Wera Warranty *****!

[ibedayank]

HF warranty...no problem just pull the proof of purcase from the file...

 

[Notwerk]

I like Wera tools a lot, but I have to admit, this isn't good.

Were they the only great manufacturer of screwdrivers, their arrogance might be justified.As it is, they aren't even the only great screwdriver whose name starts with a "W" and ends with an "A."

From now on, I'll be looking to Wiha or even Felo.

 

[BigJohn20]

From now on, I'll be looking to Wiha or even Felo.

I think my next two purchases are going to be a set of Wiha VDE and Felo Ergonic.

 

[SMKS]

Just to add some additional info, it appears Wiha DOES accept mail in warranty if you don't have a local distributor.

http://www.wihatools.com/Marketing/warranty.htm

Wiha Tools Warranty & Safety

Wiha Products Carry a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. All Wiha tools are guaranteed to be free of defects in workmanship and materials and will be replaced if found to be deficient providing tools have not been altered or misused. Wiha Insert Bits, Power Bits and Tweezers are not warranted for use. Wiha Brand Torque control Tools are warranted for twelve months from date of purchase up to 5,000 torque Cycles.

Wiha Tools Use and Warranty Guidelines:

- Use tools for their intended applications, screwdrivers should not be used to pry or chisel. - Never modify or alter a tool from its original design.
- Do not use extensions or torque multipliers, this will achieve excessive torque levels and may result in serious injury and premature tool failure.
- Inspect all tools before use and discard tools that show any signs of visible damage. - Do not use tools beyond their intended useful life.
- Work Safe - always wear appropriate eye and hand protection when using hand tools.

Return tools for warranty replacement to your original place of purchase or directly to Wihatools.com LLC North American Distribution Center, all returns are subject to inspection prior to replacement

Wihatools.com LLC
Att: Warranty Dept.
1348 Dundas Circle
Monticello Minnesota, 55362

Please call us if you have questions on direct replacement of tools. Tel 763-295-6591 or Fax: 763-295-6598
e-mail: [email protected]

 

[bart1]

I exchanged some emails with Wiha USA (Paul Allen) sometime back and he was very helpful. Never had to warranty anything.

My Hazet warranty experience:

B - Hey, I was using my Hazet flathead screwdriver to pry a part off my car and it broke.
J - It shouldn't have, I'll send you another one.
B - Do you want me to sed this one back?
J - No need.
B - Cool I'll use the handle for something else.







No experience with Wera CS or warranty.

 

[mrholeshot]

In your haste to call me stupid, you forgot to read my post. I said I do not expect ****. I want tools that won't break and I could care less what the warranty is.

If snap on individual pieces break, I throw them out and buy new ones - if they are designed poorly then I don't buy that brand again - I don't care who sells them.

I don't have time to mess with returns and I don't have time to mess with inferior products. If a product breaks when it is new and I haven't abused it, I expect the company to take care of it. If a product is "years" old and fails, well then either I abused it, or it wore out or it was a bad product. In any case I throw it away and buy something else.

I've personally had those wera green handled tools doused in oil and gasoline and transmission fluid and several other things and haven't had a problem with them. I think they are far superior to the Snap-on screwdrivers I own. If it's a common problem that the soft handles go sticky, I'd like to know about it, and I will change my opinion about Wera. Then when they get sticky, I'll throw them out and buy something else.

I'm telling you it doesn't pay to chase warranty claims on small dollar items. If I have more money than sense in your mind, maybe there is a lesson there...

Any tool can break no matter what brand or when it was built using it under normal conditions. You seem like one of those people that don't hold a company accountable. This is one problem with the tool industry. People that won't do anything about things. When companies are not held accountable for their warranties then it makes it rough on those people who have to raise a stink. I've personaly seen tool companies change policy over post on this forum.

 

[DARKSCOPE001]

Man I was really looking forward to getting a set of kraftform plus. and some chisel drivers. Well after seing this im not sure. I mean I dont want to be out there working on aircraft and break one and have wera tell me. "well that really ***** that you accidentally got oil or solvent on it and the handle eroded' or "well you will have to jump through hoops to warantie that broken tip."

Granted i was planning on buying the majority of my wera stuff from griots garage so Im not sure if something went wrong with them if they would take them back. And if they did im not sure if they would charge me return shipping and shipping on the new item or not? Guess ill find out when that time comes. till then my cman pros are working alright but some snappies might be in my future. but those weras.... so ****

 

[Notwerk]

Any tool can break no matter what brand or when it was built using it under normal conditions. You seem like one of those people that don't hold a company accountable. This is one problem with the tool industry. People that won't do anything about things. When companies are not held accountable for their warranties then it makes it rough on those people who have to raise a stink. I've personaly seen tool companies change policy over post on this forum.

