Snap-on's new warranty processing policy

[Danglerb]

This is good, the value of Snapon tools used will drop dramatically as warranty refusals become more known, and in turn new tool prices will drop shifting production to the island of Tonga.

 

[balane]

I don't know how this applies but two weeks ago I contacted them about an older, broken ratchet and they sent me out a new one with no problem. I've never taken advantage of their warranty policy and I don't have a driver to use. I have no receipts for the tools I've owned for decades but I do for all the ones I've ordered from their web site. It would be nice if they just cut out the people who abuse it and leave people like me, who are fair about it, alone. Time will tell I guess. I've had to warranty exactly 9 tools over the course of ~30 years.

 

[Roots]

Wow, this is interesting. I would think for the price they charge on their tools that this was already factored in the initial selling price. Guessing this will affect used/ebay prices now.

I doubt there will be any change on the secondary market. The warranty is the same as before, they're just enforcing some provisions do to abuse. Which would be hard to argue doesn't occur, just from what we see here on GJ. For any customer of a dealer or industrial rep, there's no change what so ever. Even for the infrequent tool user, who doesn't have access to a rep... in all honesty, how often do tools break... not very often, unless you're working flat-rate in a shop environment... I think I've personally broke, maybe 3 Snap-On tools in twelve years.

 

[el tanque prohibido]

I've had to warranty exactly 9 tools over the course of ~30 years.

That's about like me. And the tools that I've sent in have always been brand new tools that I deemed defective; like wrenches broached off center for example.

 

[lennoxlennox]

Where to start
I think that ppl are misunderstanding the warranty. Yes they want you to be the original purchaser. Yes they would like to know that you either ordered online or off a truck. They would also like proof that you did this. Not in all cases is this true, but can, as the op stated, be asked of you.

If you buy here off of GJ or eBay, and you use the tool, then need a warranty, are you entitled to the warranty? Gray area inserted.

I have no trouble because I buy close to 500K per yr worth of tools, and it helps to know regional managers on both coasts. I do not keep a receipt when I do not get one to start with. But I do make the person selling me the tools fill out a form. It is 3 short paragraphs. It basically has all of there information matching their DL and I take finger prints by their signature. Learned long ago to do this after some not so honest people sold me stolen property.

If you are a pro, have a truck that stops by, you are much more likely to get your GJ or eBay tools warranted. I found long ago, if you are honest with your dealer, meaning, you say, Yea Chadster, I got this one off of eBay, or Yea Mr. Shaun, I got these off of GJ (using names as examples only) you are much more likely to get it warranted. Does the truck dealer have to warranty an item? No he does not. If you read the fine print, Dealer Discretion.

If you are a pro, and do not have a truck that stops by, they wanna know how you are a pro, and have no truck? You still can warranty the tools. Just call the customer service and let them know.

Now if all you do is buy off of eBay and look for damaged tools to buy, and send them in, well guess friggen what? Your gig is up! You are hated by any Snap-on franchisee, the professional mechanic, the backyard mechanic who buys tools off of truck or online, and Snap-on is looking for you to put you in jail. Yes, you are breaking laws when you do this.

And just a little fyi for those interested in big brother theory. So you know, Snap-on has people, that buy tools on eBay, and report back to the company. They also have people that are on here, this forum, and many others that read the forums buy tools and report back to the company. They also have some of the best lawyers in the world, police their own, and Make the best tools on earth!

well said

those that will squeal the loudest are the abusers who make a living off of the brand value and goodwill of snapon by reselling their product and promoting snapons warranty as if it's their own... you are right it's stealing

 

[fatfillup]

I buy and resell lots of SO tools. I have never asked for warranty for any tool I have not bought new. SO is protecting themselves from warranty abusers. And yes it may affect an honest customer. Also, I never claim that SO has a lifetime warranty. I simply state that is between you and Snap on. In reality, if a guy is buying tools from his toolman and saves a few $'s on some tools buying from me and one breaks, his tool man will probably warranty it provided he is paying his bill and making some purchases but I certainly never promise it. And, I tell my pro customers they need their tool man and should buy from him. On some items, it just makes sense to buy used and that's where I come in.

