I'm All Over The Map

Product vs. People?

A few years back the local warehouse store had a great price on a combination rainfall shower head / handle sprayer combination.  Lifetime warranty too.  So I bought it.

Fast forward to today and the spray handle has lost its rubber anti-scratch bumper, the head itself is loose, expanded from the seam, and leaking water.  OK.  Call the warehouse store.

“When  did you buy it?” asks the customer service person.
“I dunno, it’s been a while.” I reply
“Well, I have to know.  We might not be able to take care of this.”
“Oh?  It has a lifetime warranty.”
“Well, that’s the lifetime of the product, not your lifetime.” she replies

WTF? Are.you.serious?  Seems that the definition of “lifetime” keeps changing.

When I was growing up, a lifetime warranty was for as long as you owned the product, or shuffled from this mortal coil, whichever came first.

Then a few years ago I found out it was the lifetime of the company (so if the original manufacturer was “vertically integrated” all bets were off).

Now it’s the lifetime of the product?  Who defines that?  How does a consumer know?  More to the point, where on the packaging did it state that?

In my case, it’s five years. I’m just two months under the wire in this case, so I’ll get a replacement.  From now on, I’m going to ask what a warranty means, and get it in writing at the time.

Caveat emptor.