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Shopping Cart“Lifetime” warranty can be slippery
Posted by James Shiffer
When Bridget DeZiel’s hot tub turned cold earlier this fall, she figured the lifetime warranty meant she would get a new heater gratis. Yet the Bloomington woman paid $250 to replace the unit because she was told that “lifetime” on her eight-year-old Cal Spas hot tub meant seven years.
The definition of lifetime is slippery when it comes to product warranties. Manufacturers often mean the expected lifespan of the product, or they could mean the time it’s owned by its original buyer, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The least common usage is the lifetime of the owner, the FTC says.
In DeZiel’s case, the dealer made a mistake, because lifetime really meant lifetime and DeZiel should have paid only the labor cost, according to Cal Spas spokeswoman Courtney Salas. The Pomona, Calif.-based company has contacted its Minnesota distributors to correct these misinterpretations, Salas said.
As for DeZiel’s overpayment, “we’ll take care of it,” Salas said.
What surprises have you encountered with lifetime warranties?
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This is why you have to be careful about who you make big purchases from. It’s not only the product you should be studying, but also the customer service and knowledge of the sales person.
[...] Cal Spas “Lifetime” is shorter than it sounds « HotTubWorks Blog [...]
My 3 week old Cal Spa broke down Nov 28, 2010 and I have waited for 2 months to get the new circulation pump. Cal Spa are proud and state your warranty is now fulfilled?????? What nonesense. If I ran my business like that I wouldn’t last a year!!!
BEWARE if you are considering a CAL SPA. Circulation pumps are defective.
John. We stock your pump. Just email brian@hottubworks.com, he’s lead tech so he’ll get you set, and you’ll save money.
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