As far as this affecting the price of used tools, it will change nothing in my store, but to the tool savy folks here it may, but not by much.

 

[Murphy4570]

I don't really see this as an issue. Snappy is just kicking the can down to the dealers, who are the ones that are selling the majority of their stuff.

I have warrantied about......5-6 items with Snap-On in my life so far. Two of which were just simple ratchet rebuilds on an F936 and FL936, levers got hard to turn. I have broken one Phillips head 3/8 drive bit, on an impact driver, and a couple of 8mm deep 3/8 sockets, holding shock studs. Their stuff doesn't really break if you use it correctly.

With that said, I have purchased quite a bit of used Snappy stuff as well, either from other techs getting out of the business, or from a local used tool salesman that comes around from time to time.

 

[plinker]

That is the address I have always used as well and my old tools were sent back with the same note that plinker received.

Same address.


Most of the item's I get/need replacing are screwdriver blades or pick's, so not really a big ticket item, and they get broken under normal use (I usually have maybe a 2-3 per year).

 

[Knuckle Buster]

This is good, the value of Snapon tools used will drop dramatically as warranty refusals become more known, and in turn new tool prices will drop shifting production to the island of Tonga.

Not all Snap-On is made in USA now. For the price paid, folks probably think all of it is. Cheap labor+ high sales price= profit

 

[earlthegoat2]

Here's one for you.

Why not everyone just keep on keeping on. Postage prices can add up over time too. THey can only keep returning the tools you send in so much before something has to give.

Im saying this tongue in cheek but it is something to think about.

 

[vintagefan]

I've personally only had a single problem with SO warranty, and it wasn't a big one. Other than that, they've just sent me a new tool when one broke. I've never had to send in a broken tool, nor have I had to provide proof of purchase. This is even very recently. I've never abused the system either, and I've always loved the arrangement, personally.

One thing I DON'T love, is the scumbags that think sending in broken swap-meet **** is a legitimate way of earning money.

Not all Snap-On is made in USA now. For the price paid, folks probably think all of it is. Cheap labor+ high sales price= profit

I don't think it has gotten to the point where it seriously disturbs me yet, but you really have to think:

-Add more imports to your lineup
-Systematically remove USA markings
-Start denying warranty claims


It's a pretty scary path that Snap-on is treading these days. I'm a pretty big Snap-on fan, but they had better be VERY, VERY careful how far they push it. If not, they'll soon have first hand experience of what Mac went through years back.


I've also noticed the overal fit and finish quality dropping on some of their USA stuff, I'm just praying that they stay the same company I know and love.

 

[SMKS]

I think this move will really hurt DIY'ers who like quality tools.

For someone like me (who works a white collar job) I don't have a Snap-On dealer and finding one would be a PITA. But on the flip side, I'm not surprised to see it happen. I'm sure warranty costs were mounting in leaps and bounds.

 

[el tanque prohibido]

I have a slight suspicion that Snap-on thought Plinker was one of those flee market shoppers trying to get new tools at pennies on the dollar...

 

[tronvex]

I order majority of my tools online and never kept the invoice that came in the mail. I know that Snap On also keep a record of my online purchases as well. I could only hope that the server won't go down.

 

[redwrench60]

If they want to really push the proof of purchase thing they need to use better ink. I have receiepts that are only two or three years old and they have faded so bad they look like new paper

 

[purplezr2]

If they want to really push the proof of purchase thing they need to use better ink. I have receiepts that are only two or three years old and they have faded so bad they look like new paper

I think that will be a problem for alot of people, I have receipts that are two weeks old that are faded already(non-snapon).

 

[el tanque prohibido]

Keep your receipts in air tight ziplock bags.

 

[redwrench60]

Keep your receipts in air tight ziplock bags.

Too late.... I started keeping receiepts in '97

 

[bcradio]

I have no trouble because I buy close to 500K per yr worth of tools, and it helps to know regional managers on both coasts.

