Lowes kobalt customer service

[tweedlestan]

I have been spoiled by the no receipt needed returns for Craftsmen tools and will not buy any tools where the receipt is needed.

You see, that's the whole point. I bought thousands of dollars worth of Kobalt tools and tool boxes becasue of the no hassle warranty on hand tools.

If I knew Lowes would give me a hard time every time one of their crappy Chinese screwdrivers breaks, I wouldn't have bought a damned thing from them.

I'm not going to keep receipts for each and every one of my hundreds of tools. Nobody else does either.

 

[Imamused33]

Apparently it is for you. I work in retail, I understand how warranties work. Not trying to insult your intelligence, but you're getting in your own way of understanding this concept. If you'd stop trying to make the process hard, it won't be.


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[bfm336]

While I understand the need for a license for a no receipt return, Lowes should have a different warranty process specifically.

Why should I take the "hit" on number of returns I can do just because your tool broke? Doesn't make sense.

Clearly Sears found a way around this.


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[tweedlestan]

Apparently it is for you. I work in retail, I understand how warranties work. Not trying to insult your intelligence, but you're getting in your own way of understanding this concept. If you'd stop trying to make the process hard, it won't be.


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Do you work for Lowes?

I fully understand warranties and I am quite sure I've been having tools replaced under them since before you were born.

If warranties work the way you "understand" them, the Kobalt warranty as written on the packaging of any Kobalt hand tool is bogus and false advertizing. And therefore illegal under the Magnuson-Moss warranty act.

 

[Imamused33]

I save my important purchases on my mylowes card. It's free and I don't have to keep up with my receipts. I try to use the same debit card as well, because it'll track the receipt. I also give my phone number on cash purchases. My big purchases, however, I keep the receipts just in case. I got stuck with a lemon freezer a few years ago... Lesson learned.


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[AceofSpad3s]

You guys got ****** lowes stores, well mine is too but I have warrantied alot of stuff without any issues, not as quick as craftsman but still fine.

 

[tweedlestan]

I save my important purchases on my mylowes card. It's free and I don't have to keep up with my receipts. I try to use the same debit card as well, because it'll track the receipt. I also give my phone number on cash purchases. My big purchases, however, I keep the receipts just in case. I got stuck with a lemon freezer a few years ago... Lesson learned.


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Do you work for Lowes?

 

[tweedlestan]

You guys got ****** lowes stores

You've got that right. I can drive 30 miles to another Lowes store and the tools are exchanged just as the warranty describes.

So I have no idea where this "Imamused33" is coming from.

 

[AceofSpad3s]

You've got that right. I can drive 30 miles to another Lowes store and the tools are exchanged just as the warranty describes.

So I have no idea where this "Imamused33" is coming from.

One of mine is so under staffed that I was stuck waiting for someone for 30 minutes for some jackass to show up in building materials to tell me if they sold discount cull or not, never got someone to show up even with the cashier paging a the jackass 10 times.

 

[Imamused33]

Do you work for Lowes?

I fully understand warranties and I am quite sure I've been having tools replaced under them since before you were born.

If warranties work the way you "understand" them, the Kobalt warranty as written on the packaging of any Kobalt hand tool is bogus and false advertizing. And therefore illegal under the Magnuson-Moss warranty act.

Let me try this another way. If you want Kobalt to honor their warranty, mail your tool to them and they'll mail you a new one back. If you want a retailer to honor a manufacturer's warranty, you have to follow their return policy. These are two separate issues. Like I said, make it easy on yourself, and you'll be happier in the end. On another note, since you don't know me or when I was born, I'll play your little game. My guess is you're around 76??? How close do I have to be to win the prize?


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[tweedlestan]

Let me try this another way. If you want Kobalt to honor their warranty, mail your tool to them and they'll mail you a new one back. If you want a retailer to honor a manufacturer's warranty, you have to follow their return policy. These are two separate issues. Like I said, make it easy on yourself, and you'll be happier in the end. On another note, since you don't know me or when I was born, I'll play your little game. My guess is you're around 76??? How close do I have to be to win the prize?


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Kobalt is a brand sold ONLY by Lowes. NOT a manufacturer. That's another line of ******** I have gotten from Lowes.

Do you work for Lowes? I've asked several times already.

