Author: OurGuarantee

For many of us, our kitchens are our sacred spaces.  In order for this to be a reality though, we need to make sure that it is filled with only the best products.  This means including Cutco products in your arsenal of cooking tools.  Cutco is known for their quality products, but what is less known about them is their Forever Guarantee.  Like many other companies, lifetime guarantees often come with strings attached, and Cutco is no different.

They promise to honor your purchase, even if it’s a gift from someone else.  And to take the weight off your shoulders to keep the receipt handy at all times just in case something goes wrong, they will accept your product without receipt or proof of purchase.  They’ll take all Cutco products and give them fair inspection.

In their Forever Guarantee, they make several promises about the products you are buying.  The company promises that your knives are built to stay sharp for many years.  If this isn’t the case, you can request for them to be looked at by a representative.  The company will work on the knives and sharpen them so that they are returned to you as if they are brand new.  They will also inspect them for other problems you might be having, as well as wash them so that they also look as perfect as the day you first opened them.

Keep in mind, however, that you must provide the costs of shipping and handling for any knives that you send into the company to have inspected.  There’s an online form that you can fill out in order to explain what kind of problem you’re having and what might be done about it.

If you do something wrong with your knife and you break it due to misusing it, the company is willing to cut you a break on your replacement.  While they won’t replace the product directly, they are willing to give you a replacement at half the retail value.  While for some, this may not be exactly what they’re expecting, for those of us who have tried to cut things we know we shouldn’t be trying to cut, this is a small blessing.

In addition to the repairs and sharpening that they forever offer their products, they also offer a refund for anything you may not be satisfied with for the first fifteen days after purchase.  Though this may be a little more difficult to fulfill if the knives are a gift and you’ve been holding onto them for a specific day, it’s still a small buffer for you to test out the knives and see whether or not you like them.

While their Forever Guarantee boasts a lot of coverage for a long time, looking into the finer details of the clause show that there’s not very much that is covered under it.  If you’re someone who likes to have their knives sharpened, then this may be beneficial to you, but for those who sharpen their own knives, and take care of their kitchen equipment like it’s gold, this isn’t as helpful.  Unless the product was damaged right out of the box, Cutco offers very little promise of replacing any damage or breaks that appear later down the road.

Shopping for luggage is never an easy task—you’re bombarded with different styles, colors, and sizes.  There’s many kinds of durability, and depending on how often you travel, this may play an important role in which brand of luggage you purchase.  One thing you should never have to worry about when standing in a store, is what happens if your luggage is damaged.  Many companies offer a lifetime promise, and luckily Briggs & Riley is one of them.

Briggs and Riley promises to repair any major damage to your luggage for the entire lifetime of your bag.  Their website doesn’t specify what constitutes damage over normal wear and tear, nor does it specify what the time frame is for the life of the bags.  From the context of their statement, it seems that they will cover damage done to your bag due to traveling—and this includes things that are broken or damaged beyond what would normally happen after traveling a lot.  As for the timeframe for a lifetime, it can be assumed that they mean the time in which the bag is in working condition.  They also explain that they are unable to clean your bags for you.  If you come back from a trip and your bags are dirty, it is your responsibility to get them cleaned.

This company also specifies that they are not responsible for baggage that’s been lost, or bags that have stolen, lost, or have damaged contents.  In the case that you are in a situation with lost or stolen items or bags, you should contact the airline and find a claim with them.  This is an option and is not required, though Briggs and Riley does not take responsibility for anything that is lost or damaged during the course of your flight.

In the case that you’re interested in having your luggage cared for after it was damaged or broken, keep in mind that you are responsible for paying for any shipping costs to have the bag sent over to the company.  The company still requires in inspection done on the bag, at which time they reserve the right to deny your claim as normal “wear and tear.”  As a curtesy though, they will ship the bag back to you for free.

If you find after a trip that your bag is in fact damaged or broken, and you send it in to the company to be repaired, keep in mind that sometimes the damage is so great that they will be unable to restore the bag to its original condition.  If this is the case, the company does not promise a free replacement much like other companies do.

Though their promise carries for the lifetime of the luggage, there are a lot of situations that may cause this promise to fall short.  Traveling is dangerous for suitcases and luggage, and often times inspections and transportation can cause damage to the bags themselves.  This lifetime guarantee is a great promise, though keep in mind that even though it sounds pretty fantastic, you may find yourself without the coverage you think you have.

Winter is coming and as soon as the temperature drops even a little, people rush out to get the latest fashions and trends for their winter coat.  One company that never fails to pull a large crowd, however, is North Face.  Durable, reliable, and worth every penny, North Face happily boasts that every one of their jackets comes with a lifetime warranty.

While this may sound almost too good to be true—and it is—many people swear by the warranties that they are given by a company.  However, before purchasing this product with the expectation that it will be covered for the rest of your life, take a moment to really investigate what the North Face company means when they say “lifetime.”  Breaking down North Face’s lifetime warranty shows the cracks in the coverage that may have some costumers a bit angry about what they’re receiving.

For starters, the “lifetime” they mention, is not your lifetime, but rather the expected lifetime of the product.  They don’t state exactly how long this is, but it’s clear that they don’t expect it to be very long.  In their FAQ, they give an example of their less-than-lifetime expectation for their sleeping bag products.  This leaves a lot of room for questioning just how long they expect each of their products to last.

