Bicycle Mechanics - Blackburn Lifetime Warranty - how reliable?

My Blackburn TP-5 has been on the fritz for a while now, leaking air from the main chamber while in use. The problem has amplified to the point where I cannot use the pump effectively.

I intend to take advantage of Blackburn's "no questions asked" lifetime warranty, so I emailed Blackburn, inquiring how to proceed (and also as to what pump it would be replaced with). In reply, I recieved the following email:


Hi Kurt,

Thank you, for your email. If you are in the U.S., you will need to send
the pump in with a letter explaining what is wrong with it. You will
need to reference ID number ******* in the letter. We no longer have the
TP-5 so; it would be replaced with the Airtower Five. Our mailing
address is:

Bell Sports-Rantoul
1924 CR 3000N
Rantoul IL 61866

Thank you,
**Name Witheld**
Custserv

Poor grammar aside, I was both surprised and a bit unsettled (not to mention a bit suspicious) by the requirement of including a "letter explaining what is wrong with it."

I can see where a description of the pump's problem might help to pinpoint exactly what went wrong with the pump. However, with a "no questions asked" warranty, I do not see the importance of an explination - what went wrong with it is of no consequence, and shouldn't be asked. The way I see it, that completely violates their "no questions asked" policy.

Would you fellows say that this is nothing of particular concern, or do you suppose that Blackburn might just try to weasle out of this one with the handy scapegoat of "product mistreatment" (I wish to note, for the record, that this pump has been babied since the day I got it.)?

Inputs appriciated.

Take care,

-Kurt

You've told the whole world (BF members) what's wrong with it - why not tell Blackburn, too? The info might help them with quality control.

My Blackburn pump broke.

I packed it up with a letter explaining the problem.

They sent me a new one.

No conspiracy here.

What JanMM said.

You've told the whole world (BF members) what's wrong with it - why not tell Blackburn, too? The info might help them with quality control.

In my email to Blackburn, I did explain exactly what was wrong with the pump. However, I still question the legality of requiring an explination of the problem in order to return it - this is in direct contradiction to their "no questions asked" policy.



My Blackburn pump broke.

I packed it up with a letter explaining the problem.

They sent me a new one.

No conspiracy here.

That's what I wanted to hear.

-Kurt

My Blackburn pump broke.

I packed it up with a letter explaining the problem.

They sent me a new one.

No conspiracy here.

I had exactly the same experience. They back their stuff!!

I had exactly the same experience. They back their stuff!!

Then out she goes for replacement.

-Kurt

Imagine if it was fixable. They would want to know what had to be fixed.

Imagine if it was fixable. They would want to know what had to be fixed.

That's the authorized dealer's problem, IMHO...although, the typical a-hole dealer will still try to place some blame on the user as always...

-Kurt

Mine was a mini pump that I leave mounted on my mountain bike. I had not used it or even checked it in so long that the seals dried out. I was unaware of the life time warranty at the time and simply contacted Blackburn to get some new seals. They told me to send the pump and they would take care of it. I got a new one in the mail with an explanation of the warranty. I now have Blackburn pumps on both bikes and when my floor pump dies, it will be replaced by a Blackburn.

I had a 5-year-old pump replaced with no questions asked. That one has since gone bad -- thanks for reminding me about the warranty :) It's a TPS-3, I think, and the chuck has lost all its teeth, so it won't seal on any valve stems.

Mine was a mini pump that I leave mounted on my mountain bike. I had not used it or even checked it in so long that the seals dried out. I was unaware of the life time warranty at the time and simply contacted Blackburn to get some new seals. They told me to send the pump and they would take care of it. I got a new one in the mail with an explanation of the warranty.


Same experience here. The mini pump is not the best...but the warranty is. :D

Yeah, Kurt, I don't suppose they would ask any questions if you just sent them the defective pump. How are you supposed to know "what's wrong with it"; you didn't make it, just used it, and it don't work no mo. I guess sending an email instead of a broken pump should elicit some kind of question as to what's wrong.

Lifetime warranties are a wonderful thing. I took a broken socket back to the tool dealer where I bought the socket set and they gave me a new Proto socket because they didn't carry the original imported brand anymore. Years later, when I used a long pipe to break the johnson bar in the set, I had no recourse because the tool store had closed. :( I guess a lifetime warranty lasts as long as your life or the vendor's life, whichever ends sooner.

That's the authorized dealer's problem, IMHO...although, the typical a-hole dealer will still try to place some blame on the user as always...

-Kurt

"typical a-hole dealer" Thanks.
Coming from the guy that questions a company willing to warranty his item by replacing it with the new updated item if he will only go thru the torture of writing, " leaking air from the main chamber while in use. The problem has amplified to the point where I cannot use the pump effectively." I feel for you, really. The cut and paste nearly killed me.

"typical a-hole dealer" Thanks.

Forgive me, but my local experiences have been such that I have yet to find a dealer that doesn't irritate me one way or another - I've been lucky to find three (out of 10) that aren't flat-out antagonistic twits, and one that is semi-tolerable.



Coming from the guy that questions a company willing to warranty his item by replacing it with the new updated item if he will only go thru the torture of writing, " leaking air from the main chamber while in use. The problem has amplified to the point where I cannot use the pump effectively." I feel for you, really. The cut and paste nearly killed me.

All right, enough already.

-Kurt