Wera Warrenty- Lessons Learned

[thk2c]

So, a couple of months ago I received a Wera bit ratchet kit from a friend as a gift for some work I did for them on their car (they felt bad I had to constantly use a wrench to turn my bits). I took it out of its package, turned it a bit and then put it in my toolbox.

Maybe two weeks ago I grabbed it to take some panels off my moms car to install a ipod player for her. The thing keeps self reversing on me. I would be tightening a screw and then all the sudden it starts coming out. I contact my friend to get the info to send it back, but it is beyond amazon's return period.

Anyway, I emailed Wera to see if there was a rebuild kit I could buy (like for a regular ratchet), but they email me back and say that there isn't and I have to send it in. No big deal, usually I throw it in a flat rate box and it is off (do this with Cornwell because of their chrome all the time). Problem here is they are in Canada. So now I have to pay somewhere between $20-25 for them to fix their own mistake!! On a bit ratchet that cost $40.

I find it a little ridiculous. I told them I will just keep the bits from the kit and buy a cheap $5 bit ratchet. I like their products but I probably won't be buying any more.

Anyway.....Lessons Learned:

1. Consider the warranty/ease of warranty when purchasing a product

2. If the product is really good but hard to get warrantied, make sure you try the product out thoroughly before the return period ends.

3. Just know that even if the product is really good and it works when you initially get it, if it breaks and you can't get it warrantied easily or cheaply you are SOL.

Just somethings I learned and some things to consider when buying tools

 

[tradesmanschoice]

So, a couple of months ago I received a Wera bit ratchet kit from a friend as a gift for some work I did for them on their car (they felt bad I had to constantly use a wrench to turn my bits). I took it out of its package, turned it a bit and then put it in my toolbox.

Maybe two weeks ago I grabbed it to take some panels off my moms car to install a ipod player for her. The thing keeps self reversing on me. I would be tightening a screw and then all the sudden it starts coming out. I contact my friend to get the info to send it back, but it is beyond amazon's return period.

Anyway, I emailed Wera to see if there was a rebuild kit I could buy (like for a regular ratchet), but they email me back and say that there isn't and I have to send it in. No big deal, usually I throw it in a flat rate box and it is off (do this with Cornwell because of their chrome all the time). Problem here is they are in Canada. So now I have to pay somewhere between $20-25 for them to fix their own mistake!! On a bit ratchet that cost $40.

I find it a little ridiculous. I told them I will just keep the bits from the kit and buy a cheap $5 bit ratchet. I like their products but I probably won't be buying any more.

Anyway.....Lessons Learned:

1. Consider the warranty/ease of warranty when purchasing a product

2. If the product is really good but hard to get warrantied, make sure you try the product out thoroughly before the return period ends.

3. Just know that even if the product is really good and it works when you initially get it, if it breaks and you can't get it warrantied easily or cheaply you are SOL.

Just somethings I learned and some things to consider when buying tools

Hmm good point, you need to check everything when you receive it not a couple of months later.

Do you think this particular ratchet is faulty, or is it a general design problem?

If it's just faulty, then I'd write a nice letter to the Manager of Wera in Canada or Germany explaining what's happended, the economics involoved and that you'd like to get it replaced.

They might just send you one without any hassle. Worth a stamp at least, and then we can all find out how good the management of Wera are too

Cheers,
Mark.

 

[scott37300]

I had a similar issue will an Ullman pick that broke. It was going to cost me more to send it in than I paid for the pick brand new. I can see why manufacturers want items sent in to avoid scams and what not but it ***** for us that want a quality product but it costs more to warranty it than to buy it new. I just sent them an email back thanking them for the offer but I was not going to spend more money on postage than the pick was worth new and that I would be buying a different brand quality pick set that I could easily warranty. Also said it's a said day when I can get a chinese tool warrantied easier than a US made pick. At least snap on sends you an UPS label to send the tools back in.

 

[american lockpicker]

For most of the tools I buy a warrenty is useless as the tools are of a discontinued design or production has been outsourced.

 

[Perryk]

All I can say is dont ever buy Canadian......everytime I have ever tried to have something replaced under warranty all I got was a ******** runaround that made it not even worth the effort.

