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Duralast tools no longer Lifetime Guarantee?

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tw05

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I was browsing the Autozone website today and noticed the hand tools now say 3 month warranty. Does anyone know if this is the new policy at Autozone stores or is this just a website glitch? I asked chat support for clarification but they seemed to just repeat what was listed on the website. I never needed to swap out a socket or a ratchet but it was nice to know these items were always covered.

example: http://www.autozone.com/ratchets-sockets-and-wrenches/ratchet/duralast-flex-head-ratchet/482527_0_0/
 
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LB-1911

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AceofSpad3s

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I doubt it is a error if all of the stock shows it, if it is a new policy then that is pretty ******. I don't have many duralast tools, I do have a 5/8 deepwell in 3/8 and 1/2 drive and they are pretty nice, I also like the color coding on them.
 
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woody 73

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If I was a betting man (don't tell my wife) the Duralast tools still have the lifetime warranty, but maybe anything else not marked with the duralast name will only be covered by the three month time period.

The reason I say this is because without the lifetime warranty a lot of people will jump ship and autozone needs these people to keep coming back to their stores.

I could be wrong but the betting part of me thinks not...
 
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finn

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woody 73 said:
If I was a betting man (don't tell my wife) the Duralast tools still have the lifetime warranty, but maybe anything else not marked with the duralast name will only be covered by the three month time period.

The reason I say this is because without the lifetime warranty a lot of people will jump ship and autozone needs these people to keep coming back to their stores.

I could be wrong but the betting part of me thinks not...
Click to expand...

Most people could care less about the warranty on something as cheap as a hand tool. I'd bet that more of these low cost tools are lost than ever fail.

The only place I've ever heard or read about tool warranty is on this forum.
 
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woody 73

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Wow I am stunned to say the least hit me on the head with a 2x4 I just got off the phone and not with their head office; (head office tape message gave me the central Ohio office which gave me another tape recorded message); so I called a store in my area and the guy looked up the above example and said ...three month warranty and clearly the ratchet in question has stamped on it lifetime warranty on the handle.

I don't know about GJ member finn but I for one like lifetime warranty service, maybe not other people but this kind of *****, napa is looking better all the time.:sad:
 
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valentine

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I only have 2 duralast tools. A 19mm socket for lug nuts and a small 1/4 inch ratchet. The ratchet was found in the street by my wife. It looked as if it had been run over a hundred times. Took that one to the local AZ and got a brand new one handed to me. Glad I did it before the lifetime guarantee vaporized. Guess I won't be shopping for tools at Auto Zone any time soon.

-Valentine
 
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warweapon762

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Ive had more problems trying to warranty tools than auto parts. Which is really annoying. Its mostly the dumb 20 year olds who don't know the policy and just want to lookup everything under your autozone account.
 
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bcschief

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Crescent City Florida
When you buy an autozone (duralast) tool you need to register the warranty ie Name and phone number it is not like craftsman where you can just pop into sears and exchange them. You must have purchased it new from them and the sale can be found in your warranty file in the computer So make the sales clerk register it to you otherwise when it breaks they won't replace it.Some tools may not be lifetime warranty like punches and chisels

Brian
 
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cbus

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Dec 28, 2012
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Up until now i guess i never had trouble with autozone exchanging duralast warranty stuff. One ratchet and one extension. No questions asked. Same with sears cman, advance auto gearwrench, home depot husky. Never had to warranty any kobalt yet. I dont see how autozone will compete with so many other options of lifetime no hassle warranty.
 
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tw05

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cbus said:
Up until now i guess i never had trouble with autozone exchanging duralast warranty stuff. One ratchet and one extension. No questions asked. Same with sears cman, advance auto gearwrench, home depot husky. Never had to warranty any kobalt yet. I dont see how autozone will compete with so many other options of lifetime no hassle warranty.
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I don't see how they can compete. They are not the cheapest. You can find the same type of tool cheaper at Home Depot and Lowes on sale. And we all know Harbor Freight is the low price leader. Quality is decent across all of these home owner brands. In fact the same Duralast ratchets from Autozone can be bought on Amazon under the OEM/Great Neck brand with a lifetime warranty.
 
