‘Will Harbor Freight really honor their lifetime warranty?’: Man tries to return a tool from Harbor Freight after using it for 10 years. Then the worker asks him a question
While getting a warranty on a product may sound good in theory, customers often have difficulties actually taking advantage of it.
For example, one Stanley cup owner found that her cup was chipping after just a month of use, only to be told that her warranty didn’t cover the issue. Another internet user alleged that a dealership refused to honor the warranty on her Honda, while a further internet user said that she had to argue with Samsung after the company attempted to void her warranty due to a minor issue.
Seeing incidents like these, it can be difficult to believe that any company actually honors its warranties. Now, a user on TikTok is testing that theory by taking a damaged tool to the chain Harbor Freight.
Will Harbor Freight accept a 10-year-old return?
In a video with over 845,000 views, TikTok user Oleg (@itsoleg8) shows a mangled socket wrench.
“Can Harbor Freight really honor their lifetime warranty?” he asks, showing off the tool. “This tool here has been used and abused for 10 years. And today, we're putting that lifetime warranty to the test.”
The video continues by showing him entering a Harbor Freight location, finding the same tool, and then taking it to the counter.
“Swapping this out here,” he tells the cashier.
“Oh, wow,” she responds, later joking, “Did you eat it?”
After a little bit of back and forth, the store accepts the return and swap.
“The verdict is, yes, they will honor their lifetime warranty,” Oleg concludes.
Does Harbor Freight offer a lifetime warranty on everything?
According to the company’s website, Harbor Freight does not offer a lifetime warranty on all of the items it sells.
However, the company does offer a lifetime warranty on hand tools specifically.
“We guarantee our Hand Tools to be free from defects in material and workmanship for the life of the product,” the website reads. “Limitations apply. Harbor Freight Tools will replace any hand tool that fails to properly work during the lifetime of the original purchaser. In the event an identical item is not available as a replacement, Harbor Freight Tools reserves the right to substitute a substantially similar item in its place.”
The website also notes that “in order to take advantage of the Harbor Freight Tools warranty customers will need: their receipt (including the date of purchase), the defective item, and an explanation of the complaint.” However, many internet users claim that a receipt is not usually necessary depending on the item.
Commenters share their stories
In the comments section, users offered their own experiences with the chain.
“I had a winch that I exploded and broke in half by dropping a car on it and they Gave me a new one when I just brought them what pieces of it I could find,” recalled a user. “I love honest places.”
“That harbor freight warrenty if used properly will save you an extreme amount of money,” added another. “that 90 day return policy is actually insane.”
“I spoke with a local store manager and she told me ‘we stand behind our warranty, that's part of our key values, if anyone ever won't warranty something for you ask for me by name and I will,’” stated a third.
@itsoleg8 testing harbor freight lifetime warranty #harborfreighttools #harborfreight #mechaniclife #fyp ♬ original sound - itsoleg
The Daily Dot reached out to Harbor Freight and Oleg via email.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.
The post ‘Will Harbor Freight really honor their lifetime warranty?’: Man tries to return a tool from Harbor Freight after using it for 10 years. Then the worker asks him a question appeared first on The Daily Dot.