UKC

Just reading the small print on the Lowe Apline Lifetime Guarantee, and I’m abit confused.
This is the statement they give:

Failure to produce proof of purchase invalidates your warranty. Products which are damaged as a result of accident, wear and tear, improper care or negligence, or the natural breakdown of materials over time, even if accelerated by environmental conditions, are excluded from warranty.

Apart from ‘accidental damage’ and ‘wear and tear’, what other kind of defects could occur?

I first thought stitching coming undone, or a strap snapping. But surely that could be construed as wear and tear?

Has anyone got any experience with this warranty? Or are most cases dealt with well, and this is all corporate language that can save their arses if they’re in a tight spot?

In reply to martinturner:


Manufacturing defects.

Which is the only thing a guarantee should really cover, especially a 'lifetime guarantee'.

Wear and tear is to be expected, as is environmental breakdown (if you leave your pack in the desert for ten years, don't try to claim on the guarantee...).

If you 'accidentally' set fire to it, don't try to claim on the guarantee.

In reply to captain paranoia:



You can’t expect more, however some brands go a bit further. I have just got the zipper replaced on my Arc’teryx jacket without any discussion. No proof of purchase or date of purchase needed. My description of damage was short: Zipper unzips.

In reply to Stefan Jacobsen:


Interesting. Arc'teryx quoted me £48 (!) for the zip on the thigh pocket of my trousers. I beat them down to £24 which I still thought pretty steep.

In reply to captain paranoia:

Give me a manufacturing defect that can be claimed upon, in a bags ‘lifetime’, that’s longer than the first month??

In reply to martinturner:

A sewing fault? A fabric fault? Either of which can take time to make themselves apparent.

I'm not really sure I understand what point you're trying to make.

In reply to captain paranoia:

Can that not be construed as wear and tear?

THAT is the point I am trying to make.

Are they generally understanding with their warranty issues, or is this a get out they use for every complaint?

In reply to martinturner:


No.

An inadequately sewn seam is an inadequately sewn seam (i.e. the seam was not sewn as per the manufacturing specification).

A faulty fabric is a faulty fabric; again, not as per the manufacturing specification.

Fitness for purpose is a different matter. If you buy an ultralight running pack, and use it as haul sack up some granite face, don't expect them to honour a guarantee; that will be wear and tear, and not a failure of either the fabric selection during design or manufacture.

I think it's a pretty reasonably-worded guarantee. If you don't like it, don't buy their products.

Before you ask; no, I have no connection with Lowe Alpine...

In reply to martinturner:

The warranty process is pretty straightforward - anything defect that happens within the warranty period (be that stitching, tearing etc etc that was not obviously caused by high impact/wear (read dropping/cutting etc) will be replaced or refunded.

This might sound a bit vague but that's simply because the range of problems that can happen is pretty massive and each case needs to be considered individually. Generally your gut feeling will be right - if you're really surprised at the failure, it's likely getting fixed/replaced. If you knew it was going to go for days before it happened or feel like you're 'chancing it' a bit, you may have less luck.

I work for an outdoor e-retailer and deal with this kind of thing daily.

In reply to Pedro50:


I've just experienced the ultimate expensive zip replacement on a pair on Haglofs mountain trousers, worn for a maximum of 12 days in total, no wear apparent anywhere else & definitely never abused

40 Euros!!!

No option but to pay, but obviously I now remember why I buy so much Patagonia clothing for myself & my children, its worth doing so for the no quibble, no hassle, repair service.

In reply to MischaHY:

Thank you, that’s the type of answer I was looking for!

In reply to walts4:

Scottish Mountain Gear?

In reply to Harry Ellis:


No, never had the pleasure of dealing with the above mentioned.

My trouser were returned to the repair agent nominated by Haglofs in Europe, I naively never obtained a quote before the repair was completed, big mistake.