Excide battery not under warrenty

[millstreaminn]

I have a tractor that is less than 3 years old. I bought it used (from an individual) in March 2013. The previous owner had a new Interstate battery installed in it in February of 2013, based on the holes punched out on the label. Long story short is the battery is dead, and the local Interstate dealer won't replace it because I don't have a sales receipt. Of course I don't have a receipt and they won't replace a battery that is less than one year old without a sales receipt? What good is punching the label on the battery then?

Added to my frustration is the fact that I can't remember the persons name I bought the tractor from either to contact him to see if he might have a receipt. The fact that Excide won't replace a battery that is less than a year old ticks me off. It's not the $100 for a new one, it's the fact that their policy and their batteries suck.

 

[aczlan]

Looks like that is their policy and their warranty is non-transferable (ie: only good for the original purchaser): http://www.exide.com/Media/files/Downloads/TransAmer/Products/Exide Limited Warranty Policy.pdf

Aaron Z

 

[millstreaminn]

I called Excide to vent about my local guy not replacing the battery. The lady I spoke with told me they would replace it with a sales receipt (which I don't have)

 

[Gunny]

Yeah, most everybody now wants you to save the receipt in order to honor the warranty. Walmart used to give you those stick-on label things so you could put the receipt in there and stick it on the battery just in case. Only problem is that the thermal printing on the receipt only last about 6 months before it fades so much you can't read it, then they won't honor the warranty because they can't read the receipt, so they go back to the date of manufacture.
I bought some caulking that had a 50 year warranty. Reading the terms, you have to keep the original receipt and the empty tube in order to file a warranty claim!

What if you bought two things at the same time and had to make a claim on both of them if the companies required the original receipt? I had an incident like that once, it took about twenty phone calls before the second company would agree to accept a photocopy of the receipt to honor their warranty.

 

[aczlan]

Yeah, most everybody now wants you to save the receipt in order to honor the warranty. Walmart used to give you those stick-on label things so you could put the receipt in there and stick it on the battery just in case. Only problem is that the thermal printing on the receipt only last about 6 months before it fades so much you can't read it, then they won't honor the warranty because they can't read the receipt, so they go back to the date of manufacture.

For stuff like that, I try to make a photocopy of the receipt and staple it to the original. Then I can say "here is a copy of the receipt which you can scan in, and here is the original which has become mostly illegible"

Aaron Z

 

[Gary Fowler]

Yeah, most everybody now wants you to save the receipt in order to honor the warranty. Walmart used to give you those stick-on label things so you could put the receipt in there and stick it on the battery just in case. Only problem is that the thermal printing on the receipt only last about 6 months before it fades so much you can't read it, then they won't honor the warranty because they can't read the receipt, so they go back to the date of manufacture.
I bought some caulking that had a 50 year warranty. Reading the terms, you have to keep the original receipt and the empty tube in order to file a warranty claim!

What if you bought two things at the same time and had to make a claim on both of them if the companies required the original receipt? I had an incident like that once, it took about twenty phone calls before the second company would agree to accept a photocopy of the receipt to honor their warranty.

On stuff with a long warranty, I make a scanned copy of the print out because like you said, the receipt fades to obscurity in less than a year unless stored in dark, oxygen free atmosphere. I wonder if this is planned on the part of stores.

 

[millstreaminn]

I guess that sometimes the rules need to be bent a bit when it comes to being a stickler about having a receipt. This is an 84 month battery that failed in 11 months. They shouldn't even think twice about replacing it.

 

[aczlan]

I guess that sometimes the rules need to be bent a bit when it comes to being a stickler about having a receipt. This is an 84 month battery that failed in 11 months. They shouldn't even think twice about replacing it.

I agree, just pointing out the "letter of the law" per their warranty terms. Might try another Excide dealer (Tractor Supply perhaps?)

Aaron Z

 

[smstonypoint]

I can report a customer-friendly battery experience.

I purchased a battery for my truck at AutoZone a couple of years ago. The battery failed back in October. Being absent-minded, I neglected to take my receipt with me when I returned the battery to AutoZone. No problem --they had my battery purchase recorded in their electronic database and I walked out with a new battery at no cost.

I can't remember whether they asked for my name when I purchased the first battery. I have an AutoZone Rewards Card, so they may picked up my name that way.

Steve

 

[murphy1244]

I can report a customer-friendly battery experience.

I purchased a battery for my truck at AutoZone a couple of years ago. The battery failed back in October. Being absent-minded, I neglected to take my receipt with me when I returned the battery to AutoZone. No problem --they had my battery purchase recorded in their electronic database and I walked out with a new battery at no cost.

I can't remember whether they asked for my name when I purchased the first battery. I have an AutoZone Rewards Card, so they may picked up my name that way.

Steve

Auto Zone puts you in their computer so no receipt needed.