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Gearwrench warranty questions

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marcusicp

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Jan 29, 2010
Messages
494
Location
NC
I have been looking at a lot of Gearwrench stuff and it seems very nice for the price. I have mostly Craftsman and Snap On tools now and I love how they treat warranty exchanges. I just give them the broken tool and they swap it with a new one or replace the broken piece. No questions asked and most of the time the items I break are in stock so there is no waiting.

My question is; how does Gearwrench handle their warranty exchanges? Say you buy an item online that isn't available at a local store and it breaks. Do you call them and they send you a prepaid envelope like other tool companies? Has anyone been denied a warranty return for a unjust reason? Does Sears treat Gearwrench items they stock like they do Craftsman? Bring the old one in and they swap it out with no hassle?

I have about 9 different Gearwrench items on my wishlist and just want to make sure they are a respectable company before I take the plunge. Thanks for any input and feel free to give your general opinions on Gearwrench as well.
 
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bobee77

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Sep 6, 2009
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Upstate New York
Sears will swap broken gearwrench tools as long as they have them in stock. I made sure to ask an associate when I bought my last set of wrenches.
 
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Fedwrench

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Dec 9, 2007
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Valley of the sun
I've only warrantied a couple of Gearwrench items and did so my calling their customer service number listed under the warranty tab on their webiste. They'll ask the standard questions like what the part number of the item is, what's wrong with, where did you buy it, etc. A week to ten days later you'll receive a replacement in the mail if the item is in stock. Gearwrench customer service is great right now. Hopefully, that won't change as it's abused more regularly.
My telepathic powers are someone limited so, I'm not sure which 9 Gearwrench items you're thinking of buying. However, I own a good chunk of their line and have only been disappointed in a few things. First, their universal joints and chrome flex sockets have too much play in them. Secondly, their regular line of pliers are nothing to write home about. The grips are little on the slimey side, and jaws aren't perfectly matched. Lastly, I am neutral on their magnetic extensions. They may be handy at times but, the stem may be a little on the long side at other times. I liked it more when everything was either US or Taiwan made but, it seems that even most of the parts I install are made in China even if they come out of Ford or GM box.
Your results may vary but, I use my Gearwrench tools daily and they serve me well.:beer:
 
Z

ZRX61

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Aug 15, 2006
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28,716
Location
Solar Blight Valley, SoCal
I just had a GW 1/4in drive ratchet **** out yesterday. Probably used it a total of maybe 10 times...
It locked up & wouldn't ratchet. Investigated the innards, lubed it up with LubriPlate, reassembled & it worked fine.. for maybe 10 seconds before locking up again. So over the course of next 30 minutes I disassembled/reassembled it 6 times with no improvement.
Sears don't stock that tool & I actually got it off the MAC truck. Hope I can catch the truck at the airport sometime this week...
 
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Toolhorder

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Nov 9, 2009
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5,711
Location
Montana
I used the warranty for two wrenches I had and they sent me new ones right away. I think I got them thursday actually.

On another note I noticed today Sears has the 8 pc. gearwrench set for 39.99 on sale for the next two days. I picked up a set this morning and they had the older stock of sets that come with the extra two wrench bonus so I basically got a 10 pc. set for the same price. I normally WOULD NOT BUY any foreign tool but did so because they're decent for the price and have a lifetime warranty. In my dealership most techs have them and use them and they're handy in the day to day jobs we have. I borrowed a 14mm to take out a front motor mount bolt that was like 4 inches from the front radiator shroud. A ratchet and socket wouldn't fit and a wrench was too slow so the gearwrench was a good alternative. If it makes me faster I want it.
 
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M

marcusicp

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Jan 29, 2010
Messages
494
Location
NC
Thanks for all the replies! To the people who have called in and had tool sent to you, did you have to pay to ship the old ones back?
 
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Toolhorder

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I second what he said. Simply called, gave info on the wrenches that had the problem and they sent out new replacements. Easy and hassle free. Even got a sorry about that from the ******* the other end.

