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Beyond that, each warranty has it's own description as to what is covered, and for how long.

Remember: "lifetime" means expected product life, not the consumer's life.

"Sounds good, what does it mean?"

"Its guaranted to make it out the overhead door in the shop"

As far as your question, it doesn't mean "normal lifespan" to me. That'd be like saying "it's guaranteed to last until it stops working". I take it to mean the manufacturer guarantees to repair or replace the product for as long as you own it, assuming you have not abused the item in some obvious way. The manufacturer usually spells out the details very specifically though.

So I asked, "what does that mean? Does it last 30 days or two years?" The box the camera was in said 1 year. I had to point that out, so they said one year. I then showed them the ad and said "so your lifetime guarantee is really deceptive. Why not just say one year?"

One of the 3 guys standing there agreed, the other two got huffy about it.

I sell bicycles for a living. The company offers a lifetime guarantee, meaning if the frame ever breaks from normal riding, they will replace it as long as the original owner owns it. I explained that to them, that was what a lifetime guarantee meant to me. As long as I owned it.

If that isn't what they mean, then put a time limit on it. If it is the life of the product, then tell me how long they expect the product to last (with normal use). Frankly, there are very few guarantees worth the paper they are written on anymore. It is deceptive to advertise this way, and misleading.

I drive a '76 IH Scout as my daily driver..... to their credit they have honored it. Was a struggle with the shop foreman.... but the store manager cleared things up nicely.

Lifetime to me means if I buy it - it's my lifetime. If it's anything but that, then don't say "lifetetime!" How could you possibly claim "lifetime guarantee" and say for the normal lifespan later? That's terrible in my opinion.

If there is a set time period on the product then it is not lifetime.

Low expectations = low diappointment

For instance a auto manufacture may state they have a lifetime guarantee on paint on a car. Ohio says that is limited only to 7 years. When I look at a lifetime guarantee I want to see something like CRAFTSMAN TOOLS or my REDDINGTON fly rod. just take it back no questions asked ever!!!

This is just an example of word play to get your business. Not manufactures standing behind their gaurantee. Nobody holds a gun to their head and makes them lie about it. They decide to do it then swindle out. God Blesd

Having worked in an REI store and seen the abuse of their Lifetime Guarantee policy (which is now history), I will say that the people who expect a product to hold up indefinitely are directly responsible for the demise of that guarantee.

And beyond that, they're costing honest people money.

Replacing worn-out products "for free" isn't free for the retailer, which means that it's not FREE for anybody. The cost of honoring abusive claims against a warranty just gets baked into the price that EVERYBODY pays. And when the seller can't afford to honor the guarantee anymore... when that goes away... then someone with a legitimate claim is screwed.

The test of whether something is Ethical or not is pretty simple: What would happen if we ALL did it that way? If everybody is better off when more people behave in a certain way, it's Ethical. If not everybody benefits, and especially if others are harmed in some way, then it's Unethical.

So JMO, what "Lifetime" means is that if a properly maintained item should fail under normal use DUE TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, then that's a legitimate claim.

But if you walk the soles off of a pair of boots, or you drop a hot backpacking stove onto a down sleeping bag, or you crack a tent pole because you didn't have the sense to read the set-up card, or you wear a down jacket on every cold day for 20 years and it has lost its loft... That's on you . Don't expect me and everybody else who buys that item to subsidize your stupidity & greed.

If they want to limit the use of the guarantee, they should spell it out in the beginning. Again, it's a game some companies will play to get business, but that shouldn't be laid at the feet of the consumer who expects the policy to be legit.

I think those words are getting pretty twisted on both ends of that deal...

" The fact that they want to twist wording around to benefit themselves and [get free replacements on anything they can find a way to break or wear out], is again, their problem.

