swap the hose out. What bothers me is over the years I have replaced plenty of craftsman tools (Usually from pushing them way too hard) and they always either repair or replace them. Has anyone else had issues with Lowes?

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   / Kobalt no hassle warranty???? #2  
I've had problems with Lowe's all the way around. We stopped going there when Home Depot set up shop 1/2 mile from them.
 
   / Kobalt no hassle warranty???? #3  
It's no hassle - for them.
Maybe a poorly motivated store employee?
Try to contain your frustration (easy for me to say) and try a different store worker and hopefully they'll just swap it.
It's funny, I've had just the opposite luck as dt86 with HD vs Lowes - I'll drive an extra mile or two just to avoid agent orange.
Guess it just depends on luck of the draw where you live ...
 
   / Kobalt no hassle warranty???? #4  
My dad had bought there ratcheting screwdriver with the bit case attached. There held together by a screw in the middle which someone at the factory doesn't like to tighten. He has taken something like 4 of the back no questions asked.
 
   / Kobalt no hassle warranty???? #5  
Craftsman " Repair or Replace " !! From entry in door to exit from door = 24 minutes with a 1/2" drive ratchet that would skip . Same type ratchet returned to Harbor Freight = 5 minutes in door and out with no attempt at repair . Have not bought or used any hand tools from H.D. or Lowes but my view over the last few years is that either the big names have lowered their standards or a place like Harbor freight has raised theirs . And most Warranties are not worth the paper they are wrote on .

Fred H.
 
   / Kobalt no hassle warranty???? #6  
It is absolutely insane where we are today . We have the latest technology killing people on the highways .We have throw away lawnmowers , appliances ,tools ,pets ,kids , ,??? How far is this gonna go .
 
   / Kobalt no hassle warranty????
  • Thread Starter
#7  
I hate to say this but when Harbor Freight sets the standard for customer service when it comes to warranties that's a bad sign. Of course HF has lots of experience dealing with broken tools. It's not that this bothers me but it does make me wonder how hard it would be to replace a Kobalt socket. For me there's no HF (3 hours away), Sears is over an hour, HD is a little under an hour, and Lowes has stores on each side about 5 miles closer and further away. Plus the town HD is in has added a local 1% sales tax. So I would prefer to shop at Lowes. This is kind of a litmus test for the local store. So far they are not doing too good.
 
   / Kobalt no hassle warranty???? #8  
Shop at Lowe's all the time. Home Depot is within sight of them. I will not shop HD. I have returned severeral items to Lowes. A 5500 Watt generator that had severeral hours on it and threw a piece of metal through the side. I saw it when it happened. They exchanged straight across. I have taken PVC pipe back with the label so faded you could hardly tell where it came from.
I probably spent Twenty Thousand with them when I build my house and barn.
 
   / Kobalt no hassle warranty???? #9  
Just because it seems to fit here, I will quote the movie "Tommy Boy".
"You think the warranty is everything? I could take a dump in a box and put a warranty on it. What do you end up with? A warrantied piece of s#$%!" haha
 
   / Kobalt no hassle warranty???? #10  
Just because it seems to fit here, I will quote the movie "Tommy Boy".
"You think the warranty is everything? I could take a dump in a box and put a warranty on it. What do you end up with? A warrantied piece of s#$%!" haha

That about sums up my experiences with warranties. There's all the arguing and the convincing and the prorating and the feverish hunt for the receipt, only to find out they don't have any more in the store, or the manufacturer tells me to mail it to them and wait 3 months. I just don't put much stock in warranties.
 
 
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