HOLY SMOKES. I have to see what a half million dollar a year tool collection looks like! Platinum coated snappy's heck yeah

 

[el tanque prohibido]

Too late.... I started keeping receiepts in '97

I gotta stack of receipts from 1999. They're inside a ziplock bag inside of a plastic storage bin inside of a dark storage closet.

 

[Syndicate]

HOLY SMOKES. I have to see what a half million dollar a year tool collection looks like! Platinum coated snappy's heck yeah

This is what I buy both new and used and re-sell. My personal collection is around 20K, which really is not much at all considering it fits in 1 box.

 

[bcradio]

This is what I buy both new and used and re-sell. My personal collection is around 20K, which really is not much at all considering it fits in 1 box.

20k is quite a bit in my books still.

 

[tomshep]

One would think the lifetime warranty (lifetime of the tool, no matter how many owners) would be built into the cost already...

ABSOLUTELY!

They should police the parts that are damaged. I think sending replacement parts without removing the damaged part from circulation is foolish. It will likely come back again.

However, regardless of who turns in the broken tool, the warranty was already factored into the sales cost. It should make no difference if I bought new or used, the person that purchased new already paid for the warranty.

And for me, most of my S-O I bought in the 90s and my dealer switched to MAC and now is MIA. This pisses me off!!!

Tom

 

[el tanque prohibido]

And for me, most of my S-O I bought in the 90s and my dealer switched to MAC and now is MIA. This pisses me off!!!

Tom

Wait ... your dealer switched from selling S-O to selling MAC? Really?

 

[Murphy4570]

I don't think it has gotten to the point where it seriously disturbs me yet, but you really have to think:

-Add more imports to your lineup
-Systematically remove USA markings
-Start denying warranty claims


It's a pretty scary path that Snap-on is treading these days. I'm a pretty big Snap-on fan, but they had better be VERY, VERY careful how far they push it. If not, they'll soon have first hand experience of what Mac went through years back.


I've also noticed the overal fit and finish quality dropping on some of their USA stuff, I'm just praying that they stay the same company I know and love.

If Snappy goes that route, they can say BUH-BYE to their entire company. NOBODY will pay their high prices if they switch to cheaper off-shore labor and parts. The fact that they use quality components, and are made in USA are their main selling points, and have been for decades. Some people are willing to pay extra for quality. Lose the quality, and you lose your core customer base.


I personally haven't seen any issues with Snappy's quality myself, except for a 16mm combination ratcheting wrench that the box end was drilled off-center, like you commonly see on cheap **** imports. Irks me quite a bit, as I paid around $400 for the wrench set! Doesn't affect the function of the tool though, and I have yet to use it anyway. If I get pissed off enough about it, I'll get it warrantied for a new one. Probably never will.

A couple of my regular chrome ratchets have some chrome finish chipping on them, but it doesn't affect their functionality. One of them has the Snap-On logo stamped into it very unevenly as well, deep on one side and progressing to very shallow on the opposite end of the ratchet. Doesn't affect functionality, and it has battle scars now.


I think Snappy wants to just crack down on the junk peddlers trying to make a buck by squeezing on their lenient warranty system. Same thing has been going on for years with Craftsman brand, and you see them going to junk offshore manufacture.

 

[geologist]

Nothing irks me more than seeing someone try to get a bucket full of rusty Craftsman replaced. I've only returned 4 tools ever:

1.) Wrench was replaced because I had cracked the box end (9mm) "V" (that made me want to cry)

2.) Wrench was replaced because the jaws were way out of spec after use (15/16ths).

3.) 1/2 drive and 3/8 drive ratchets (tri-wing, round head) replaced because they were no longer rebuildable. The 1/2 crapped out first, followed by the 3/8 much later. I had forgot about the 1/2 ratchet till I mashed by hand when the 3/8 ratchet gave way. To be honest, I would have rather had them rebuilt, but I'm not bitchin (Sears replaced them with the thin-profile fine tooth ratchets). In the case of the 15/16 wrench, it was *probably* my fault that it failed, rather than a defect of the tool. When I explained my use, the clerk told me it was still covered.

