Me vs. Lowe’s: defective Dewalt battery.
Greetings to all,
A few weeks ago I was using a tool with a 18v Dewalt battery. It was a cold day in the 20’s (that cold around here), and as I was inserting the battery one of the little plastic clasps on the side of it broke. This rendered the battery useless, since it would immediately fall right back out after being inserted into the tool.
So I dig out the Lowe’s receipt, which was dated in April, 05. With the battery being clearly less than a year old I take it back to Lowe’s expecting full sympathy and a quick, new replacement. No way, the guy says! They only warranty the battery itself – not the battery enclosure!
Is this pathetic or what!!!
Not to be outdone, I simply drive across town to another Lowe’s, told the clerk that the battery simply “no longer works”. Ten minutes later I’m leaving with a brand new replacement.
Clearly a case where the less said, the better.
Frank
Replies
who said ........"honesty is the best policy".....
......let that be a lesson, now take the drill back........hahahah
Whoever said that honesty is the best possibility was a f-ing liar ; "I'm your huckleberry"
Edited 1/27/2006 10:27 am ET by xosder11
OK .....you were nowhere near this drill right ? :).....huckleberry......reminds of Tombstone......somethin that DocHolliday always said
Hey I ruined the 18v circular saw, but it was me who caught my friend using my cordless dewalt to mix thinset. Remamber he gave it back to me and I spent an hour picking and scrapping little pieces off of it. Later on today I'm gonna ask to borrow his car, go down to the lake, build a ramp, brick the gas pedal and watch that puppy fly. We always need to be one upping each other like that.BTW, Tombstone it is. Doc Holiday man I love that line."I'll be your huckleberry"
you got a Tavern privleges ??
Yes. Curiosity killed the cat."I'm your huckleberry"
Edited 1/27/2006 12:49 pm ET by xosder11
no big deal really, I replied to your last post over there is all.....
Where in NC?
Hi folks,
At the risk of sounding like a real sap, I'm second guessing myself on this one. When I saw my words in print, it made me look more seriously at getting the replacement the way that I did. At the time, I was furious and felt that the product was clearly defective and hence covered by the warranty. But if that's the way Lowe's wants to treat their customers, then that's their choice. My response should (probably) have been to complain to a manager and, if they wouldn't replace the battery, then never patronize them again.
What do you think?
Below is the warranty as listed at the DeWalt site. The part about not covering part failure due to "normal wear" is a curious statement. Note also that at their site the battery is not listed among their "Accessories", so I assume it is not excluded from the warranty.
Three-Year Limited Warranty. DEWALT will repair, without charge, any defects due to faulty materials or workmanship for three years from the date of purchase. This warranty does not cover part failure due to normal wear or tool abuse. For further detail of warranty coverage and warranty repair information, visit http://www.dewalt.com or call 1-800-4-DEWALT (1-800-433-9258). This warranty does not apply to accessories or damage caused where repairs have been made or attempted by others. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may have other rights which vary in certain states or provinces.
Frank
I think you were right, Frank. Yeah, bringing the issue up to the manager of the first Lowe's would have been good, but from my perspective, there's nothing wrong with what you told the 2nd Lowe's. While technically the battery may have "worked", in that it held a charge and could power the tool (when held in place), it was not "working" for you because it wouldn't stay in the tool. You could probably have even made a case for it being a safety hazard. After all, what if you had taped it to the drill somehow, and then the tape let go when you were 20' up on a ladder and the battery brained the guy working below you????It would be like the spring breaking on your circ saw blade guard. Yeah, the guard still works, in that it covers the blade (when held in place), but it doesn't perform in the manner for which it was manufactured, and I say it therefore "doesn't work".I think this was clearly a warrantable product failure. The first Lowe's bailed on a technicality, when they should have provided the kind of customer service that makes people into repeat customers...Semantics can be a valuable tool...
<<This warranty does not apply to accessories >>
Maybe batteries are considered "accessories"?
When Lowe's had a two-for-one sale last year and at the 20% off sale on accessories, the 2-pack of 18V DeWalt batteries was considered an accessory.
reminds me of the time a few years ago I was standing at the checkout at Sears ...
screaming at the top of my lungs ...
about "the two old F'ing guys that break a G#$ D%^& hammer and drive that old F'ing pickup across the F"ing state to a Sears and get their G#$ D%^& Craftsman Hammer replaced with no F'ing questions asked! G#$ D$%^'it!
after I told the manager for the 3rd or 4th time to go ahead and call the F'ing cops did I get a fair exchange. Can't even remember which craftsman tool I was trying to exchange ... it must not have broken again?
that really pissed me off ... craftsman tool ... lifetime replacement ... except for the one damn tool I'd bought .... my wife was in the car half way thru! But man ... did I have a crowd growing ...
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Come on Jeff tell us how you really felt. (:-)
seriously ... I was angry ...
those two old guys didn't ever have a problem at the returns desk ....
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
I used to like Craftsman mechanic type hand tools. Maybe 12 years ago I had a 3/8" ratchet that worn out, just due to frequent use - not abuse. Went to return it. Salesmen said that they were not replacing those and offered me a free repair kit. I said - "No, I didn't buy a lifetime warranty tool so that I could spend my time repairing it". He said tough luck. I said - "OK - you repair it". He said "No". I remained calm although probably a bit curt, and asked for the manager, and he said he was the (department) manager. I asked for the store manager and he said hold on, made a call and then said "The store manager is at lunch". Not sure if I bleived it. I didn't have the time to press it anymore so I left. Apparently they have done away with that policy and maybe a year or 2 later I took the ratchet back and got a replacement (I think it was reconditioned - which was fine). They tried to give me a lesser model since they didn't make the one I had any more. I said NO - I want that one - pointing to the really nice most expensive one. The clerk gave it tom me.
