Sears is a great example. I gave up on craftsman tools years ago, because so
many of the broke. Yes they replaced the broken tools, sometimes willingly,
sometimes grudgingly, but that did not help me at 11:30 at midnight when I was
trying to get a car running. I think the classic example are the cheesy socket
sets you can buy at many department and automotive stores, cheap, poorly made
with a 'lifetime' warranty. A lifetime warranty is not going to help me when a
tripod, ballhead, or camera goes south 35 miles into the back country. Lifetime
warranties do not mean a product is better, lack of one does not mean it is
worse. They may allow the consumer some recourse if a product does not hold up,
but not always. Mark said it best, large companies often offer lifetime
warranties because they can afford to. I would add to that, not necessarily
because they make a product, though some do.
Jim Couch
Tris Schuler wrote:
SNIP
> Sears is an interesting case. Everything that store sells is covered by
> Sears over and above whatever warranty/guarantee is offered by the maker of
> the product. I've taken Hoover vacuum cleaners back to Sears because they
> broke--obvious why, too: they're made out of plastic!
>
> Lifetime guarantees are rare. I take advantage of them when I can.
>
> Whether or not this guy's ballhead is well made or know is unknown. Looks
> to be and maybe it is. Take a flyer.
>
> Tris
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