I guess he has his way of doing things. Not much of a point in arguing with him.

As comments in this thread illustrate, however, there are certainly options besides Wera that do a better job of taking care of their customers.

We don't have to force Wera to reluctantly change their policy. We can simply choose to buy from manufacturers who have always stood by their customers.

 

[IndyGarage]

Any tool can break no matter what brand or when it was built using it under normal conditions. You seem like one of those people that don't hold a company accountable. This is one problem with the tool industry. People that won't do anything about things. When companies are not held accountable for their warranties then it makes it rough on those people who have to raise a stink. I've personaly seen tool companies change policy over post on this forum.

You again fail to understand me.

I hold the company ultimately accountable. They better make good stuff that doesn't break or I won't buy it - period.

If it breaks, I don't want another one - it's a waste of my time. I want a better one.

I don't want a "lifetime warranty" I want a tool that doesn't need a warranty - it's that simple.

And I have not experienced many hand tools which broke when used under normal conditions - a few, but not many. most every hand tool I've ever broken was being pushed beyond it's limit, and I don't deserve a replacement in that case.

 

[archirelic]

For everyone that now hates Wera and refuses to ever buy from them again, please PM me so I can send you my address and you can send me all of your Wera products. I will gladly take them off your hands, free of charge!

 

[Notwerk]

You again fail to understand me.

I hold the company ultimately accountable. They better make good stuff that doesn't break or I won't buy it - period.

If it breaks, I don't want another one - it's a waste of my time. I want a better one.

I don't want a "lifetime warranty" I want a tool that doesn't need a warranty - it's that simple.

And I have not experienced many hand tools which broke when used under normal conditions - a few, but not many. most every hand tool I've ever broken was being pushed beyond it's limit, and I don't deserve a replacement in that case.

I can understand your point of view, and I think this might just be a matter of tone getting lost on the internet. I think any of us would agree that it's better to have a tool that doesn't break than a tool that can be sent back.

When I break a HF tool, I throw it in the trash. A $2.99 needle nose plier is disposable. Not even with the gas used to take it back. When I break something because I was being stupid and doing something I shouldn't have been doing, I **** it up and buy a new one. Maybe even upgrade to something better, with a lesson learned in my back pocket.

That being said, if a high-priced tool breaks under reasonable circumstances (I think we all know when we do something we shouldn't have been doing), I damn well want a new one if my warranty says I'm entitled to one. Wera doesn't make HF screwdrivers. They're as well-priced as competitors that, apparently, do more for their customers.

Given the facts on display, I can't really recommend them anymore, though I often sang the praises of my Kraftform Kompakt. That Kraftform will be my last Wera purchase, unfortunately.

 

[byoungblood]

I don't want a "lifetime warranty" I want a tool that doesn't need a warranty - it's that simple.

Let me know when you find one.

Even the best designed tool in the world is subject to manufacturing variations that can't always be caught in production and maybe one out of 10,000 will break because of it.

I think some of these tool companies charge enough for their wares that they can afford to warranty a tool, maybe not sight unseen, but at least without giving the owner a run-around trying to get it replaced.

 

[IndyGarage]

I can understand your point of view, and I think this might just be a matter of tone getting lost on the internet. I think any of us would agree that it's better to have a tool that doesn't break than a tool that can be sent back.

When I break a HF tool, I throw it in the trash. A $2.99 needle nose plier is disposable. Not even with the gas used to take it back. When I break something because I was being stupid and doing something I shouldn't have been doing, I **** it up and buy a new one. Maybe even upgrade to something better, with a lesson learned in my back pocket.

That being said, if a high-priced tool breaks under reasonable circumstances (I think we all know when we do something we shouldn't have been doing), I damn well want a new one if my warranty says I'm entitled to one. Wera doesn't make HF screwdrivers. They're as well-priced as competitors that, apparently, do more for their customers.

Given the facts on display, I can't really recommend them anymore, though I often sang the praises of my Kraftform Kompakt. That Kraftform will be my last Wera purchase, unfortunately.

OK thanks for taking the time to read and understand.

However I take everything on the internet with a grain of salt. There are certainly no "facts" in this thread.

Thus far we have a guy who claims to have owned a set of low priced Wera tools which went bad after "many years". He doesn't post any pictures but claims to have been rebuffed by the company when he tried to get them taken care of because he doesn't remember where he bought them.

Then we have a guy claim to be from Wera Tools give a lame explanation of their warranty. Then we have the OP come back on and say they had contacted him and they would take care of it.

