what does "lifetime warranty" mean to you?

[heehaw]

what does \"lifetime warranty\" mean to you?

one of the big box stores, has a water heater, that says in big letters on the front: lifetime warranty: so i asked warranty against ????: the answer: it is warrantied for the life of the water heater, which they consider to be 14 years: if it leaks after 12 years, you get a new one, after 14, go buy a new one, the "lifetime" is over.
thats not how i understand a "lifetime warranty".
heehaw

 

[midlf]

Re: what does \"lifetime warranty\" mean to you?

As far as I'm concerned it is for as long as I own the product or for my lifetime, whatever is less. Hopefully this is more than 14 years.

 

[Sigarms]

Re: what does \"lifetime warranty\" mean to you?

Lifetime warranty to me means that for the running life of the equipment, baring abuse or neglect (giving regular maintence service to equipment in question), all parts are covered for your (the homeowners) life.

Most times, they can be "gimmicks" to have the consumer look at buyint the product.

People also tend to forget that labor and shipping IS NOT normally covered in a warranty as well.

What people tend to overlook on a water heater warranty as well is that the time frame is "closed" on the warranty. Say you have a standard 10 year tank warranty. 8th year the tank leaks, you get a new water heater. That "new" water heater is only good for 2 more years, at which point the original 10 year wrty expired and if that "new" tank leaked in say 3 years, your wrty would have expired and you now have to buy a new water heater.

 

[Gatorboy]

Re: what does \"lifetime warranty\" mean to you?

Lifetime many times means "The products' useful life cycle", which in your case is 14 years.

 

[Jimbrown]

Re: what does \"lifetime warranty\" mean to you?

Any time I see "Life time warranty" I assume it means untill I get it out the door.

 

[earthface]

Re: what does \"lifetime warranty\" mean to you?

The Legal tremanolgy of a "lifetime" warrenty runs as the statue of limitations of the State of purchase. Usualy 7 years but can be as little as 3 depends on the State. After 7 years you are at the mercy of the manufacror.

 

[beenthere]

Re: what does \"lifetime warranty\" mean to you?

In total, it doesn't mean much. It's an advertising gimmick. IMO /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

But the fine print and weasel words will get them out of most any committment when the thing turns belly up pre-maturely. This is my opinion and from any experience trying to "collect".

If the item is replaced, it likely will be replaced with something of lesser quality, but maybe of the same 'size'.

The only lifetime warranty that I've seen stand up, is the one on Craftsman tools, but one has to be real careful anymore that what they buy qualifies for 'replacement'. I know of so many people who abused their warranty (using screw drivers to test the igniter arc of the oil-fired boiler where each test melted the tip of the screw driver) that I don't blame Sears for hedging a bit now. Sometimes the replacement is cheaper than the original, but that's life.

There usually is no free lunch. Look for quality, and usually that means one has to pay for that quality. IMO

 

[EddieWalker]

Re: what does \"lifetime warranty\" mean to you?

Sometimes Lifetime is only until you replace it once. After one replacement, that's it.

Also some products might be one hundred percent identicle except one has a longer warentee than the other and they charge more for that. Otherwise, there's no difference.

The way I understand it, they figure they charge the extra for the service if and when it happens, but call it a lifetime warranty. Not an extended service plan.

Eddie

 

[JoeR]

Re: what does \"lifetime warranty\" mean to you?

I have also seen this on home A/C units. Although, the warranty begins from date of manufacture, not date sold. Numerous A/C companies will buy closeouts from the manufacturer, so some of them could have been sitting from 3 to 5 years in a warehouse. When the homeonwer gets it, the warranty is already down 5 or so years.

A friend of mine had an A/C unit go bad after 6 years, and though it was under the 10 year lifetime warranty. Turned out the unit was 11 years old! No warranty for him!

Joe

 

[Alan L.]

Re: what does \"lifetime warranty\" mean to you?

Every lifetime warranty I have read says "for as long as you own the product". 14 years is not a lifetime warranty, thats a 14 year warranty.