 

[tweedlestan]

One of mine is so under staffed that I was stuck waiting for someone for 30 minutes for some jackass to show up in building materials to tell me if they sold discount cull or not, never got someone to show up even with the cashier paging a the jackass 10 times.

Lowes employees tend to be the most clueless people on the planet. And then there is the rare exception for the absolutely brilliant employee. One guy at my local Lowes is so knowledgable and can tell me exactly where any item is and is full of great advice. I seek that guy out every time I go.

 

[AceofSpad3s]

Kobalt is a brand sold ONLY by Lowes. NOT a manufacturer. That's another line of ******** I have gotten from Lowes.

Do you work for Lowes? I've asked several times already.

I agree with your idea of him being a shill, who is going to sign up just to defend a company's warranty policy. No offence to that guy, but it seems fishy.

 

[tweedlestan]

I agree with your idea of him being a shill, who is going to sign up just to defend a company's warranty policy. No offence to that guy, but it seems fishy.

I'm a member of a few dozen forums and see this sort of thing all the time. It gets old.

 

[Imamused33]

No, I do not. Yes, exclusively sold there... Or online. Trust me, they don't make the tools. Why are you making this harder than it has to be? If you buy a starter, do you give them your phone Number for the warranty? Same concept. You don't get a replacement starter without some kind of proof of purchase.


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[AceofSpad3s]

Lowes employees tend to be the most clueless people on the planet. And then there is the rare exception for the absolutely brilliant employee. One guy at my local Lowes is so knowledgable and can tell me exactly where any item is and is full of great advice. I seek that guy out every time I go.

Same here, my other store is pretty clueless as well, I think it might be because Lowes aims for the consumer market where HD goes for the contractor, my HD has all really experienced people for the most part, paint department people are the best, one of the guys is a 20 year painting vet and still does it on the side. The consumer vs contractor is also apparent with the tools they sell for kobalt and husky, kobalt as a **** ton of gimmicky stuff compared to husky for the most part does not have any except for holiday time.

 

[Imamused33]

I agree with your idea of him being a shill, who is going to sign up just to defend a company's warranty policy. No offence to that guy, but it seems fishy.

I wasn't trying to defend anyone, I was simply offering advice to make the process easy. Didn't think it would result in an endless debate with this guy. My advice applies to pretty much any retailer or product these days.


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[tweedlestan]

I wasn't trying to defend anyone, I was simply offering advice to make the process easy. Didn't think it would result in an endless debate with this guy. My advice applies to pretty much any retailer or product these days.


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Well your "advice" is certainly appreciated but does not apply in this case. The Kobalt warranty is VERY simple and it's not unreasonable to expect Lowes to honor it.

 

[tweedlestan]

Same here, my other store is pretty clueless as well, I think it might be because Lowes aims for the consumer market where HD goes for the contractor, my HD has all really experienced people for the most part, paint department people are the best, one of the guys is a 20 year painting vet and still does it on the side. The consumer vs contractor is also apparent with the tools they sell for kobalt and husky, kobalt as a **** ton of gimmicky stuff compared to husky for the most part does not have any except for holiday time.

Yeah, I think you're right. I need to give HD more of my business.

 

[finn]

Someone is a little butthurt here.

I don't see how giving information to identify yourself for warranty purposes if you have no receipt is a hardship. It helps minimize fraud, such as returning junk swapmeet or yard sale tools for new.

I wouldn't use Sears as a benchmark either, as they are on the road to bankruptcy.

 

[Imamused33]

Well your "advice" is certainly appreciated but does not apply in this case. The Kobalt warranty is VERY simple and it's not unreasonable to expect Lowes to honor it.

Ok pal, just trying to help. Keep doing it your way. I, on the other hand, value my time. I'll show proof of purchase or my ID to keep my life simple.


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[Imamused33]

Someone is a little butthurt here.



I don't see how giving information to identify yourself for warranty purposes if you have no receipt is a hardship. It helps minimize fraud, such as returning junk swapmeet or yard sale tools for new.



I wouldn't use Sears as a benchmark either, as they are on the road to bankruptcy.

Yeah, that was a disaster waiting to happen as soon as Kmart bought them.


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[90zcar]

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[tweedlestan]

Someone is a little butthurt here.

