# Who's/What's lifetime is a lifetime warranty? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 30, 2007, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-whats-lifetime-is-a-lifetime-warranty/402158 "2007-04-30T14:48:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-whats-lifetime-is-a-lifetime-warranty/402158/1 "2007-04-30T14:48:59Z")
I just got hosed, I think, because a part failed on a tent that I own, a tent that has a lifetime warranty. Apparently, the “life” of a lifetime warranty refers to the life of that item, and when it wears out, its life is over, so the warranty no longer applies. I never thought about that term before. Clearly, it doesn’t apply to _my_ life. Of course, everything eventually wears out, so I don’t think the companies are warranteeing (?) their products for ever. But I’m thinking that there must be some generally agreed upon meaning of the term. Isn’t it covered under contract law, somewhere? What, exactly, is a lifetime warranty and how long can a consumer expect it to be valid? Thanks, dopers. xo, C. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-whats-lifetime-is-a-lifetime-warranty/402158/2 "2007-04-30T15:18:56Z")
We had a short discussion on this before [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=408312&highlight=sears+warrenty) . Seems that Sears guareentees for the life of Sears as a business, even though they don’t seem legally obligated to do so. For other businesses YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-whats-lifetime-is-a-lifetime-warranty/402158/3 "2007-04-30T15:29:32Z")
It should always be in the small print of the agreement, where all the terms used should be defined. (You may need a magnifying glass to read it though). ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-whats-lifetime-is-a-lifetime-warranty/402158/4 "2007-04-30T23:01:44Z")
I don’t understand the situation in the OP… It’s under warranty only until it breaks? What the hell kind of warranty is that? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2007, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-whats-lifetime-is-a-lifetime-warranty/402158/5 "2007-04-30T23:26:58Z")
There are real life-time warranties that extend to the lifetime of the owner and even beyond. You will usually see these pointed out directly in the advertising. The problem isn’t really one of cost. Few people take them up on the offer 5+ years down the road. It is a problem of logistics. Companies don’t want to be tied down figuring out how to replace or fix something down the road when markets and suppliers change so fast these days. I once worked at the headquarters of a shoe manufacturer and do training in one of their customer service centers in the Midwest. They had procedures to deal with customers who wanted repair or replacement of their shoes after very long lengths of time. The oldest I saw them handle while I was their was replacement of a 15 year old pair of boat shoes that were sold with a lifetime warranty. My uncle who is very cheap and elderly now has owned a Daisy air rifle with a nice wooden stock and heavy mechanism since the early 1960’s. The pumping mechanism broke on it this past year so he called the company and they told him to send it in and they would reimburse the postage. He sent it in and they found a technician to locate parts and refurbish the entire thing for free. Again, this was an uncommon request but it is a great form of advertising.