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

taxiphil

This case is a good illustration of the way companies use words like "guarantee" as vacuous and hollow marketing-speak, particularly when the so-called "guarantee" isn't underpinned by any published terms and conditions, or details of how to submit a claim.

The same thing is prevalent with the term "price promise" which now seems to appear on big posters all over the place, e.g. B&Q, Carpet Right, Kwik Fit, Harveys Furniture.

Again, it's meaningless marketing guff.

Try actually making a claim under the "promise" and the staff will look at you like you've just landed from another planet.

These phrases are just intended as subliminal marketing messages - people read them and seem to think "well they're obviously the best quality / the cheapest or they wouldn't be making a promise like that."

meer53

The pans i have aren't sold in shops, they're sold by independant agents and you buy them after seeing them in use.

I wasn't pressurised into buying them as it was my brother who was the independant agent at the time. The pans cost me over £300 (5 pans) which was a huge amount 29 years ago but i haven't had to buy another pan since so to me they were value for money. They still look like new.

barbiedoll

I've got a set of the french saucepans which I've had for almost 20 years....I got 3 pans for just under £100 and I got the casserole dish in Safeways in their closing down sale, for a tenner!

I've had expensive frying pans over the years, Tefal included and now I usually buy a "value" one for less than £3 from my local supermarket. They last just as long as the more expensive ones (around 2 years in my house) and I don't have to worry if I accidentally use a fork when I'm cooking my cheese omelette.

Tefal?
Tefail more like!

roddydogs

So how come mine at least 6 years old and still fine? if you follow the instructions, no problem. In fact the ones i gave away before them were still perfect, I only bough new ones because the outside had become discouloured.
Trying to clean non non stick pans after, say scrambled egg is a nightmare.

time2deal

Just as an aside - My Mum got a le creuset frying pan for her wedding in 1976 in Ireland.

Sometime in the early 90's it developed a problem (I don't know what) so she got in touch with Le Creuset in Australia, and they replaced with the latest equivalent. I was so impressed I must have told 10 people this story, who have since bought Le Creuset products.

Just saying! Honoring guarantees may have an immediate cost, but a long term benefit.

meer53

time2deal wrote: »

Just as an aside - My Mum got a le creuset frying pan for her wedding in 1976 in Ireland.

Sometime in the early 90's it developed a problem (I don't know what) so she got in touch with Le Creuset in Australia, and they replaced with the latest equivalent. I was so impressed I must have told 10 people this story, who have since bought Le Creuset products.

Just saying! Honoring guarantees may have an immediate cost, but a long term benefit.

You obviously missed the thread where a poster was having problems with non stick Le Creuset pans ! The non stick coating isn't covered under their guarantee !

YorkshireTraveller

Last year we had problems with our large eight year old Tefal frying pan (with glass lid) - the non stick surface was wearing through. It did get used very regularly - about two or three times a week.

I contacted Tefal about this and they asked me to e mail them some photographs. They said that from looking at the photographs of the pan it was showing signs of heat damage i.e. had been used on two high a gas flame and was not therefore covered by their lifetime guarantee.

I disputed this and also confirmed that we had never used anything but plastic/wooden utensils with the pan. Tefal then asked me to send the pan back to them for investigation.

A week later a brand new pan arrived - no covering letter or anything just a replacement new pan.

Happy outcome!

BaldacchinoR

I tried to claim under Tefal's non-stick lifetime guarantee. They rejected it because of the pans' external condition!!!! What does that have to do with the non-stick interior coating failing? They were about 8 years old by then.

There would be no need to prove a case after just 6 months use, as someone claimed above, when a lifetime guarantee has been given. What is a 'lifetime'? If the non-stick coating starts to fail you can argue the pans' lifetime has expired. In which case, you have no claim at that point! Which would mean the guarantee is useless!

I think Tefal are useless in this respect and simply do not buy their products.

I bought a cheap set of 3 non-stick pans + a frypan (also non-stick) for £10 about 6 years ago at a market and only the frypan has lost some of its non-stick properties.

themull1

My mam bought me a set of pans from QVC with a lifetime guarantee about 7 years ago, the non stick is coming off, i rang QVC, someone picked up the pans, and my mam got a full refund.

frangipani

BaldacchinoR wrote: »

There would be no need to prove a case after just 6 months use, as someone claimed above, when a lifetime guarantee has been given. What is a 'lifetime'? If the non-stick coating starts to fail you can argue the pans' lifetime has expired. In which case, you have no claim at that point! Which would mean the guarantee is useless!

I think Tefal are useless in this respect and simply do not buy their products.

I bought a cheap set of 3 non-stick pans + a frypan (also non-stick) for £10 about 6 years ago at a market and only the frypan has lost some of its non-stick properties.

I agree BaldacchinoR - to finish this thread off, sadly, I've given up, life is too short! 'Customer service' ignore every email/call. I can't find any details anywhere about who the person is at the next level up - they don't even publicise who the MD of Tefal UK is, at least I can't find their name, even in the annual reports. When you call the HO, no info on anyone is available. It is really quite bizarre that such a large company keeps the names of senior employees so hidden. I wonder why? So that they can hide from the customers complaining about substandard products?

Having a lifetime guarantee to me means as long as the pan holds food and can be put on a stove to cook. No question. And if they do question that then the guarantee is worthless (as long as you can see the pan hasn't been abused).

So, I will never buy any Tefal product again. I have learnt that their customer service is appalling to the point they may as well not have the department & that their products are substandard and overpriced.

In fact I had a look at a Which? survey on saucepans and they rated Prestige as the Best Buy closely followed by Asda, Tesco & Morrisson's non-stick saucepans at £7 (all made by the same manufacturer). So, that's where I'm headed for a replacement!

Rant over. Thank you!