I don't see how giving information to identify yourself for warranty purposes if you have no receipt is a hardship. It helps minimize fraud, such as returning junk swapmeet or yard sale tools for new.

I wouldn't use Sears as a benchmark either, as they are on the road to bankruptcy.

So, expecting the warranty that I pay for is evidence of butthurt now? What a ridiculous statement.

It's funny how Sears was a viable company for many decades with the Craftsman warranty as it is but all of a sudden they're going out of business because of said warranty?

Sears will go out of business because they couldn't change with the times. But that's a subject for another thread.

 

[Scimmia]

Apparently it is for you. I work in retail, I understand how warranties work. Not trying to insult your intelligence, but you're getting in your own way of understanding this concept. If you'd stop trying to make the process hard, it won't be.


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No, I don't think you do understand how warranties work. The store may process it as a return, but they don't have to. If company policy requires that, it's pure bureaucratic ********, plain and simple.

I'm with the others, smells like a shill.

 

[tw05]

No, I don't think you do understand how warranties work. The store may process it as a return, but they don't have to. If company policy requires that, it's pure bureaucratic ********, plain and simple.

I'm with the others, smells like a shill.

 

[blackwire]

Problem is that Lowes very clearly advertises a "hassle free" warranty. If I have to save a receipt, or give personal information from my drivers license like my home address, age, ssn, etc. Which Lowes could sell to spammers and telemarketers, then that is pretty much the opposite of a hassle free warranty. In the past few years, retailers have demonstrated they have major problems protecting consumers from data breaches.

I don't really have a problem with saving the receipts since I scan all my receipts because the ink fades over time. What I don't like is the misleading advertising. If they said receipt required for warranty on the package that would be fine. Saying hassle free when it really isn't is not ok.

 

[finn]

Part of the Entitled Generation problem we have.

 

[blackwire]

Part of the Entitled Generation problem we have.

Being disappointed with misleading advertising makes one entitled? Would you like to purchase some prime "waterfront" Florida real estate?

 

[tweedlestan]

Part of the Entitled Generation problem we have.

How clueless. I pay for that warranty.

 

[tweedlestan]

Problem is that Lowes very clearly advertises a "hassle free" warranty. If I have to save a receipt, or give personal information from my drivers license like my home address, age, ssn, etc. Which Lowes could sell to spammers and telemarketers, then that is pretty much the opposite of a hassle free warranty. In the past few years, retailers have demonstrated they have major problems protecting consumers from data breaches.

I don't really have a problem with saving the receipts since I scan all my receipts because the ink fades over time. What I don't like is the misleading advertising. If they said receipt required for warranty on the package that would be fine. Saying hassle free when it really isn't is not ok.

Well said.

 

[LordPsychon]

So far I must be pretty lucky because I live in a city with not one but two Lowe's stores and neither of them have had issues when I've had to return Kobalt tools. That said, one of the stores has far more knowledgeable staff than the other one so I prefer the one over the other. Staff training (or rather the lack thereof) is my suspect for poor warranty honoring.

I agree with tweedlestan that since he is paying for the warranty he should get something back and that it ought to be "hassle free" as per the warranty.

 

[TOOL FANATIK]

Anyone who is willing to lay down and accept this bad business is what's wrong with people as a group. Sure I keep my receipts. Sure I have my ID. No it's not a hassle for me to provide these things upon returning something under warranty. But I don't have to, and I won't just because the management doesn't train their employees to their said policies. It's the principle. I Wil not bend because of a store's incompetence. I'll be the biggest **** about it if the cashier or manager try talking high and mighty. My fiance will often leave for the car when this kinda **** happens. Lol. What's right is right. End of story.

 

[jacked_72]

I posted this earlier, but I called the 8883kobalt phone number and the the recorded messages say "no receipt, no problem." They say the only thing you need is the tool. No mention about a driver's license. When I got to a person, she said you need the receipt and she couldn't explain the contradictory information. Heck, I'm sure she's never listened to the recorded information. I asked for a manager to get to the bottom of it and he was supposed to call me back. Here we are a week later and no call.

This leads me to believe that Lowes/Kobalt doesn't understand the warranty program (which shows in inconsistent results when trying to warranty something in a store) and that they don't care. Like I said earlier, I have very few Kobalt tools and that number will not increase.

