Sandy has a delightfully squirrel-proof bird feeder, but five years of outdoor use and bird landings took a toll. She tells Consumerist that when she contacted the manufacturer, Brome Bird Care, about buying some replacement perches, the company just went ahead and replaced the entire feeder, claiming a defect in the original. Chirp for joy!

About 5 years ago my husband got one of those super Squirrel Buster bird feeders. You know, the ones that let the birds have the food, but shut closed when a squirrel tries to horn in on the action. Over the years some of the silver perches have fallen out, so he recently contacted the manufacturer, Brome Bird Care, via email to ask about buying some replacements. He wasn’t sure of our model, etc. so he attached a photo of our feeder. The nice folks at Brome came back with more than we were expecting. In their opinion our feeder had a manufacturing defect, a flaw in the paint, so they were sending us a new feeder. We thought it looked just like it had been outside 24/7 for five years. Anyway, true to their word, a fabulous new Squirrel Buster Plus feeder arrived yesterday. After fighting with Comcast all day for an $80 credit, dealing with these folks was such a joy. Given ’em some business!

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.