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WhiffySpark

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Id be willing to bet 98% of consumers could care less about the warranty

I'd be willing to be 95% of them will lose and rebuy the same tool more than once
 
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Exceller8

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I went into the store today to buy a socket. I was telling the cashier about the new warranty and the manager came over. I said I saw that the new warranty policy is now 3 months on Duralast tools. He said " I wish they would tell me these fricking things!!!!". :lol_hitti
 
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honcho

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Typically, the only time I buy cheap Duralast type tools is when I need something to complete a specific job or i'm away from home and don't have access to my tools. Last thing I bought was an 21mm socket and a snap ring plier set to replace a hub on my truck that broke down on Christmas Day (had to wait until the next day to get parts and the needed tools)

I like lifetime warranties but, like others have said, most of the time an immediate need trumps any warranty. Buy what is available and, if the only thing available is a cheap import tool, hope it gets the job done.
 
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sha

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Texas
I've probably had 25-40 phone numbers during the last 15 years that I've shopped at Autozone. There have been times that I've needed tools quick and didn't have much of a choice other than buying them there. Exchanging anything at Autozone, for me, has been a nightmare.
 
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Brownsfan

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I think it's a Web mistake. I was in the store today and all the duralast tools said guaranteed for life on them or on the package. Even the ratchet in the OP.
 
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Snakebyt

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guess i need to take in my broken needlenose, i am good friends with a manager there so 3 months or 3 years, he will still replace for me
 
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MaverickDMD

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Sure. And you'll of course work for Auto Zone for your lifetime. AutoZone, in the future in order to get out of the life time warranty, will itself become rebranded and reincarnated as a new company, thus absolving themselves of their warranty. Warranties are becoming extinct and only a fool would believe that they aren't. Snap On is backing out of theirs too. It would seem the tool user of the near and far future is on his own - buy tools you can afford and treat them well, for then you are in control of how long they last and what their true value is.
 
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lincwelder225

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MaverickDMD said:
Sure. And you'll of course work for Auto Zone for your lifetime. AutoZone, in the future in order to get out of the life time warranty, will itself become rebranded and reincarnated as a new company, thus absolving themselves of their warranty. Warranties are becoming extinct and only a fool would believe that they aren't. Snap On is backing out of theirs too. It would seem the tool user of the near and far future is on his own - buy tools you can afford and treat them well, for then you are in control of how long they last and what their true value is.
Click to expand...

+1...
 
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KBATN

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no tool should have a life time guarantee. Its a tool! It will wear out over time!
 
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pdxgearhead

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MaverickDMD said:
Sure. And you'll of course work for Auto Zone for your lifetime. AutoZone, in the future in order to get out of the life time warranty, will itself become rebranded and reincarnated as a new company, thus absolving themselves of their warranty. Warranties are becoming extinct and only a fool would believe that they aren't. Snap On is backing out of theirs too. It would seem the tool user of the near and far future is on his own - buy tools you can afford and treat them well, for then you are in control of how long they last and what their true value is.
Click to expand...

Not to go off topic of Duralast, but a month ago, I tried to warranty a $4 pair of wire cutters at Harbor Freight that I bought a year ago. They denied my warranty because I didn't have the receipt nor was it in their system when they looked up my customer account. :mad:
 
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kythri

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KBATN said:
Its going to wear! like asking for lifetime warranty on brakes.. oh wait they do.. BUT its only for manufacturer defect, But we all know that don't mean **** to the customer.
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Well now, the manager of my local AutoZone, who I just called, told me that the lifetime warranty on the brake pads that they sell (specifically, the ones with this particular warranty, which I believe are Duralast Gold) is a lifetime warranty against both defects AND wear, as long as the failure isn't due to neglect and the brake pads aren't down to bare metal.

Not that it matters much to me, as I use a different brand, but, it would appear that you are incorrect.

Again, if these warranty issues bother you so much, you should voice your concern to the retailer.
 
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MaverickDMD

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Retailer will say to voice your concerns to the manufacturer, so it's a dead issue. The retailer can't assume the warranty on behalf of the manufacturer so the end result is that the customer gets mad at the manufacturer but takes it out on the retailer. The retailer loses a customer and the customer just plain loses. But all brakes wear out and so do tools for that matter, particularly when removing worn out brake parts!

Warranties are a great selling point as most customers fall for them. But as one of the above writers has found that regardless of what is said by the manufacturer, often albeit cast into the tool of question -iron clad- it is largely unenforceable by the consumer short of a civil lawsuit which is ridiculous.

So we're on our own which is really how it should be. Nothing is too big to fail, or is unsinkable. Use your tools like you bought them!
 
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wolf_from_wv

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Now, all the sockets seem to be made in China, and the 1/2" drive are 12 point...
 
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