 

[billymade]

There is a contact # for wera!
http://www.stainlessscrewdrivers.com/contactus.shtml

http://www-us.wera.de/usa.html?tx_ttaddress_pi1[groupTitle]=USnv

 

[canuckian]

All I can say is dont ever buy Canadian......everytime I have ever tried to have something replaced under warranty all I got was a ******** runaround that made it not even worth the effort.

I guess the same exact thing can be said at times for Canadians buying products from the US or any other country for that matter. Only thing I require and make sure of when buying any tool (or any product that's worth warrantying should something go wrong) is that it can be warrantied and serviced locally or at least domestically. If I don't make sure of that then it's my own fault if I have trouble getting it warrantied.

 

[SMKS]

Problem here is they are in Canada. So now I have to pay somewhere between $20-25 for them to fix their own mistake!! On a bit ratchet that cost $40.

You can ship it much cheaper than that by First Class Mail International. You can't get tracking, but it should only be a few dollars.

http://www.usps.com/prices/first-class-mail-international-prices.htm

Canada is a group 1 country, BTW.

 

[I can fix anything]

Yall keep on buying that German stuff

My snap on man comes by my place and the warranty is free of charge

 

[Toolhorder]

Yall keep on buying that German stuff

My snap on man comes by my place and the warranty is free of charge

My thoughts exactly....

That being said I bought a Matco kit that was made by Witte and it's good quality. All bits, driver's made in the homeland.

 

[joshthedieseltech]

where did you get a price to ship to canada? if you do it online it says a high price, I just sold something online and quoted $30 shipping, got to the post office and it was $8.

 

[canuckian]

where did you get a price to ship to canada? if you do it online it says a high price, I just sold something online and quoted $30 shipping, got to the post office and it was $8.

had a US seller refund me $7 shipping just today because the online calculator mis-quoted. I've passed on a lot of deals because of high shipping quotes. The actual shipping is usually lower than the calculator shows but it's not worth buying a $25 item that should be $5-$10 shipping only to have the seller go with the $30 shipping quote the calculator wrongly gave them.


aaah technology..........

 

[mrholeshot]

hahahaha!!! I just got some Wera in the mail today. I was so Impressed with the ease the lazer tip screwdrivers worked I bought a #3 phillips and a Kraftform Kompakt 40 set. At least no ratchet to break.

 

[allinon72]

Yall keep on buying that German stuff

My snap on man comes by my place and the warranty is free of charge

Too bad you pay 10x the cost up front for your "warranty"

 

[autobon7]

Too bad you pay 10x the cost up front for your "warranty"

I'm with ya there bro, I refuse to get hit with the greater than thou price tag. Not knocking SO or anyone who chooses to buy them just not right for me tho. I have many German tools and have yet to have one fail so I'm sure it's few and far between. With that said it's too bad that thk2c is having a rough time with the warranty, I would expect that from no namers but not Wera.

 

[american lockpicker]

I have many German tools and have yet to have one fail so I'm sure it's few and far between.

I have many tools that are German, even more that are Swiss and some from other places in Europe and I've never had a single issue.

 

[archirelic]

Contact Wera directly, not the retailer.

 

[diesel research]

Wera is on this forum! I mean at the corporate level. I recall them having to come on and apologize.

 

[american lockpicker]

Wera is on this forum! I mean at the corporate level. I recall them having to come on and apologize.

Well if they are listening I want to see more Wera tools that are made in Germany.

 

[diesel research]

Well if they are listening I want to see more Wera tools that are made in Germany.

I bet if you were willing to spend a few minutes preparing an accurate ROI analysis, they would be more than happy to oblige.

 

[AdamtheMillwright]

I own a few Wera tools and am very happy with them. One day I wondered how the warranty worked so I contacted Chadstoolbox since that is where I bought the tools here is what I got.

“The few warranty issues we've had for WERA over the years have been handled by WERA's US warehouse shipping a replacement direct to our customers with an emailed image of the broken tool.”

That response made me quite happy since it sounds like a very good system maybe you should try getting a hold of someone at Chads to get the steps of getting a new tool.

