Contigo no Longer have Lifetime Warranty?

akira181

When I was looking for a travel mug, I went with Contigo as they seemed to be well made and offered a lifetime warranty/guarantee. I purchased a couple of mugs for my family in 2016 and my one fell apart last week. I pulled it out my bag and the lid broke in two, spilling coffee everywhere.

I emailed Contigo and they said their warranty is valid for 2 years. Now it definitely said lifetime when I purchased it, as does cached pages of the Contigo site. However, their website now says 2 year guarantee.

I accept that my mug has had a good run and I probably should buy a new one but I went with Contigo because of the lifetime warranty, so I think that should be honoured. Especially since their mugs are more expensive than a lot of their competitors. Can I push this or should I accept that I got my £40 worth outta the last 7ish years and get another?

daveyjp

A warranty is there to cover a manufacturing defect, not provide free replacements or an expectation a product will last forever.

Proving a manufacturing defect after 7 years of use will be difficult.

I'd work on their better nature and explain you bought in good faith based on lifetime warranty, explain you are disappointed it has broken and see what happens.

akira181

With that logic, isn't offering "lifetime" anything false advertising then? There's ground to argue anything is not manufacturing related after a couple months (I assume it's the EU that defines 2 years). The only reason I remember Contigo offered a lifetime guarantee was because it was what swayed me to go for them over everyone else.

Contigo still make the West Loop series of mugs but you can't even buy a replacement lid in the UK (I don't see it on Contigo, Amazon, or eBay at least). It's annoying that I bought something I thought would last the life of the strongest/main part, not be destined for landfill when the weakest part broke. 

I would argue that should be covered under a lifetime guarantee as a design defect. The lid doesn't compare to the durability of the rest of the product. I imagine Contigo see it differently though.

Okell

@akira181 - FWIW I agree with you.  If you buy something with a manufacturer's "lifetime guarantee" then the manufacturer should honour it.

By way of example, I bought a Tilley hat with a "lifetime guarantee" from Tiso's in Inverness shortly after they first went on sale in the UK.  After 20+ years I'd worn a hole in it.  Tilley replaced it under their lifetime guarantee no questions asked.

That's good service - and doing what was promised...

daveyjp said:

A warranty is there to cover a manufacturing defect, not provide free replacements or an expectation a product will last forever.

Proving a manufacturing defect after 7 years of use will be difficult.

I'd work on their better nature and explain you bought in good faith based on lifetime warranty, explain you are disappointed it has broken and see what happens.

Surely that depends on the terms of the warranty/guarantee?  I'm absolutely certain that the Tilley hat in my example didn't have a manufacturing defect - it was simple wear and tear over 20+ years.   

But I'd agree with your advice that the OP approach the manufacturer in non-confrontational way and explain that they bought the mug in good faith based on the promise of a "lifetime guarantee".

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

I think it comes down to where this company is located, how the statute of limitations applies to such matters and the value of the goods. 

I disagree with the above, a warranty covers whatever the warranty said it will cover, that may be manufacturing defects, that may be accidental damage, it could be anything really so the original terms would have to be looked at to see what is covered and how that applies to the situation.  

sheramber

The usual question is whose lifetime- the buyer's, the mug's , the manufacturer's `?

 Express your disappointment that your mug lid has failed and ask it they could a supply a replacement lid.

You catch more bees with honey than with vinegar.

akira181

thanks for the replies. Contigo's approach to when you ask about the lifetime warranty they originally advertised is to ghost you entirely it seems. This is the second time they've done that, iirc. My sister broke her mug lid a couple years ago and contacted Contigo about the lifetime warranty, only to be blanked by them. I managed to fix it and we thought nothing more of it.

When mine broke, I contacted them about how to get a replacement, they replied in less than 24 hours saying send a picture of the damage, how it occurred, how I've used/washed the mug, have I dropped it, and my receipt showing proof of purchase within the last 2 years. I replied with the answers and asked about the lifetime guarantee on the lid that was advertised when I originally purchased the mug. 5 days later, still no reply.

Good news is that my memory was a little off. I paid a little over £40 for 2 mugs, not one. So after 7 years, I think it's safe to say it's had a decent run so this probably isn't worth the time and effort to pursue (although I'd still rather just be able to buy a lid and not throw a perfectly functional mug body away). Bad news is that while I like the mug, Contigo's behaviour has put me off a little. I think it's quite scummy for a company to pull a "lifetime policy" around the time claims would start coming in and then ghost their customers when issues arise