[AT] Shopping season, support patriotic business

[Dean Van Peursem]

Ron,

I haven't checked lately but my recollection is that only the box end and open
end Craftsman branded wrenches hand tools and maybe sockets have the lifetime
warranty any more. Any tool that has moving parts within the tool such as
ratchets or torque wrenches have a very limited warranty with some as low as 90
days. Each tool package has to be read carefully to find out what the warranty
is for each specific tool. Be very careful.  We have all been conditioned by
previous experience/advertising that any tool that was branded Craftsman had a
lifetime warranty. No so any more at all. In fact it is a bit difficult to find
out what the warranty for a specific tool is sometimes, especially when ordering
on-line. To find out what the warranty is on a specific tool it is necessary to
fill out an online form and request the information as follows:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/nb_10153_12608_NB_CSwarrantyinformation?adCell=A3

There has been a steady erosion away from the Craftsman brand Lifetime Warranty
over the last few years. I've had a few confrontations with them over specific
tools that I purchased under the lifetime warranty that no longer have it on the
new Craftsman versions. Save your old Craftsman tool catalogs for your warranty
protection that was active at the time of the tool purchase. A rather subtle,
secretive and unannounced shift in their warranty policy. My only real quarrel
with them is they are not honoring the original warranty that was in effect at
the time of the purchase. A company cannot change their original warranty on a
product that it was sold under. Sears is doing that. IMHO that is unethical. On
new products/sales they can make the warranty anything they want as long as they
make an attempt to clearly inform the customer properly. I'm a bit surprised
that there hasn't been a bigger stink made of this such as a class action suit. 

Dean Van Peursem
Apache Junction, AZ

We don't stop playing because we grow old; 
we grow old because we stop playing.
 George Bernard Shaw

-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of rdhaskell at juno.com
Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2008 11:35 PM
To: at at lists.antique-tractor.com
Subject: Re: [AT] Shopping season, support patriotic business

Hi Dean.  With in the last couple of months, I have seen adds on TV for
Sears and they say life time guarantee no Craftsman hand tools.

Ron Haskell
rdhaskell at juno.com
Riverside, California USA
http://picasaweb.google.com/RonHaskell

On Wed, 3 Dec 2008 22:15:56 -0700 "Dean Van Peursem" <deanvp at att.net>
writes:
> Herb,
> 
> Excellent point worth remembering. Just checked that about Sears and 
> it is still
> true. I used to buy most of my tools (Craftsman) at Sears but have 
> recently been
> a bit frustrated by how much they have reduced the warranty period 
> on their
> tools. Has caused me to consider other brands more now which I 
> didn't do that
> much in the past. Given not a big and obvious feature or performance 
> difference
> I still lean their way. 
> 
> Dean Van Peursem
> Apache Junction, AZ
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