In each instance I explained my use, had the clerk check the tools him/herself. In the case of the ratchets, my ****** knuckles were "enough" for the clerk, although he got a kick out of seeing the ratchet spinning freely. I was kinda curious to see what gave way in the internals, but they never disassembled them, he simply shoved them in a locked "drop off" box of sorts.

 

[Tony N.]

This was bound to happen. There's no such thing as lifetime warranty anyways. It's always been a hit or miss with almost any company. It's unreasonable to truly believe there's such a thing as seamless warranty. A business can't survive when products they made 50 years ago are being claimed and they have to give you a brand new product as a replacement.

I guess the amount of money people save from buying used tools is the warranty cost they potentially give up.

 

[camarotoolman]

I disagree about people sending in buckets off old stuff, there isn't that much broken SO around, the stuff is to good to brake. Used tools is what I do for a living, I'm out looking all the time. I found a broken piece the other day, but that was the first for awhile. Its just another way for corp. bean counters to get more $. 2nd. selling on ebay saying its warrented, I got stuff booted too. Thats a no no.

 

[MattPersman]

This sounds very reasonable as a cost/loss-cutting measure.

What would be the alternative, even higher prices all around?

they already jack their prices up periodically. think about stuff you bought 5, 10, 15 years ago compared to the price on the truck now.

 

[el tanque prohibido]

I'd be very surprised if a guy sent one single wrench in and they sent it back...

 

[Roots]

HOLY SMOKES. I have to see what a half million dollar a year tool collection looks like! Platinum coated snappy's heck yeah

You'd be shocked at how little that can amount to. I spent significantly more than that each year, and received tools at a staggering volume discount, and quite frequently... I cant for the life of me figure out where they went! Well actually, I know they're squirreled away in hidden stashes and tool boxes throughout the plant, and of course frequently grow legs during major outages when hundreds to thousands of contractors are present.

 

[rlitman]

I gotta stack of receipts from 1999. They're inside a ziplock bag inside of a plastic storage bin inside of a dark storage closet.

Even if you keep them in an unlit basement, in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of the Leopard', thermal printed receipts will fade. There's not much you can do about it, except for maybe put them in cold storage.

I get maybe a dozen tools with a "lifetime warranty" replaced each year. Typically from SO, Husky, Cman, Kobalt, Pittsburgh, etc, but probably no more than 2 or 3 per manufacturer per year on average. Because I've got so many "extra" tools, I'll just dump broken stuff in a drawer, and when I've got enough from a particular manufacturer to make the effort of making a warranty claim worthwhile, I'll get them all replaced together.
I had a SO claim this year (for a prybar whose tip snapped off, a deadblow hammer whose handle had issues, and several screwdrivers), and I don't recall the last time I had a SO warranty claim before that, but it has to be at least 5 years by now.

In EVERY tool warranty I've experienced, I have NEVER had to present a proof of purchase or receipt. Whether or not I have one, I make it a habit to NOT present or offer it, and aside from store clerks frequently telling me that I need to take up a warranty claim directly with the manufacturer (when I need to explain that the brand in question is in fact their own store's "house" brand), I haven't been denied a single warranty claim. The most that's been demanded of me, was to present my driver's license (and I'm ok with that).

Maybe it's because I come across nice and polite. Perhaps it is because I don't bring in a bucket of rusty tools. Perhaps it's because I don't make frivolous claims.

I'm not sure what I can say about my "luck" with tool warranties, but I can say from my experience with claims from dozens of manufacturers, is that my own experience with Snap On has always been about as good as it can get (the same can be said for Surefire flashlights, and Gilmour sprinklers, and Otter Box cases, to name a few companies off the top of my head who go out of their way to treat their customers in the best way). I personally commend them for not making the process as slow and drawn out as possible (because you just know that stores don't open a second register at the return counter, just so that they can discourage you from returning things, by making you wait in line for half an hour).