Now all or none of the above could be true. But the only real fact is that there is no verification on any of it.

Even if it is all true - it's possible that Wera has produced millions of perfect tools and only a few bad ones - or it's possible that box of tools were exposed to a chemical while traveling on a truck before they were purchased - or it's possible that all their handles will turn into a gooey mess over time.

Personally, I want the facts about this - if dozens of folks start reporting their Wera handles going gooey - and they have some photos to back it up - well then it is time to move on to another brand, and I don't care what the warranty is. If the OP's tools are a one-off problem because of a manufacturing defect, or even an exposure defect - well then I'm still happy with Wera and I still don't care about their warranty.

 

[garfunkle24]

I think you guys in the USA have been spoiled by overly liberal warranty policies. If Wera had the same warranty policies, they would either have to be as over-priced as Snap-on or the quality would begin to suffer, as with Craftsman.


No-quibble lifetime warranty policies have big costs, whether you see them or not. As someone who doesn't abuse tools or buy swap-meet POS tools to trade in for new ones, I'd rather not pay the premium on behalf of the dead-beats who do.

Seems like all you guys expect to have everything replaced and even if a claim falls outside of the warranty rules as posted by the manufacturer, you still expect them to replace it on a goodwill/courtesy basis anyway.

 

[IndyGarage]

Let me know when you find one.

Even the best designed tool in the world is subject to manufacturing variations that can't always be caught in production and maybe one out of 10,000 will break because of it.
...

If your guess of 1/10,000 failures is even close (personally, my guess is more like 1/1000), my point is 100% valid.

I own more tools than most folks, but probably less than some here - I'd guess the count is probably much fewer than 10,000 tools overall. My estimate is somewhere between 2000-5000 individual tools ranging in price from a few dollars to many hundreds, and for a couple of machines, many thousands.

The ratio means I'm very rarely going to experience a failed tool from a manufacturing defect.

But it also means I don't need to pay much extra for a warranty to cover that 1/10,000 event.

In fact - I've done the calculation and I don't want any warranty at all on my tools, I can literally throw them away, buy new and be money ahead every time.

I'm simply pointing out to you folks, who might actually have a lot of money in tools, might possibly not be thinking about this correctly.

Let me explain:

This is the same game as the "extended warranty" on appliances. Everyone knows that when you buy a new flat screen TV, it is likely to blow up in the first month or last awhile. However the appliance stores always want to upsell you an extended warranty that covers "everything" for 5 years (or whatever the term is). We also mostly know that the warranty is about 50% profit. But many people buy it because they can't afford to replace a $1500 TV if they are the unlucky one where it blows up. You are always money ahead to skip this warranty - as long as you can afford the hit if you lose the bet.

Well when you take this logic back to hand tools, the logic falls down even further. Instead of buying one $1500 item, you are buying 200 $20 items. It simply makes no sense to buy the "extended warranty" on a $20 item, because nearly everyone with a job can afford to cover the $20 loss if the item fails - thus you should always, always forgo the "extended warranty" on small items, like tools.

 

[kythri]

Then we have a guy claim to be from Wera Tools give a lame explanation of their warranty. Then we have the OP come back on and say they had contacted him and they would take care of it.

Now all or none of the above could be true. But the only real fact is that there is no verification on any of it.

I'll verify that it's a Wera employee posting as Wera. I alerted their CS (via webpage form) to the thread here with the hope that they would take care of the OP, and they came online and posted.

This isn't some elaborate conspiracy of sock-puppet accounts to make Wera look bad.

 

[IndyGarage]

I'll verify that it's a Wera employee posting as Wera. I alerted their CS (via webpage form) to the thread here with the hope that they would take care of the OP, and they came online and posted.

This isn't some elaborate conspiracy of sock-puppet accounts to make Wera look bad.

Ok, I'll take your word for it - I just said there are no facts in the thread.

I'd say he should come back on and clarify himself, and if I were a Wera employee I'd be doing it in the open, rather than anonymously.

Regardless - my opinion about warranty stands.

 

[dwm]

I'm with IndyGarage for the most part.

I certainly would not call myself "up **** creek" for a $30 set of mini drivers.
But I'm not the OP.

Warranties are not free.

I have no issues with companies only accepting returns through authorized dealers. Many very good products come from companies that do the same. Controlled channels frequently have many upsides for the end user, not just the company.

I've got plenty of Wera and I'm very happy with it. My Rocko drivers have seen a lot of use and quite a bit of automotive fluids but are still in great shape. I like my chiseldrivers and love my Zyklops. I certainly won't be jumping on some anti-Wera bandwagon due to posts in a forum about a warranty issue with a $30 set of mini drivers. All of my Wera works for me and I've no cause for deciding it doesn't work for me.

