Wright Tool Warranty

[Ozz316]

So I’ve got a 1/2” Wright breaker bar that I broke a while back and needed to get warrantied. The store I originally bought it from closed and the the only store left in town is 45 minutes away. I had a little down time so I called their customer service about it. I was told I would have to send it back to them on my dime for them to evaluate the warranty. The anvil and ball for the detent broke on the thing. I’m floored in this day of snapping pictures and uploading for warranty that I have to send this heavy *** breaker bar back to them. Hell to ship this thing would cost 1/2 of what a new one cost. I’ve been a fan up until this point. No wonder Im justifying buying off the trucks. Sorry had to rant.

 

[four.cycle]

^ That sounds fair and reasonable to me. They want the product back.

They were really great on the phone when I called them. They sent me a repair kit for a model 6400 3/4" drive ratchet free - no questions asked.

 

[Pontiac787]

I think part of the problem is people buying broken tools then trying to warranty them. Asking you to mail the tool back cuts down on at least some of that.

 

[1982fxr]

You could always call and ask if it can be done with pictures. Tell them you bought it new but the dealer
went out of business.

 

[B_Bimmer]

I don't have any problem with them requiring broken back before sending new. It seems unreasonable to me that you would expect them to eat all the cost for you to break their tools.

 

[Terra Nova]

While I understand your point I don’t see an issue with them requiring it’s return. How do they know you didn’t take a picture of a random broken Wright breaker bar you don’t own? And next week someone else sends a different picture of the same breaker bar?

Blame the low life’s and scammers not the company.

 

[bob15]

I see you're in KC, how far away are you from HJE's place as I believe they are a dealer for Wright? https://www.harryepstein.com/

Next question would be: what and how did you ask them to do the warranty? Wording can make a difference about them sending you replacement pieces versus getting a new breaker bar.

Lastly, they are more geared for industry and having their distributor be used for warranties. To complain and say this is why you prefer the trucks is kinda pointless because the trucks are there to cater to you, same as using a Wright Tool distributor.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

While I understand your point I don’t see an issue with them requiring it’s return. How do they know you didn’t take a picture of a random broken Wright breaker bar you don’t own? And next week someone else sends a different picture of the same breaker bar?

Blame the low life’s and scammers not the company.

Take a picture with your name and date next to it on a piece of paper.

Some.of the big boys need to get this system figured out, like tekton has. Many companies have wanted me to jump through hoops, and thus I do less business, or no business with them. Wright makes a quality product, but my own warranty experience had me driving 40min into the city to deal with a distributor, waiting several weeks, then driving back.

 

[Zewnten]

My thought is the breaker bar was probably less than half the cost from Wright vs a truck, so buy another one and a keep going with life or mail it back as cheap as you can and then you have a backup when you get the bar back. Almost everyone except tekton wants to play the shipping game, but that's one reason I buy from Tekton.

 

[Parrothead]

Take a picture with your name and date next to it on a piece of paper.

Some.of the big boys need to get this system figured out, like tekton has. Many companies have wanted me to jump through hoops, and thus I do less business, or no business with them. Wright makes a quality product, but my own warranty experience had me driving 40min into the city to deal with a distributor, waiting several weeks, then driving back.

Yep! Too many options these days for this to be a thing in 2021. They have every right to ask for it back, and the consumer has every right to consider other purchasing options. When looking at it from a financial perspective, you now need to factor in shipping with the purchase price.

Tekton has it right in this category.

 

[Kscardsfan]

I’d say they should meet you in the middle. Send you a prepaid shipping label and ask for it back. That’s a fair compromise in my eyes.

 

[Ozz316]

Ok, so when I’m wrong I’m wrong and I admit it. Got a call from Wright out of the blue this morning. Missed the call, but they left me a voice mail saying they are going to send me out a new Breaker Bar when it comes back in stock. I have been buying Wright tools for a while and this definitely restores my faith in them. And on a side note, I will be dropping off the old one at the local distributor so it doesn't make it back in circulation and someone tries to pull a warranty claim again on it. This I believe is fair.

 

[Ozz316]

I don't have any problem with them requiring broken back before sending new. It seems unreasonable to me that you would expect them to eat all the cost for you to break their tools.

I don't believe I broke their tool, their tool failed on me. It is a 24" breaker bar that I was using properly when it broke. It's not like I was using a ratchet to try and break a bolt loose with it, I was using a 1" thick bar breaker bar.

 

[Professional Tool User]

Take a picture with your name and date next to it on a piece of paper.

Some.of the big boys need to get this system figured out, like tekton has. Many companies have wanted me to jump through hoops, and thus I do less business, or no business with them. Wright makes a quality product, but my own warranty experience had me driving 40min into the city to deal with a distributor, waiting several weeks, then driving back.

I agree. Tool companies with weak on the ground distribution networks need to improve their turnaround time, especially if their target market is the working tradesman. Any downtime to someone who actually uses the tools to earn a living can be more expensive than the tool itself if it holds up a job. Snap on will just send you a replacement if you call or email them with a low value item and you don't have access to a Snap on guy.

 

[Deywalker]

I very recently had to deal with Wright customer service and it was excellent. I ordered their 3490 ratchet off amazon and the chrome had flaked off in a couple spots but it was perfectly fine other than that. I emailed them about it and no questions asked they offered to send me a replacement.

 

[jonesg]

Customer goes in a restaurant, eats dinner then complains it was no good, but they ate all the food.
Do you comp or present the bill.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Customer goes in a restaurant, eats dinner then complains it was no good, but they ate all the food.
Do you comp or present the bill.

Not really the same thing. The steak can only be consumed once, it's literally the definition of a consumable. A breaker bar is a little more "hard" in a sense, and should have more than a single use like a steak. If the breaker bar fails, with no pipes or hammers involved, that's warranty. I mean, the warranty covers defects, not abuse. How can you abuse a breaker bar, if you're not using hammers or pipes? If it fails via hand power, with the length of handle given to it by the company who wrote the warranty, how is that the users fault?

This limited lifetime warranty replacement does not apply to any defects caused in whole or in part by improper use, accident, abuse, alteration and neglect or normal wear from use.

How does a breaker bar even wear out? It's a round piece of pipe with a drive end.



Mailing things on the customers dime is just gate-keeping IMO - lowers warranty costs when people like myself say "screw it" and just toss the product. And I say this as someone who would choose Wright, if told my life depended on hanging from an open end wrench over a cliff. IDK why these companies don't just **** it up and fix the tools. Picture of the drivers license, date, and the tool. Done, drop ship that bad boy. Request the recipient trash the logo so it's unreadable and toss it.