 

[LordPsychon]

I posted this earlier, but I called the 8883kobalt phone number and the the recorded messages say "no receipt, no problem." They say the only thing you need is the tool. No mention about a driver's license. When I got to a person, she said you need the receipt and she couldn't explain the contradictory information. Heck, I'm sure she's never listened to the recorded information. I asked for a manager to get to the bottom of it and he was supposed to call me back. Here we are a week later and no call.

This leads me to believe that Lowes/Kobalt doesn't understand the warranty program (which shows in inconsistent results when trying to warranty something in a store) and that they don't care. Like I said earlier, I have very few Kobalt tools and that number will not increase.

I've also noticed that the quality has gone down some in recent years. I have two sets of wrenches from Kobalt, one that says made in America and one that says made in China. Although both work pretty well, the made in America ones are holding up better overall. My recent plier acquisition made in 2013 without seeing much use has made me wary of further Kobalt purchases - two of them were kept in the Zerust toolbox for about 6 months and neither saw the light of day nor any appreciable moisture being in my basement shop and when I took them out both had a fair amount of rust on them.

 

[90zcar]

Not to start a snap on/professional tools thread but this is why I spend a little more and buy 90% snap on. It's a better quality tool for one so that limits any need of failure and another thing when I do have an issue I see my snap on guy and he hands me a new one with no conversation about the issue even. I can hand him a broken tool that was around 4 decades before I was born and I get a new one.
When u buy tools u buy them to work. I shouldn't have to copy and save reciepts for everything. The only thing I save reciepts for tool wise is big dollar items and electrical.


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[sparc]

I posted this earlier, but I called the 8883kobalt phone number and the the recorded messages say "no receipt, no problem." They say the only thing you need is the tool. No mention about a driver's license. When I got to a person, she said you need the receipt and she couldn't explain the contradictory information. Heck, I'm sure she's never listened to the recorded information. I asked for a manager to get to the bottom of it and he was supposed to call me back. Here we are a week later and no call.

This leads me to believe that Lowes/Kobalt doesn't understand the warranty program (which shows in inconsistent results when trying to warranty something in a store) and that they don't care. Like I said earlier, I have very few Kobalt tools and that number will not increase.

that kobalt phone number is listed for their sockets4life program which is basically a rip off. That does require a receipt. I wouldn't expect anyone at the kobalt number to know much. If anything, they'll just get confused between the two programs.

you should contact lowes directly like emailing their customer care at [email protected]

If you click the "contact info" on the kobalt website, it directs you directly back to Lowe's. i.e. they're directly in charge of Kobalt warranty.

 

[Imamused33]

No, it's business. There has to be a level of accountability. There has to be checks and balances. No manufacturer wants to give their product away for free. Even with a lifetime warranty.


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[Imamused33]

Anyone who is willing to lay down and accept this bad business is what's wrong with people as a group. Sure I keep my receipts. Sure I have my ID. No it's not a hassle for me to provide these things upon returning something under warranty. But I don't have to, and I won't just because the management doesn't train their employees to their said policies. It's the principle. I Wil not bend because of a store's incompetence. I'll be the biggest **** about it if the cashier or manager try talking high and mighty. My fiance will often leave for the car when this kinda **** happens. Lol. What's right is right. End of story.

I just took 40 seconds out of my life and actually looked at the Kobalt website. It clearly says( for sockets for life) you have to register them. In order to do that, you need a receipt and your personal information. Then you have to call them and follow the promts, pay shipping, wait 2 weeks..... OR you could stop being a **** to the minimum wage returns desk worker and just show your receipt or ID, keep your fiancé happy and save yourself 20 minutes of pointless arguing. All over a "hassle free" warranty that you don't fully understand.


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[jacked_72]

Sockets for life is a different beast and a rip off to be sure, but that's not what I'm talking about. Call 888-3KOBALT and press #1 for the warranty prompt. You'll hear that friendly gentleman tell you that most Kobalt hand tools have the lifetime hassle free warranty, that you don't need the receipt, just the tool, etc. It specifically talks about hand tools - not sockets - so I don't think there is any confusion, just mismanagement and corporate apathy. Which, of course, equate to ****** customer service.