I own one of those bit ratchets and if u hold it a one way it will change the direction. Looks like it does it on its own but after looking closely is turned out to be the side of my hand since the tool is so small. Maybe try holding it a diff way.

 

[Jononon]

Yall keep on buying that German stuff

My snap on man comes by my place and the warranty is free of charge

I've noticed Snap-on customers have a remarkable amount of experience of Snap-on's warranty. I wonder why that might be

 

[MadMark]

I've noticed Snap-on customers have a remarkable amount of experience of Snap-on's warranty. I wonder why that might be

They simply use their tools to make a living.
Rusted and frozen bolts on cars are hard on any manufacturer's tools.
The German tools are good, but if they are going to take our money, they should at least make it easy to warranty.

Also, before the internet, Snap On's Truck distribution was a good way form mechanics to get tools. Now you can order from anywhere on the planet and get it hear tommorow.
That being said, I would still prefer to support manufacturers in the US.
I wish Williams and Armstrong were privately owned like the European Companies.

 

[IndyGarage]

I disagree with the OP completely.

I could care less what the warranty is on my hand tools. I want tools that won't break in the first place. Now if this was a defective tool, that's annoying and would affect any purchase decision in the future. I would probably toss the tool in the trash and buy something else - why waste my valuable time trying to get it fixed?

If it is operator error - as the post above suggests it might be, and admittedly sometimes seems to be the case with me - well then that's a much more expensive and confounding problem to identify and fix...

 

[mrholeshot]

I've noticed Snap-on customers have a remarkable amount of experience of Snap-on's warranty. I wonder why that might be

Because the warranty is so good people push the tools past normal use. The Snap-On warranty is second to none. If you own a Snap-On tool it's warrantied no matter if it's 1 hour old or 90 years old. If you are a Pro Tech you normally wont think twice about yanking the hell out of a ratchet. Not only do they make some of the best tools on the planet they back them up with the absolute best warranty.

 

[mrholeshot]

I disagree with the OP completely.

I could care less what the warranty is on my hand tools. I want tools that won't break in the first place. ...

Nobody has built that tool yet

 

[scott37300]

I disagree with the OP completely.

I could care less what the warranty is on my hand tools. I want tools that won't break in the first place.

I agree with you partially. I want tools that will have the least chance of breaking, but also realise that all tools have a chance of breaking. There are tool stores out there that produce cheaper tools but back them with a lifetime warranty. Then there are tool companies that make quality tools and back them with a great warranty. Then there are the companies that make a good tool but the warranty doesn't mean anything or it costs more to warranty it than buying new.

If it's a tool that I won't be using often I will spend less and want it easy to warranty if/when it breaks. If it's a tool I am going to be using all the time I will spend the money to buy a quality tool but I still like to have that warranty behind it because no matter the manufacturer there is a chance of it breaking. I like to buy tools once, I hate buying a tool and having it break and then become scrap metal because the warranty is ****. I think any company that's warranty costs more or even close to the price of new to get warrantied is worthless.

My previous example of a pick made in the US by ullman tools. It broke, which picks are something that will break if you use them enough. I emailed them and they told me to send it in. Now I can understand their view and that they are stopping people from just saying they have broken tools and getting new ones free. But I don't think it makes sense I have to pay more than the pick costs new in postage to warranty it. They lost me as a customer for this reason, I would rather buy cheap HF picks and when they break just warranty it. I ended up buying snap on ones that are strong and easy to warranty if ever needed.

 

[Perryk]

I guess the same exact thing can be said at times for Canadians buying products from the US or any other country for that matter. Only thing I require and make sure of when buying any tool (or any product that's worth warrantying should something go wrong) is that it can be warrantied and serviced locally or at least domestically. If I don't make sure of that then it's my own fault if I have trouble getting it warrantied.

I am a Canadian and I buy American all the time....my comment has more to do with the piss poor customer service I see every time I head north of the border......

 

[Joe Mamma]

it's a said day when I can get a chinese tool warrantied easier than a US made pick.

That is sad. OH well, I guess the marketplace will decide what is better.

