Claiming against Tefal's non-stick 'lifetime guarantee'

frangipani

Has anyone ever successfully claimed against Tefal's non-stick coating lifetime guarantee?

I'm in a stalemate situation with them over a saucepan. About a year ago the coating started wearing off leaving gouge-like strips at the base of the pan. It's gradually got worse so I finally got around to contacting them (the pan is several years old). It's proving the most frustrating situation. They say (after looking at the pan) that I'm at fault as I've used metal utensils in it. I say I have absolutely not, which I am 100% certain is the case, so my logic says the pan must be faulty.

They won't budge but I'm inclined not to either because I know I've not done anything wrong. It's making it hard though as you can get no information as to who is 'in charge' in the Tefal arm of SEB Groupe, not even from the public corporate stuff. At the moment my complaint has gone to the CSS (?) Manager but so far no response.

Anyway, rant over - just wondered if anyone has had any similar experience with Tefal and if so how they got on.

meer53

How old is the pan ? If it's not too old, contact where you bought it from to see if they can help.

Personally, i'd take non stick lifetime guarantees with a pinch of salt.

mattyprice4004

meer53 wrote: »

How old is the pan ? If it's not too old, contact where you bought it from to see if they can help.

Personally, i'd take non stick lifetime guarantees with a pinch of salt.

frangipani wrote: »

Has anyone ever successfully claimed against Tefal's non-stick coating lifetime guarantee?

I'm in a stalemate situation with them over a saucepan. About a year ago the coating started wearing off leaving gouge-like strips at the base of the pan. It's gradually got worse so I finally got around to contacting them (the pan is several years old). It's proving the most frustrating situation. They say (after looking at the pan) that I'm at fault as I've used metal utensils in it. I say I have absolutely not, which I am 100% certain is the case, so my logic says the pan must be faulty.

They won't budge but I'm inclined not to either because I know I've not done anything wrong. It's making it hard though as you can get no information as to who is 'in charge' in the Tefal arm of SEB Groupe, not even from the public corporate stuff. At the moment my complaint has gone to the CSS (?) Manager but so far no response.

Anyway, rant over - just wondered if anyone has had any similar experience with Tefal and if so how they got on.

Clearly stated its several years old.

timdf911

From my experience the meaning of a 'life time guarantee' means different things to different parties.

To a consumer lifetime means a long long time maybe for ever.
But for a manufacturer life time can mean the expected endurance of the item under normal usage conditions.

Thus for a coated pan its lifetime might mean a given number of years before it's life is considered spent.

Not sure if this helps, but I would expect a coated pan in domestic usage to remain serviceable for more than a year, maybe 3 or years before signs of wear indicate it's coming to the end of its life.

So maybe your pan is simply at the end of its lifetime ?

Azari

For a lot of companies 'lifetime' means until it wears out.

Thus if it's worn out then the guarantee doesn't apply.

The big problem is that you have no contract with the manufacturer so you cannot threaten them with the small claims court.

And, although you could conceivably have a case against the seller, you're less likely to have the requisite documentation (yes, I know some people will) so that route would be difficult.

So, effectively, you can take 'lifetime' guarantee to be a meaningless piece of marketing puff.

Oopsadaisy

meer53 wrote: »

Personally, i'd take non stick lifetime guarantees with a pinch of salt.

Is that medical advice??

ivavoucher

I recently sent a Tefal pan (non stick wok) back with a fault on the base. (metal disk coming away)

I thought it may be my own fault as it may have overheated on the induction hob or I may have cooled the pan too quickly under a cold tap causing the pan to warp.

Tefal wrote back stating: The pan had evidence of, pan stacking, metal utensils and overheating.

They replaced the pan free of charge though.

Dave_C_2

timdf911 wrote: »

From my experience the meaning of a 'life time guarantee' means different things to different parties.<snip>

IANAL, but as a pan is not a living thing, lifetime or even life time cannot reasonably be used to mean how long a pan will last, implying that the words apply to the owner of the pan, not the pan.

If Tefal expect a pan to last 5 years, then shirley they should use 5 year guarantee.

Back in the real world, lifetime probably means the reasonable length of time that the pan is expected to last according to SOGA.:)

Dave

Gloomendoom

Dave_C wrote: »

IANAL, but as a pan is not a living thing, lifetime or even life time cannot reasonably be used to mean how long a pan will last, implying that the words apply to the owner of the pan, not the pan.

Using that logic, vehicles must be living things. At least, the Government seems to think so...

End of Life Vehicle Directive


IANAL :huh:

Justicia

Gloomendoom wrote: »

IANAL :huh:

I Am Not A Lawyer... (I believe/AFAIK )

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

Personally I would opt for a non stick that used metal implements safely and would cost a lot more. I have noticed performance deterioration in non stick pans and now wash my loved frying pans which are a good brand(not commonly known I think?) with hot water, missing detergent by and large as it strips the coating.
I think it's the advertising and misleading claims things as well.
Product placement chefs using them on TV etc.
hope you get it sorted.