You may remember reader Rob, whose story we featured here a few weeks ago. Rob bought a smart TV from Groupon Goods. and then ended up plunged in a bizarre chain of events involving an imaginary warranty, four different countries, and some very odd claims about how Samsung products have no warranty when they’re sold online. We have good news to report: He’s been issued a refund. By Groupon. [More]
warranty and repair
Skullcandy Changes Warranty Replacements: Makes Them Easy, Fast, And Generous
By 8.5.14
It sounds like mid-priced earbud maker Skullcandy has improved their service. We’ve shared stories about the company in the past when their warranty returns were illogical, didn’t disclose geographic limits, or just took an excessive amount of time to ship out warranty replacements. Reader Keith’s experience indicates that things might have changed, though. [More]
Jansport Still Wowing Customers, Fixing Broken Backpacks
By 2.5.14
Over a year ago, we shared with you a tale of consumer joy from a Jansport backpack owner who sent his bag to the company in a pizza box and got his worn-out backpack replaced with an even nicer one. They’re not all about swapping old backpacks for new ones over in Jansportland, though. Sometimes, all you need is a replacement zipper. [More]
Should You Really Fill Out That Warranty Registration Card?
By 12.26.13
Many Americans woke up to find new small appliances or electronics under the Christmas tree yesterday…or they picked one out for themselves in the before- or after-holiday sales. Gadgets, appliances, and toys come with warranty registration cards. You might think that filling these out and sending them back is necessary in order to use your warranty if needed…but that’s not necessarily the case. [More]
Gerber Legendary Blades Is Quick On The Customer Service Draw
By 11.4.13
Usually, when we mention the blade company Gerber here, it’s in the context of a recall of one of their products. That makes sense, because really bad things can happen if a knife that you depend on to perform knife-y tasks breaks, shatters, fails, or cuts through its own sheath. Reader Lee wrote in to tell us how pleased he was with the action the company took when one of their knives broke. [More]
Man Holds Protest Vigil Outside Of Sears Over Radiator Warranty
By 9.30.13
The nice thing about being retired is that it gives you lots of time to pursue old or new hobbies. You could plant an expansive garden, take up woodworking, do volunteer work, or play bingo. Then there’s what a 70-year-old Idaho man is doing: spending 6-8 hours a day picketing a Sears store in Virginia. [More]
Software Update Bricks Teen’s Tablet, Microsoft Shrugs
By 9.25.13
A few weeks ago, we received an e-mail here at Consumerist HQ with the subject line, “Bill Gates screwing a 13 year old.” Well, that couldn’t be literally true, but it was intriguing. Rick was writing on behalf of his grandson, who had saved his money for months to buy a Microsoft Surface that had effectively been bricked by a software update. Microsoft refused to repair it under warranty due to a missing screw, and Rick had spent weeks fighting the company. He turned to Consumerist for help. [More]
Philips-Avent Stands Behind Baby Monitor, Sends New One When Charging Fails
By 8.16.13
Reader Ben still needed his baby monitor after a year or so, but it would no longer charge. This wasn’t the kind of thing you could fix yourself: he couldn’t even find batteries for the unit. So he contacted the manufacturer, Philips-Avent. They shipped a new battery out to him right away, but that didn’t solve the problem. Oh well: tough luck, right? [More]
My Computer Has Been Trapped In Lenovo’s Anti-Repair Depot For 6 Weeks
By 8.15.13
Reader Chris now says that he should have known better than to buy a Lenovo computer. He wishes that he had realized this months ago. Life is about learning from your mistakes and all, but his computer has been stranded in Lenovo’s anti-repair depot for six weeks on “billable hold” and awaiting additional parts. [More]
Simple Human Replaces Self-Destructing Trash Can In Simple, Easy Transaction
By 7.26.13
Sure, a foot pedal lid trash can is a pretty mundane household item, but try going without it after you get used to having one. Annemarie’s Simple Human trash can jettisoned a part when she stepped on its pedal one day. It had a year left on the five-year warranty, so she called up the company. Maybe they could replace the lid? [More]
Walmart: Sorry Your Glasses Got Scratched During Repair, But It’s Not Our Problem
By 7.26.13
Ronald’s wife needed to get her glasses repaired, so she took them to Walmart. Walmart is convenient and has an optical department, after all. Even though she just came in to have a screw replaced, she left with a large scratch on her glasses. Unfortunately for her, the store manager insists that they’re not responsible for any damage that might happen to your glasses while they’re being fixed. [More]
Should A Warranty Replacement Mean A Whole New Warranty?
By 7.25.13
Warranties can be very complicated things. Jennie and her husband have an over-the-stove microwave that they bought from Lowe’s, and they happen to have bought an extended warranty for it. A pricey one: $100 on a $300 appliance. They needed to call in this warranty after only a few months. [More]
Don’t Notice Appliance Delivery Damage Within 48 Hours? Too Bad
By 7.24.13
Sometimes you buy a new appliance, but don’t use it right away. Maybe you just don’t have any dirty clothes or dishes for a while, or the room where the appliance goes just isn’t ready yet. That’s what happened to Russell when he bought a new washer from Home Depot: it was damaged during delivery, but he didn’t know it at the time. Since he didn’t report it within 48 hours, he’s stuck with the broken appliance, in a sad and desolate land between where Home Depot’s return policy ends and LG’s warranty begins. [More]
Now From Panasonic: The Disposable Plasma TV Set
By 7.11.13
Kevin spent a lot of money on a plasma TV from Panasonic just a few short years ago. Like many consumers, he assumed that the company would support a product that cost four figures for more than a year. Sure, someone who can afford a home 3D system can probably afford to hire a repair technician to come out with the capacitor needed to make the set actually turn on, but should they have to? Kevin doesn’t think so. [More]
Our Bissell Vacuum Fell Apart Too, But Second Replacement Was Fine
By 7.1.13
Back in February, we published a story from reader Tim, who complained that he paid $250 for a Bissell vacuum cleaner that was defective, and the warranty replacement he received was crappy. Reader Trevor says that he had a similar experience with a much happier ending, and send it in as a counterpoint to Tim story. [More]
Calphalon Matches Old Pan To New Lid, Sends It Along For Free
By 6.14.13
The warranty on Calpahlon cookware is pretty good, but doesn’t cover accidental damage or breakage. So Kenneth wasn’t expecting much when he contacted them to find out where he could buy a replacement lid for a discontinued pan. They figured out which lid went with his pan for him…then sent it to him for free. [More]
You Shouldn’t Need A Daily Replacement iPhone 5 Days In A Row
By 6.10.13 — Updated: 6.26.13
A few weeks ago, we ran reader Stephen’s sad tale of iPhone warranty replacements and reached out to our readers to see whether anyone else had gone through similar cycles of endless replacements. We’re sad to report that yes, some iPhone users have ended up trapped in smartphone replacement purgatory. When a phone only has four buttons, we suppose things are pretty awful when one of them stops working. [More]
Reminder: Know What You’re Getting Into With Gray-Market Electronics
By 6.5.13
Ruby bought the international version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. She thought it was great…right until it abruptly died. Samsung tech support wouldn’t help her, so she sent a plea to the mailbox of Samsung USA president Y.K. Kim. The office of the president couldn’t support a product that Samsung USA didn’t sell, either. [More]