 

[Seanbev24]

Personally, I want the facts about this - if dozens of folks start reporting their Wera handles going gooey - and they have some photos to back it up - well then it is time to move on to another brand, and I don't care what the warranty is. If the OP's tools are a one-off problem because of a manufacturing defect, or even an exposure defect - well then I'm still happy with Wera and I still don't care about their warranty.

People will always have differing opinions on the value of warranties, so I'm going to stay out of that. My problem with this whole situation would be the same no matter what the facts were. If it came out that the OP enjoys dipping his Wera screwdrivers in acid, the response by the Wera rep alone will keep me from buying their tools.

 

[NastyNate]

I just want to see pictures... Ill make a decision then.

I have warrantied items here and there from a few companies. Nothing major. Asked for a rebuild kit here, a replacement screwdriver there, and most all have been with zero hassle.

I have been eyeballing some Wera stuff for some time now and havent taken the plunge yet. This thread wont stop me either. I hope others who have posted that they plan to not buy Wera reconsider till proof in the pudding comes.

Post the pics so this thread can come to an end.

 

[decaf]

I just dont get it, this is a little screwdriver that have been used for several years, and it costs what? 8-10$?

i´ve been using Wera for 15-20 years, have never let me down.
If one little screwdriver would got worned out, i would probably just laugh about it...and buy me a new one....

 

[archirelic]

Not even that. I recently just received shipment of ESD precision drivers and their regular precision drivers and not one of them cost me more than 5.**


This will be my first go-around with Wera's precision drivers, so I cannot attest to their quality/durability, etc. But, for what it's worth, I've had a set of their Chiseldrivers for years and have put them through their paces...I mean oil, gas, chemicals, left sitting inside my truck in 110+ degree days, etc. etc. etc. and I have never had one fail on me even under "abusive" situations.


I am still clamoring for pictures of the said degradation of the handle component.

I just dont get it, this is a little screwdriver that have been used for several years, and it costs what? 8-10$?

i´ve been using Wera for 15-20 years, have never let me down.
If one little screwdriver would got worned out, i would probably just laugh about it...and buy me a new one....

 

[jdcompman]

I wanted to provide an update to this thread but was waiting for a resolution before doing so.

Wera Tools did come through and stand behind their product. They sent me replacements for the ones that were all sticky and actually went above and beyond.

And since there seems to be conspiracy theorists in this thread, here is a picture of one of the drivers alongside one that is normal. It's a little hard to take a picture of "Sticky" but I think you can see the difference pretty well. Sorry for the huge size.

 

[scylla]

Don't worry the conspiracy theorists won't be put off by a picture, no matter how detailed.>>>>>>>>>

Obviously the screwdriver was used at or near a container with a highly caustic substance that was previously unknown and undiscovered.

Most likely the O.P. was employed by D.A.R.P.A. or one of it's contractors.

Wera, being a proper member of the Eurozone, takes no responsibility for tools used to further the global ambitions of the hated American military/industrial complex.

 

[decaf]

looks like it got too close too a heat source?

 

[archirelic]

Awesome, thanks for the pictures. That is very curious indeed.

 

[philw]

How old are they? (I read you stated " a number of years" but is that closer to 5, 10, 20?)
Did they all start changing about the same time?

I agree with other posters that most garage chemicals shouldn't cause that unless they have been soaking in them. I have had brake fluid, wd40, pb blaster, and motor oil on my Wera and haven't had any problems (about 3-4 years old).

Maybe they had a bad batch of chems and they are having some kind of late reaction like the old Snap on hard handles had.

 

[garfunkle24]

In your picture of the driver in question, the harder black plastic has a bunch of scuffs and marks. Do you think the green part got soft and thus was chewed up by similar scuffs, or is the deformation all from the "melting"?

 

[billymade]

I have quite a few of those Wera Kraftform Micro's; haven't had the gooey problem yet... BUT I did have the printed letters come off when in contact with WD40! Aside from that; the metal, tips, ergonomics have been excellent!

 

[IndyGarage]

So I assume the bottom one is the new one. At least that's what they look like when new.

Looks to me like one of two things happened on the top one. Either it is a manufacturing defect, where the green material didn't get mixed or formulated or cured right at the factory, or it is a chemical exposure problem.

Notice the the green isn't going gooey consistently all over the tool. The OP said they had never been in contact with any chemicals, but the top one definitely has some yellow discoloration.

I'm wondering if some odd chemical didn't come in contact with it - the right solvent wouldn't take much on a small tool lake that - brake cleaner - electrical contact cleaner, solder flux, etc...