Joe Mamma

 

[archirelic]

Love how this thread got totally derailed.

 

[Toolhorder]

Once again the thread like all threads on this forum has moved into a "Homeowner tool collector/user opinion" VS. a "professional mechanic tool user opinion"

 

[Jononon]

Nobody has built that tool yet

No, but one company has built its entire marketing strategy around warranty service. If Snap-on tools became as durable as Wera et al, upselling the latest geegaw by getting techs onto trucks would get much more difficult.

 

[Vinko]

Too bad you pay 10x the cost up front for your "warranty"

Yup, I've got a lot of Snappy sockets (mostly bought new). Had I to do it over again, I'd go with Stahlwille.

 

[zer0cell]

If you buy a really small 1/4 ratchet with the 1/4" drive screwdriver sockets you might be better off. Yeah it can't fit into quite as tight of a space as a dedicated bit ratchet but most of the time (in my experience) it will be able to get into just about everywhere you need. The difference is, a quality 1/4" drive ratchet can probably handle tougher jobs and last longer I would think. Another benefit is that you can buy good quality USA made 1/4" ratchets which may be easier to warranty than a mail-order product. I gues it depends on the manufacturer though in both cases. That wera bit ratchet does look nice though and I hope this was an isolated incident...

 

[mrholeshot]

No, but one company has built its entire marketing strategy around warranty service. If Snap-on tools became as durable as Wera et al, upselling the latest geegaw by getting techs onto trucks would get much more difficult.

You only have that partially correct. While Snap-On builds much of it's business around such great customer service it also builds some of the best tools in the world. I like Wera screwdrivers but they are in no way as Durable as Snap-On in a hostile enviroment like auto repair. Thats the market that snap-On shines. While I don't own a Wera Zyclops? Ratchet or socket set I can't see any Ratchet or socket much stronger than Snap-On. I think it's painfully obvious that you have never owned or used Snap-On tools if you don't think they are durable. Snap-On sells some of the finest tools on the planet and backs them with the absolutle best customer service in the industry. They arn't ashamed to charge for it either. Wera isn't ashamed to charge for theirs either.

There are companies that build great tools and the warranty is tough, there are companies that build Junk and have great warranty service then there are companies like Snap-On who are excellant on both fronts. If you can get past the price of admission and manage not to lose a Snap-On tool you will never have to worry about buying another unless you want a spare. Snap-On will warranty a 75 year old ratchet no matter who bought it, when they bought it or how many owners it's had, pay the shipping both ways and sweet talk you while they do it. Add that in with unmatched quality and it's the reason Snap-On is #1 in the world.

 

[Toolhorder]

No, but one company has built its entire marketing strategy around warranty service. If Snap-on tools became as durable as Wera et al, upselling the latest geegaw by getting techs onto trucks would get much more difficult.

I think you would find it interesting that Snap is in bed with Wera. I got some bits for my shake and roll impact screw remover and they were all Wera in a SO kit bag.

 

[Toolhorder]

You only have that partially correct. While Snap-On builds much of it's business around such great customer service it also builds some of the best tools in the world. I like Wera screwdrivers but they are in no way as Durable as Snap-On in a hostile enviroment like auto repair. Thats the market that snap-On shines. While I don't own a Wera Zyclops? Ratchet or socket set I can't see any Ratchet or socket much stronger than Snap-On. I think it's painfully obvious that you have never owned or used Snap-On tools if you don't think they are durable. Snap-On sells some of the finest tools on the planet and backs them with the absolutle best customer service in the industry. They arn't ashamed to charge for it either. Wera isn't ashamed to charge for theirs either.

There are companies that build great tools and the warranty is tough, there are companies that build Junk and have great warranty service then there are companies like Snap-On who are excellant on both fronts. If you can get past the price of admission and manage not to lose a Snap-On tool you will never have to worry about buying another unless you want a spare. Snap-On will warranty a 75 year old ratchet no matter who bought it, when they bought it or how many owners it's had, pay the shipping both ways and sweet talk you while they do it. Add that in with unmatched quality and it's the reason Snap-On is #1 in the world.