While your product may have some wear and tear over the course of its first few years, many companies will cover the cost of replacing or repairing products that wear over a reasonable amount of time.  North Face, however, does not.  Their lifetime warranty only covers damage caused by the manufacturer or because of something outside of the realm of normal wear and tear.  This phrase is very loose and doesn’t quite explain what the company expects to happen naturally over the course of the product’s life.

There are other hidden holes in their warranty as well.  For example, if the product needs to be cleaned during the inspection process, then you are responsible for those costs.  And this doesn’t even guarantee that your product will be accepted and repaired or replaced after it’s been cleaned and inspected.  You’re also responsible for filling out an application for repair, as well as sending the product in and paying for shipping.  If the product gets lost on the way to the company, they take no responsibilities for it.  By the time you’ve finished struggling through the process of trying to get your North Face jacket repaired, you might as well just buy a brand new one—possibly from a company that is clearer and more specific about the things they will and will not cover under their warranty.

For many, the cost of a North Face is covered by their manufacturing and the durability of the product.  For those who are taking the lifetime warranty into account when purchasing the product, make sure you understand how little is covered under the clause, and how hard it will be to actually have your product repaired or replaced in the case that something does happen.

SKB cases come with a variety of products and a variety of warranties and guarantees.  Before purchasing their products, make sure that you know all the rules and promotions that come with each and every kind of case they offer.

When it comes to their lifetime guarantee, they are very specific about what kind of cases apply and which do not.  According to their website, only the hardshell cases are included in the lifetime guarantee they offer.  The company is willing to send replacement parts, repair, or replace any of their products as long as they are hardshell cases.  This promotion continues until the end of the item’s lifetime.  This does not mean that the item will be replaced if it is completely destroyed—only if there is a defect or something wrong with the case itself.

This offer isn’t something that is taken on faith though—in order to qualify for a repair or replacement, you must provide a proof of purchase to the company.  Without a proof of purchase, they will not consider your request, and deny your case the repair or replacement needed.

Some of the hard cases are not included in the lifetime guarantee—instead, they are only covered up to five years after the date of purchase.  Like the hardshell cases, proof of purchase much be provided when requesting help with your case.

Soft cases, on the other hand, are not included in either the lifetime or five year promise.  These are only covered until a year from the date of purchase, and only with a proof of that purchase.

This means that when you are looking to own one of the SKB cases, you need to be very careful about which case it is and also inquire about how long the warranty is for.  Also keep in mind that regardless of which case you purchase and which kind of coverage you have, you will still need to cover the cost of shipping the item to the manufacturer in order to have it either repaired or replaced.  Like many other products with a lifetime guarantee, the company reserves the right to deny you a replacement or a repair.

In addition to repairs and replacements, SKB cases also offer an opportunity to claim up to $1500 worth of damaged equipment if you can show that your items were damaged while using one of their products during travel.  This vote of confidence in their products is quite impressive, but keep in mind that if you’re using a risky method of travel, there is a limit to the damage they will cover, and only certain cases, just like the lifetime guarantee are covered.

Knowing the rules of your coverage and the rules of the lifetime guarantee of your case is important for every consumer.  Knowing exactly what to expect will allow you to make a better decision when it comes to purchasing a case, and knowing how much money you should and should not be spending on it.  Ask questions during your purchase, and don’t hesitate to call a customer service number with questions regarding any damage or broken items.

When people think about a shoe that lasts and is worth every penny you spend on them, the first thing they think of is Dr. Martens shoes.  They’re tough and durable, and unlike many shoes, offer a guarantee that they are built to last.  Some of their products are part of the “For Life” club, meaning that they are guaranteed “For Life.”  While this sounds great, it brings up many questions, such as: Do they mean the shoes are made to last your whole life, or the shoes natural life?  And if it’s the shoes natural life, then how long is that?

Upon further examination of the “For Life” promise, it appears that the terms in which shoes are subject to this guarantee are very vague.  For starters, only shoes that are previously deemed part of this promotion are eligible to be considered.  Unfortunately, it takes more than just purchasing the shoe for it to be part of the promotion—you as the owner of the shoe have to activate the promotion within two months of purchasing the shoe.  If your shoe is in fact part of this promotion, and you have activated the guarantee, then you are able to ask them to replace your shoe.

However, there are several terms and conditions that apply to this guarantee.  For example, the only condition that they would replace your shoe would be if the shoe began coming apart or shows signs of damage after what they deem is “normal use.”  This means that if they suspect that you’ve been using the shoes while doing construction work or for any hard labor, then they have the right to deny you a replacement.

Furthermore, in order for them to verify that your shoes were damaged under normal wear, you have to send them in to be inspected.  This process costs money and is non-refundable.  This means that there is the potential for them to reject your claim, say that you were using it for activities beyond what constitutes normal wear, and you will not be refunded the money.

While it is tempting to be drawn in with the promise of what appears to be a lifetime guarantee, when purchasing Dr. Martens, be aware of the potential risks.  If you do anything for work that might count as more than “normal wear” then you will be negating the promise of future fixes.  Also be aware of the time limit of when you can apply to be eligible for this promotion, as well as the risk that even after all this, the company may still reject your claim due to something they find during the inspection.

When it comes to terms like this, it’s important for consumers to recognize that the inspection is completely subjective and could result in a rejected claim for many reasons.  When purchasing this shoe, it might be for the best to make sure that this clause is not the primary reason for paying a certain amount of money and that you are aware of the potential risks.