Guarantees for the lifetime of the product are ambiguous and pointless. If one wants to guarantee a product for "its" lifetime, then put a number on what its lifetime is, e.g. 5 years. However, as already pointed out, some companies don't do that because they like to cash in on the tag line. It is really a reflection of today's society, where once a slogan like "lifetime guarantee" meant something, but has now been rendered meaningless.

I guess now is when I get to razz you about how a 3-year-old compound is about as useless as a 5-year-old laptop....

And not to hijack this thread completely, but Franzen asked :

" 1) How does a consumer know if a product stops working because of defective craftsmanship, or if something simply wore out? "

Seriously? Consumer electronics, maybe. But... Outdoor gear? Clothing? Boots? Knives?

Rool o' Thumm..... If it still looks like it ought to last a long while but it fails in one specific area, it's defective; if it's falling apart all over the place, it's probably plumb wore out.

Same people who want a participation trophy, same pay as their boss, and free replacements of worn out or miss-used gear.

You can set here and philosophy why you think my view is narrow on the subject. But, I'm not claiming something then, backing out when my purposeful word play of the term lifetime guarantee is being called into question. I don't care where you've worked or what you think you know about it. It doesn't change the reality that lifetime guarantee should be honored for the lifetime of the product. If abuse is a concern, word the warranty like many companies currently do by saying as long as the product is being used as intended. It is that simple.

It is obvious that some companies have a good understanding of the English Language. And, use it correctly to explain what their warranty means. There are many companies that d this. It is a sign that they are doing their best to build a quality product that you can depend on. But, have no intentions of covering the misuse of their product. Pretty simple isn't it? Truthful too. A lot better than a company that claims lifetime but, tries to swindle out of it.

God Bless men.

I used to have the opportunity to buy some of the returned "defective" gear, and most of it was perfectly fine. A pair of 9x40 Steiners are still going strong 25 years later. The guy used them on a 5 day pronghorn hunt, then returned them, boots, sleeping bag, etc.

If I drop something and it breaks, it's on me. I tell the company straight up and ask if what the price for repair will be. Most often they treat me more than fair.

But "lifetime" is a place I've been screwed on 2x.

Kowa spotting scope: Lifetime guarantee. I have a 20-year old scope, went to unscrew the lens cap and it wouldn't unscrew. Instead the entire body started spinning and I couldn't stop it because the spinning portion was inside the sun shroud that was also free spinning. Ended up unscrewing the body and opening the seal. Told company that straight up. They said, "not our problem, you unscrewed the scope". We no longer have seals for that scope but will give you a generous 25% off a new scope. No thanks.

Brunton binos had the HALO no-questions-asked warranty. Until I needed it, and they said they had eliminated that program, despite mine being registered and me having the paperwork.

In both cases I'm at the mercy of customer service. What am I going to do, sue? All I can do is move on with a company that I think will treat me better.

Two weeks later I received a brand new pair in the mail.

With regards to optics, I've switched to Vortex and while I haven't had to deal with any warranty items, their customer service has been extremely helpful with questions, etc. and thus far I'm very impressed with their company and their glass.

The only thing I'd cut slack on a "lifetime" warranty is abuse. if I drive over it and bust it, bad on me. But even then, there are companies who will honor it.

Using deceptive advertising to sell an item..... people should be slapped. It's a dishonest scam. But I'm sure there are companies who will go ahead with the wording knowing the product will not live up to their claims. They do so knowing a majority of buyers will not go to the trouble of using the warranty anyway. It's factored in to the sales plan hoping the "lifetime warranty" adds more sales than it will cost them. Once it becomes apparent they have miscalculated then the tap dance begins......

God bless, Steve

Great example would be Magnus. No one in their right mind questions how committed this company is in standing by its product and reputation. Yet, Magnus sold its line of carbon steel heads years ago to another maker who also honored the lifetime guarantee...yet the successor company has ceased production. I don't hold that against Magnus. Magnus sold the carbon steel product line in 'good faith' that the lifetime guarantee would be honored by the new owner. Things happen....