keithe@teklabs.UUCP (Keith Ericson) (03/19/84)
Regarding Sears replacing a "lifetime" diehard (sic?) battery, Keith Bauer sez "they wanted $28 'cause the lifetime warranty had been changed to a 5-year warranty. But what can you do?..." You can look the salesman right in the eye and say "I believe you are violating my rights as a consumer. Let me talk with the sales manager." I had a similar stunt tried on me when I went in to get my SECOND replacement set of shock-absorbers for my '68 Rambler. It was Saturday, and the salesman said 'we don't have life-time shocks anymore; you'll have to take these' and he made it clear that my "lifetime-warranty" had, in effect, died. I replied that this was unacceptable, and I'd like to talk with his boss. Well, his boss didn't work weekends, so I fussed and fumed through Saturday an Sunday getting ready to tear this sales manager apart when I called Monday morning. (They weren't going to take away MY warranty without a fight!) When I did finally get the manager and told him what the story was, he said 'No problem. Lifetime-warranty shocks have been discontinued, but we'll give you some [5-year warranty? I don't remember] shocks, and some paperwork showing that they are to be replaced as if they were lifetime-warranty shocks.' The paperwork was because the procedure for replacing the old shocks was to drive in, have a mechanic (?) verify that they were bad, and then show that they said 'lifetime warranty' on the shock. The 5-year goodies weren't going to say that, hence the paperwork. It turns out that the salesman was supposed to have known about this procedure, but didn't. (So when in doubt, don't take flack from a salesman. Talk to somebody who knows something!) So I got my shocks, and took two asprin for the headache I'd given myself... keith ericson at teklabs