+1 That's why I focus 90% of my tool purchases on Snap on tools. There are a few tools I'll buy that I like better like IR's impacts but for the most part you can't beat SO.

 

[Jononon]

The argument both that they're durable and that they break because techs push them hard is utter nonsense. There isn't a professional in the world who stops to think 'this might be hard to warranty' before picking up a tool and getting the job done.

I don't now work in a manual role in industry but I put in years with my hands dirty, with one of my responsibilities that of tool inventory and ordering. It doesn't take long to notice which items spend more time tagged than they do on the shop floor.

I'm not sure what '#1 in the world' is supposed to mean, it certainly isn't true of the size of the company, they're a fraction of the size of Danaher or Stanley, but if you line up a new Snap-on screwdriver next to a Wera, Witte or PB Swiss item can you honestly assert that that the Snap-on is worth the expense on quality alone? I doubt it. Try the same comparison with a Snap-on wrench and a Facom 440 and, despite the 440's COO, the premium choice is obvious.

I think you would find it interesting that Snap is in bed with Wera. I got some bits for my shake and roll impact screw remover and they were all Wera in a SO kit bag.

I do find it interesting that they're sourcing wear items from Wera while continuing their own handles. An odd choice, if durability is a consideration, to say the least.

 

[mrholeshot]

The argument both that they're durable and that they break because techs push them hard is utter nonsense. There isn't a professional in the world who stops to think 'this might be hard to warranty' before picking up a tool and getting the job done.

I don't now work in a manual role in industry but I put in years with my hands dirty, with one of my responsibilities that of tool inventory and ordering. It doesn't take long to notice which items spend more time tagged than they do on the shop floor.

I'm not sure what '#1 in the world' is supposed to mean, it certainly isn't true of the size of the company, they're a fraction of the size of Danaher or Stanley, but if you line up a new Snap-on screwdriver next to a Wera, Witte or PB Swiss item can you honestly assert that that the Snap-on is worth the expense on quality alone? I doubt it. Try the same comparison with a Snap-on wrench and a Facom 440 and, despite the 440's COO, the premium choice is obvious.



I do find it interesting that they're sourcing wear items from Wera while continuing their own handles. An odd choice, if durability is a consideration, to say the least.

One paragraph at a time.

So now you know how every tech in the world treats his tools? I know some techs that have a favorite tool but will change because fear of breaking their favorite because it's little harder to have replaced. Despite your train of thought everybody isn't the same.

And just what tools do you manage?

You don't have to be the biggest to be #1. Stanley Works have Taiwan and China companies pumping out a lot of tools. Being #1 and being #1 in sales are two worlds apart. Snap-On is is the #1 desired tool in the world. If you ever doubt that just check out ebay. People don't pay big money for it because it's junk. I have screwdrivers from Wera, Witte, Whia and they still don't hold a candle to the quality and brute strength of Snap-On. In a hostile enviroment where tools get abused (just a fact of the job) like auto repair nothing else has ever held up like Snap-On. As far as a Snap-On wrench Vs a Facom 440 all I can tell you on that one is I've never broken a snap-on wrecnh that I can remember. Even if the Facom is a bit stronger all I can tell you is the Snap-On is strong. Is that paticular wrecnh the strongest in the world? Who knows. The same test could be done against a Facom fine tooth ratchet and a Dual 80. Who do you think would win that battle. Being #1 takes more than making one small wrench. It means wide spead coverage on as many applications and doing everything well.

 

[autobon7]

The same test could be done against a Facom fine tooth ratchet and a Dual 80. Who do you think would win that battle. Being #1 takes more than making one small wrench. It means wide spead coverage on as many applications and doing everything well.[/QUOTE]

I bought a Facom 1/4" flex head fine tooth based partially on the opinions of several on this forum (and price) that it was every bit as smooth (some said smoother) than a dual 80. I have no regrets. Is it smoother, too close to call but I did pay a lot less than I would have for a SO. Will it be as easy to warrenty as a SO if needed? We all know that answer (no) but the cash saved allowed me to get another tool. In the end I am happy with my purchase but can understand everyones stance with SO and warrenty.