I also remember when I was new on CPF the members here were, in my opinion, abusing the hell out of their customer service.
On the other hand they definitely don't have the kind of open attitude they used to. They're kind of testy and quick to tell you they can't help instead of figuring something out.
While it's not going to win me any points for the popularity contest, is anyone shocked that the former created the latter?
It's pretty common to hear of companies that had very generous warranties that had drastically narrow it on account of abuse. It's a story as old as time. When warranties become a black hole for your budget, that's bad, and you don't stay in business burning money. When you're out of business,
no one gets a warranty, so the bean counters create guidance.
[Reminisces on the good ol' days of Sears, before people ruined the Craftsman warranty by breaking things on purpose]
In my view, people have a tendency to see a lifetime warranty as some kind of "infinite free replacement program" versus a guarantee against materials or assembly defects. They've never covered wear and tear, and doing so has always been a courtesy. I can't emphasize that enough. ANY company covering wear and tear or misuse and replacing a product was doing so as a courtesy. If you disagree, you're in for a world of disappointment. Then again, some people seem to look for excuses to get angry...
Warranties exist because manufacturing cannot make perfect products, and sometimes tolerances stack, and a product doesn't work as intended, and most companies agree that customers are entitled to a product - out of the box - that works. A lifetime warranty is very nice because sometimes you may not notice that the materials or manufacturing process was defective for YEARS. Unfortunately, wear and tear and general use can also lead to defects, though those are not covered by a warranty - replacement at that point is a courtesy.
Companies change owners, management changes, the market changes. Something that was easy and feasible one year, it simply not possible a next. I'm always grateful for any courtesy I receive, but I temper my expectations for the future.
Cue the enraged people that insist that a lifetime warranty is a guarantee forever that your product will work, regardless of age, availability, wear, and sane expectations of the lifetime of a product. Ironically, these tend to be the same people that will buy a Chinese light, have it break in a year, have their warranty claim entirely ignored, throw it away, and replace it....but expect a free replacement on their blown out light from the Pre-9/11 world that they bought on clearance.
Regarding Surefire, I'm sure they're more generous with their warranty when it comes to their larger customers; i.e. a police department or military unit that has purchased a large quantity of items. I don't lose tons of sleep over any of this, as this is something super common in the gun world; the big purchasers pay the bill and get the priority. Those of us spending
hundreds of dollars just aren't a priority.
I mean, I get it. Everyone likes getting free stuff. But, some of the things people expect...really?