Oh, and from an ethical standpoint, here's what I would add to the debate.
I don't see an issue with asking for a warranty claim on a broken tool that was handed down a generation, or inherited. I also don't see the issue, if that tool was a gift.
So why to people see an issue with making a claim on a broken "lifetime" tool purchased at a flea market? Don't tell me that it isn't the responsibility of the company to cover it. It was purchased by someone, at some time. Before they sold/gave-away/lost it, it was still broken, and the company had a responsibility to replace/repair it. So if you're ok with the "transferability" of the warranty in the first cases, why should it be applied differently here?

What I do have a problem with, is when people intentionally break a tool, to get it replaced. That, and on my last claim, SO asked me to "destroy" the tools they didn't want back. I'm still tangling with how to do that so that there's no possibility of making another claim on the same tools in the future, short of throwing them into the fires or Mordor, but in the meantime, I've dumped any metal parts into my steel scrap bin to be recycled into something or other when the need arises for a piece of metal in that particular size.

 

[JoeyMitch]

I receive most of my SO tools for gifts and don't usually get a receipt with them. If I am the original owner, they should still warranty them if they should happen to break right?

 

[DRhodes]

I'd be very surprised if a guy sent one single wrench in and they sent it back...

I sent one ratchet in and it was sent back. I then called Customer Service and they handled the claim. They asked when I purchased the ratchet and where from. I told them and I also told the lady I still had a receipt printed from when I purchased the ratchet. She asked for the date and the dealers name and then she sent me a call tag and I shipped the ratchet back. One thing to note guys is the address on the call tag was not Kenosha WI. It was somewhere else in Wisconsin but I cant remember where.

 

[spongerich]

I've never just sent in anything for repair/replacement. I always call customer service first... they always say that they might ask for the old tool back but for the 8-10 pieces I've warrantied, they've just sent out the new one in a day or two.

 

[tomshep]

Wait ... your dealer switched from selling S-O to selling MAC? Really?

He was an idiot and a poor business man. He ended with Cornwell. True story.....

Tom

 

[Syndicate]

You'd be shocked at how little that can amount to. I spent significantly more than that each year, and received tools at a staggering volume discount, and quite frequently... I cant for the life of me figure out where they went! Well actually, I know they're squirreled away in hidden stashes and tool boxes throughout the plant, and of course frequently grow legs during major outages when hundreds to thousands of contractors are present.

My personal box is around 20K and I have 3 complete empty drawers in a KRL1022, and for some reason I can not convince my wife to get an EpiQ

And to top that off, I do not have any 1/2" drive stuff other than my impact, 2 ratchets and 1 set of impact metric sockets. So yeah, I could easily spend another 10K to fill the drawers.
I have been in a couple of huge plants, Boeing, Cees, and the likes, and I once saw in less than 1/4 of a plant that had 10 million dollars worth of Snap-on tools. Amazing site to see.

 

[Steevo]

I was going to send in my old Snap-On hard handle screwdrivers that the handles have gone brittle and broken when dropped, but after reading this thread, I think I'll just toss 'em in the trash and go buy another brand. I bought these new in the late 1970's, and sure as hell don't have the receipts anymore.
It isn't worth the hassle to jump through hoops like that, and as an individual who doesn't have a Snap-On dealer calling on my home shop, I don't have an alternative to sending things in.

 

[tjmonsen5]

I was going to send in my old Snap-On hard handle screwdrivers that the handles have gone brittle and broken when dropped, but after reading this thread, I think I'll just toss 'em in the trash and go buy another brand. I bought these new in the late 1970's, and sure as hell don't have the receipts anymore.
It isn't worth the hassle to jump through hoops like that, and as an individual who doesn't have a Snap-On dealer calling on my home shop, I don't have an alternative to sending things in.

Just call customer service, they will give you new ones. I promise.

 

[cj7365]

I don't own 1 snap on tool, but after seeing all the tools and tool boxes on this forum, one would think for the price you pay the warranty/customer service would be better.

I have craftsmans, and I dont bring bucket loads of rusty tools to exchange, I have brought a couple of ratchets down to be rebuilt and never had to provide "proof of purchase"