I just read the "fine print" on my new Kryptolok and it says that if you buy their anti-theft protection, and then your bike is stolen, you must send "broken lock and/or broken links - required as proof of product failure". Doesn't this make the offer basically worthless???? I mean, if a thief busts your U-lock open, what are the chances that he just leaves it lying around?

There is a LOT of fine print on bike replacement policies, primarily to eliminate claims resulting from fraud, or from not locking the bike properly. The "rules" usually include promptly filing a police report, filing a claim with your home owner's insurance, or renter's insurance, and returning the broken lock fragments.

The rule about returning the broken lock eliminates claims where a person has locked their bike in ways the allow taking the bike withOUT breaking the lock. It is rare for a crook to take the time to break a good lock - there are too many bikes where the lock attached to a front wheel with a quick release or is locked to a "No Parking" sign that easily pulls out of the ground. In the very rare cases that a crook breaks a good lock, do you think he is going to pick up the broken pieces of lock for his "broken lock" collection? I don't think so.

Well... I had a bike that was locked with a cable lock stolen once when I was 15. The thief didn't took the lock with him. So I'm assuming there's a good chance it would be the same for a u-lock.

If you have homeowners or renters insurance that provides theft protection for your bike, then the protection offered by lock companies is just about worthless. They will only cover whatever your insurance does not cover which should be just the deductible.

Kryptonite (and maybe other companies) also require you to send a proof of value for the bike in the form of either a sales receipt or appraisal from an LBS. So, unless you have a fairly new bike, your coverage is only going to be for the depreciated value of the bike, not the replacement cost. Your regular insurance may provide for replacement coverage regardless of the current value of the bike.

13 weeks have passed since I registered for the lock exchange, but I'm still waiting for my UPS label. :(

Same here 11-12 weeks and no UPS label.

Also in Vancouver, also haven't got the UPS label. But from the Kryptonite website (Dec 14):

"Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to send UPS call tags to our lock exchange participants in Canada and Europe. We have been experiencing technical issues with the international software used to generate these call tags, but we hope to have the issues resolved within the next two weeks."

I registered 2 mini evo locks sept 30th. I had to buy a printer to print the label. I couldn't forward the label to my friend who had a printer, I think it was protected to prevent making extra copies or something. I got my printer about the last of ten days before e-label would expire according to the email. The replacements came today. Two LONG SHACKLE mini evo locks! I didn't want long shackle lock, it will fall out of the shovel pouch I use to carry my lock. I hope I can get the smallest flat key evo, I sent them small evo2000, what's up?

Thanks to Citybikes in Adams Morgan for the rapid response and right lock at the right time. I'm sold on the OnGuard mini brute. The bent foot K-lock shackle seems awkward now. Even though I don't want these locks I had to open one to check it out. Anyway I figure I will give one to my nephew and try to return the other one for short shackle to back up my OnGuard.

Got my UPS label about 10 days b4 Christmas and got the locks back about a week later. Took them a while, but what other company would have done this? I don't see the generic mfgrs offering free replacements on 10 year old locks.