Originally published at: Bass Pro getting sued for not honoring guarantee for "Redhead Lifetime Guarantee All-Purpose Wool Socks" | Boing Boing
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I actually used these socks, and quite frequently had to return them due to holes in the heels. THey eventually pull this on me with the “lifetime warranty”. As well. So I stopped buying them.
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Agreed.
This is similar to other “lifetime warranties” that are really the lifetime of the company, which may very well be for only several years. It’s not like the company establishes some escrow account to deal with all of their customers in the event they should go out of business.
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I’d watch my back if I was that guy. This is Bass Pro’s way of telling him he only has 60 days to live if he doesn’t let it go.
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I had a similar issue with Tumi luggage. I paid $600 for a suitcase because it came with a lifetime warranty. Sometime later the handle broke so I took it to a Tumi dealer for repair and was told that the company policy had changed to a five year warranty and that my lifetime warranty was no longer valid. Thanks, jerks!
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Presumably, the “Lifetime Guarantee” is like a “Lifetime Warranty” and only for the “Lifetime” of the product. Nothing to do with the Lifetime of the consumer or company.
So, maybe, what they’re really saying is the lifetime of the “Redhead Lifetime Guarantee All-Purpose Wool Socks” is only 60 days. Maybe it’s even less and the new sock has a longer lifetime. Could be an improvement. 
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Reminds me of the lifetime warranty I see on things like the cheap dollar store nail clippers and similar items where the sellers know damn well that for the majority of customers just buying a replacement is far less hassle than trying to return/exchange the damaged item.
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I’m sure that somewhere in the fineprint there is something that says it is for the lifetime of the socks, not the lifetime of the customer.
I totally am behind the ethos of repair not replace and buy it for life, but that seems like something that applies to cast iron frying pans, not socks.
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I’m socked. Socked!
Well, not that socked.
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The Socks of Theseus.
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I can remember seeing lifetime guarantees that were explicitly for the lifetime of the product. That is to say, they will replace it if it wears out faster than it’s supposed to. It…seems kind of lacking, to be honest.
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This is exactly what almost every lifetime warranty means. Along with not explicitly saying what that time is, just some internal value that’s not shared.
It’s just like most cell phone data “unlimited” plans that aren’t actually “unlimited”.
Both are trying to deceive the customer into thinking they’re getting something they’re not.
If you were buying roof singles, which would be better?
- 15 year warranty against failure.
- 20 year warranty against failure.
- Lifetime warranty against failure.
What if we publish in really small fine print, all capitals, on a linked web site, link only provided on a sheet of paper, in white text on white background, that the product lifetime is only 10 years?
It’s like legal marketing text to confuse the consumer to think the last one is the best instead of the worst.
Trust companies that give you an actual number, not some undefined “lifetime”.
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That’s pretty much why lifetime warranties are banned here in Germany. Even the ones without any cheap tricks in the fine print are virtually all lies in the end of the day.
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Aside from the general malarkey of the misleading wording of the original product, 60 days for a pair of socks?!? Who buys a pair of socks thinking “if I get 2 months out of these, I’m good!”??? I have socks that are several years old. Mainly because I don’t wear them every day. But, who does?
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And in practice the lifetime of the company offering the warranty is often far shorter than the lifetime of the customer or the product.
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Had that same problem with a Jansport backpack. Bought it towards the end of my college career, and it was bulletproof until the zippers began to wear out after 5 years. Contacted Jansport to see if they could repair or replace the zippers, and got a flat ‘no.’ The backpack is still great and my go-to for short trips, but I’ve had 2 zippers replaced by an aftermarket professional, and the double ended zippers on the side pouches are down to one way only now. AFAIK, there is no such thing as a ‘true’ lifetime warranty.
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Try Darn Tough socks. They have a legit lifetime warranty and they replace them with no hassles.
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Darn Tough socks. I have heard they honor their warranty no matter what, but I have yet to wear out a pair, or even get a hole in them to see.
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Bass Pro are real heels.
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