I couldn't find a single instance elsewhere on the web where someone is complaining about gooey Wera handles.

 

[Shipfittin]

I'm happy to see that you received a replacement for your damaged screwdriver. I have mixed feelings on the issue as a whole. Their warranty does state that they only cover manufacturer defects and not those caused by the consumer. But in this situation, I can't really tell where the fault lies. Who knows, maybe this is one that got through their QA that shouldn't have? Or they may have had a bad batch on the line. As others have said though, you would think there would be others out there complaining of the same issue had it been a manufacturing problem. Who knows though, atleast the situation has been resolved and the customer is now happy.

I would not be afraid to purchase a product by Wera at all. I don't understand why everyone got so upset and jumped on the hate Wera bandwagon. Sure their post didn't sound like they were willing to bend over backwards but they were willing to work with him. That's the result of a "limited" lifetime warranty, they aren't going to cover anything and everything. You should always be well aware of the warranty provided by the manufacturer if it's something you may want to return eventually if something goes wrong. Even if it's a tool you think will never break, you should still check it out if it's something you feel is important to you.

I'm really surprised that we havn't seen a lot of tool companies really cut back on their "Lifetime Warranties." I don't know if they could do it legally now (after selling lifetime for so many years) but if Sears only warrantied Craftsman for lets say 10 years, they'd probably save a fortune.

I know when I worked for Home Depot we would not return or warranty a Husky tool without a receipt. That's what the policy was at least at the time, and my store enforced it pretty tough.

I think with tools though some people do get kind of carried away with the idea of a Lifetime Warranty. Yeah they are guaranteed not to break for the life that you own them. But really, if they are 10 - 15 years old it's probably time you invest in a new set of screwdrivers. I think with some items isn't a lifetime now considered to be like just 25 years?

 

[Davefr]

I think with tools though some people do get kind of carried away with the idea of a Lifetime Warranty. Yeah they are guaranteed not to break for the life that you own them. But really, if they are 10 - 15 years old it's probably time you invest in a new set of screwdrivers. I think with some items isn't a lifetime now considered to be like just 25 years?

Don't blame the consumer. The manufacturers are perfectly capable of replacing the word "lifetime" with "_X_" years. (X can be 0)

However they employ armys of lawyers that carefully crafts warranty statements to extract maximum sales benefit at minimal warranty cost or with very restrictive terms.

I'd have no problem if manufacturers ended warranty's. Let products compete on real life quality vs. something marketing people dream up.

 

[BBQ&Love]

I was planning to talk to "Santa" about a set of Wera screwdrivers for Christmas. Scratch that. Not because of whether they denied the warranty claim or not, but strictly because of that post by them in this thread. I don't knowingly do business with people like that. Irks me because I really did want that set.

 

[BBQ&Love]

BTW, that gooey handle looks exactly like the "comfort grip" on a "grabber stick" I bought a couple years ago. It had most definitely not been exposed to any chemicals and it just deteriorated into a gooey mess. The appearance of the screwdriver goo is an exact match.

 

[dovi87]

throw it away - buy Wiha.

Price like Wera - Quality like Snap-On

WIHA is the BEEZ KNEEZ, I snapped the tip, i took it into the store i got it from, direct replacement in 5minutes no questions asked, not ********.

Ill be stayiong away from WERA their attitude and disrespect for the OP has not impressed me.

WERA make good proudcts but arrogance is not acceptable when dealing with clients.

they only replaced it because they were getting a severe bashing here. seems like a rebound action as a sort of damage control

 

[KPSquared]

Welcome back from the dead, Mr. Thread. . .

 

[shoturtle]

This is a very old thread

 

[decaf]

WIHA is the BEEZ KNEEZ, I snapped the tip, i took it into the store i got it from, direct replacement in 5minutes no questions asked, not ********.

Ill be stayiong away from WERA their attitude and disrespect for the OP has not impressed me.

WERA make good proudcts but arrogance is not acceptable when dealing with clients.

they only replaced it because they were getting a severe bashing here. seems like a rebound action as a sort of damage control

Do you really think they replaced your screwdriver because of this thread??

I got an umbrella from Wera just because i liked their products......
That is a really nice gesture i think. Soo i don´t think they are soo bad as you trying too say.
But thats my opinion.....

 

[Scatman]

I have nothing bad to say about Weras warranty. I bought a ratcheting screwdriver from them and it broke after two weeks of use. I sent an email to them and explained the problem i did also included a picture of the screwdriver. After one week, I got a new screwdriver home delivered.

 

[shoturtle]

This thread is old, the importer in the US may have adjusted their warranty policy. In Germany, it is not difficult.