I'm still in shock that's how they warranty their product. I told someone at my shop about it and he's thinking about calling them about his XL 17mm, 19mm, 14mm, 12mm wrenches he "broke".....:headscrat:spit:
 
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marcusicp

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NC
While it's good to hear that they just sent the new one out it does worry me that people will abuse it if they don't get the old ones mailed back to them. I hope that long term the company will be able to maintain a reasonable warranty claim system. I just don't see the "call and get a new one" approach lasting forever. I mean, how do they know you even own the item they are sending you?
 
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wantedabiggergarage

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Feb 25, 2006
Messages
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Location
Independence, MO, USA.
Years back, my first Gearwrench that went bad, I called them and they didn't want to warranty them. I ended up swapping it at Lowe's (where it was originally bought). Since that time Sears swaps out individual wrenches, but other tools, no.
Last year I had a bad passthrough socket (Gearwrench O ratchet or something like that). I called them and they asked for the part number and said they would send another. A month later I emailed to check on it, and they said that they were supposed to receive them around 1-10-2010 and would send it when they received them. So it took from August to January to get it. I asked where do I send the old one (expected quality control) and the guy said, he would check and get back to me, and I never heard from him.
 
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Paladin

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Nov 8, 2008
Messages
924
Location
Southern Utah
Toolhorder said:
I second what he said. Simply called, gave info on the wrenches that had the problem and they sent out new replacements. Easy and hassle free. Even got a sorry about that from the ******* the other end.

I'm still in shock that's how they warranty their product. I told someone at my shop about it and he's thinking about calling them about his XL 17mm, 19mm, 14mm, 12mm wrenches he "broke".....:headscrat:spit:
Click to expand...

And that is exactly why most warrantee's are a pain in the ***. There are a LOT of dishonest people in the world...:mad:
 
S

scottmlew

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Joined
Nov 24, 2008
Messages
1,028
Toolhorder said:
I'm still in shock that's how they warranty their product. I told someone at my shop about it and he's thinking about calling them about his XL 17mm, 19mm, 14mm, 12mm wrenches he "broke".....:headscrat:spit:
Click to expand...

Please, please, please discourage him from doing this...it will ruin it for the rest of us.
 
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cronic

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Jun 19, 2008
Messages
245
Toolhorder said:
I second what he said. Simply called, gave info on the wrenches that had the problem and they sent out new replacements. Easy and hassle free. Even got a sorry about that from the ******* the other end.

I'm still in shock that's how they warranty their product. I told someone at my shop about it and he's thinking about calling them about his XL 17mm, 19mm, 14mm, 12mm wrenches he "broke".....:headscrat:spit:
Click to expand...



Well, I just called about 2 of my wrenches and they would not do anything over the phone. They informed me that warranty replacement was only done through distributors such as fastenal. I called twice and talked to 2 different people and they both had the same story.......:(:):(
 
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Mickey O

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Oct 25, 2009
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Chicago, IL
I'm going to give their warranty a try, what would be the tool I could say broke that would sell the easiest and for the most money. I'm also going to tell several people about this sweet deal.

Seems like a lot of their wrenches break so maybe I'll try one of those.
 
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taylorboi

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Apr 25, 2010
Messages
170
Location
Hawaii
lowes in hawaii sells and give warranty on gearwrenches i find them cheaper there then sears
 
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M

marcusicp

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Joined
Jan 29, 2010
Messages
494
Location
NC
Mickey O said:
I'm going to give their warranty a try, what would be the tool I could say broke that would sell the easiest and for the most money. I'm also going to tell several people about this sweet deal.

Seems like a lot of their wrenches break so maybe I'll try one of those.
Click to expand...

I didn't know you are a thief. I really hope you are kidding.
 
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wantedabiggergarage

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Feb 25, 2006
Messages
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Location
Independence, MO, USA.
I have warrantied a Gearwrench at Lowe's. Sears didn't carry that size, individually at the time. I have also dealt with Gearwrench on the phone once (and may have to again soon). I have a socket that is mismarked in a set, and they sent me the new one, when they got it in stock, three months later.

Now the shop has a Gearwrench serpentine set (I have offered mine as a backup), where the wrench is starting to catch/bind.
 
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