So it all came out OK, except that I don't shop at Sears anymore. I guess the first salesmen really thought he was saving Sears money, even though he had a POed customer on his hands. I wonder how much $ Sears would have made off of me in the past 12 years had this 1st 'money smart' salesmen just given my replacement lifetime warranty tool.
I bought a decent started tool set from Sears in 1972, and about 4-5 yrs ago I needed to replace the 3/8 ratchet because the ratcheter wouldn't engage. Took it to the local store and they gave me a reconditioned ratchet, which I didn't pick up on until I got home. If I had seen it in the store, I would have demanded a new one. Now, I don't go to sears anymore. Their loss, not mine.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
I thought all Craftsman tools were warrantied for life, no questions ask. I have a tape measure that I bought when I was 15, I have had it replaced about 2 dozen times already, in fact once was in Pittsburgh when I was working there. If my screwdrivers get paint on the handles, I've returned them no problem. You must be coming across as a little to exploitable.<g>
Our office had a 25' Craftsman tape break a couple of weeks ago. Sears replaced it no questions asked but told the guy from our office making the exhange that this would be the last replacement for that tape (yellow case) as they were changing models and that we would have to buy a new one (red case) before getting the new model as a replacement.
My original one was a steel case 16', everytime I replaced it they would give methe latest and greatest, it's now a 30', but ofcourse a plastic case.
Last time my craftsman 25' tape broke, I took it back, grabbed a new one off the shelf and the clerk said "no not those we have the replacements back here". He gave me a recon which was fine with me especially since the "new" ones are now made in "north west south korea" or someplace like that.
http://www.dewalt.com/us/products/popup_prod_warranty.asp?productID=8131
These are supposed to be different pages, the first is the link shown of second.
http://www.dewalt.com/us/products/attachment_detail.asp?productID=8131
On their website Batteries are under attachments, not accessories.
Edited 1/26/2006 11:34 pm ET by rasconc
THANKS to ALL!
I appreciate your feedback. As always, you folks are the best!
Frank
I could just be missing the boat but the warranty is with dewalt not lowes. warranty says dewalt will repair or replace, i did not read the part about taking it back to lowes to have them repair or replace. If you want service on a high priced tool buy it from someone who services them too. You might have saved a few dollars when initially bought but you also got the service to match.
>> Point taken, and I'll be mindful of that in the future... <<
Point taken, and I'll be mindful of this in the future.
However, why didn't the guy just tell me that they don't take returns and that I have to go to Dewalt - instead of telling me they took *some* defects?
I did not know Lowes was the warranty handler for DeWalt batteries.
>> I did not know Lowes was the warranty handler for DeWalt batteries. <<
Maybe not, but then why didn't the guy just tell me that? He implied they'd exchange the battery if it had a charging problem.
You know, something I see all to often on Breaktime, is people trying to solve questions they shouldn't have to ask. I buy all my tools from a local, family owned hardware store- I have a problem, they fix it- no q's asked. how to get warranty issues settled w/ Lowe's? don/t trade w/them.I'd rather wait a week for a tool to come in for me than put up with with the average tool guy's stupidity at Lowe's.
Good point, unless you're short a tool and really want to get the job done. I rarely buy from Lowe's myself, but this was a situation where they were the closest place and I was in a pinch for time.
My take...
How many thousands or hundreds of thousands of these batteries have been put into and taken out of drills, countless times ?
How many plastic clasps have broken ?
I'd call that a defect.
As for Lowes not being the "warranty manager"... If they replace the battery, it doesn't much matter if they are "officially the warranty manager". They have obviously taken that position.
Good on ya for getting a replacement for a defective battery.
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength. ~~ Eric Hoffer
Several years ago DeWalt had a recall for a batch of their 14.4s that had that problem.
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength. ~~ Eric Hoffer
Excellent quote.--------------------------
It's only satisfying if you eat it.
I work at lowes and it might be in your best interests to come to the pro sales desk.
we have more leverage than most folks in the store. just a thought
I have been married with the Dewalt system--drills, radio, jigsaw, etc. The quality of Dewalt batteries seems to get worse as time goes on. Recently, I have been buying "corded" drills from Bosch. I still hang on to the Dewalts--6 drills and two batteries! But I hate buying batteries at $60+ a piece. My first cordless drills were from Panosonic. I here that Panosonic still makes a good product. Maybe I should buy one. I am finding myself less reliant on Dewalt--because of their sh###y batteries.
It's no surprise you were satisfied with a cordless tool from panasonic. DeWalt is made by black&Decker 9which happens to be the largest tool maker in the world). Panasonic is one of three companys that make cordless tool batterys worldwide, there might be some small mfg's but by far, most batt's are made by thes co's. As a tool maker DeWalt doesn't exist. they only exist as an(admittedly) very lucrative trade name. reviewing this, I noticed it kinda sounded like I was deriding your satisfaction with panasonic. Not so, I think you are moving along the path of true enlightment as far as tools go. I have a few panasonic cordless tools and I love them. Don'tcha wish a battery was a battery and it would fit anything? Jim