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Re: [Spridgets] Really?

To: "Michael MacLean" <rrengineer.mike@att.net>, "Biff Jones"
Subject: Re: [Spridgets] Really?
From: "Richard Ball" <rich_ball@mindspring.com>
Date: Tue, 31 May 2011 15:21:47 -0700
On the hand tools you can just take them back to your local store.  My kid 
bought me a HF flex ratchet as a gift a few years ago that I had to take 
back when it stripped.  They just handed me a new and off I went.

On the subject of what is the worth of a warranty.  Back in the '80's I 
worked for a tool supply co. here in the Seattle area.  I would often be 
asked by customers why they should by a tool from a manufacture like 
Milwaukee, Skill, Makita, Bosch, Delta, Jet... that ONLY have one year 
warranties when they could buy other lesser name tools that were cheaper and 
carried a life time warranty.   The logic always was that they would be 
money ahead and could always get it replaced if it broke.  In every case the 
tools that carried a one year warranty had repair/warranty stations in the 
local metropolitan area.  The cheaper lifetime warranty tools usually 
required returning it to the main office (usually Las Angeles) for 
evaluation on your dime.  It usually seemed like I was having this 
discussion about table saws that would be pricey to return.  I would tell 
them it is better to have a good one year warranty that you may not use but 
can than it is to have a lifetime that you will have to use and can't.

Since I bought up the idea of "value" I will share this.  Back then HF also 
sold tools wholesale to us.  We would buy cheap 40 piece socket sets just to 
have something on the low end while we sold SK, and Proto to the jobbers. 
These socket set cost us$3.99 and we would mark them up to $9.00.  We would 
sell some, but not a lot.  The owner wanted to move them out so I 
remerchandized them and he had me raise the price to $11.00.  We sold out of 
them.  Priced to cheap people think they are a poor product.  Priced higher 
and people think it's a value.  Keep that in mind while shopping.

Rich Ball
'76 Midget
Everett, WA

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael MacLean" <rrengineer.mike@att.net>
To: "Biff Jones" <biffjones@verizon.net>; <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2011 2:03 PM
Subject: Re: [Spridgets] Really?


>I don't see no stinkin "fine print".  It's just a single statement in a 
>yellow
> box. No fine print.  That being said, it sounds like something HF would 
> do.
> Their outlets would spend half their time replacing tools.
> Mike
>>________________________________
>>From: Biff Jones <biffjones@verizon.net>
>>To: Michael MacLean <rrengineer.mike@att.net>; spridgets@autox.team.net
>>Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2011 1:55 PM
>>Subject: Re: [Spridgets] Really?
>>
>>Mike,
>>
>>Read the fine print. You return the tool to the main company in
> California, shipping on you, plus return postage!
>>----- Original Message
> ----- From: "Michael MacLean" <rrengineer.mike@att.net>
>>> I just received a
> couple of flyers in the mail today from Harbor Freight. On
>>> the back of the
> coupon flyer right at the top of the back page is a yellow box
>>> that states:
> LIFETIME WARRANTY on all hand tools.  How many return trips to
>>> the store is
> that going to be!?!
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