Negative Rigid Industries

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elindley01

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Frustrated by Rigid's "Lifetime Warranty". I know it is well documented that they will only warranty their items if a receipt is available, but when you are selling lights in this price range you have to know they will stay with the original vehicle for many years. Most people sell or trade their vehicle after 3-5 years and they end up in someone else's hands who probably valued their supposed quality product, but won't have the original paperwork. Unfortunately, subsequent owners are left out in the cold. Their "Lifetime Warranty" should be marketed properly as an "Original Purchaser Only" warranty.

I bought a 2010 Raptor with approximately $20,000 in modifications done to it. It has 4 Rigid E-series lights (50 inch spot, 20 inch amber combo, and 2 6 inch floods). This is nearly $3,000 in lights purchased from Rigid, whether by me or not shouldn't matter. The 20 inch combo suddenly dimmed to about 20%-30% of it's typical output. I checked all wiring, grounds, etc... and determined the unit was defective. I requested an RMA from Rigid and they immediately asked for my receipt. I informed the rep that I purchased the vehicle used and did not receive any paperwork. I was then told politely that they would not warranty them, but I could pay them $120 (plus shipping) and they would repair it.

I find it puzzling for a company that charges so much for their product (but according to many forums still has many quality issues) to require a receipt for their "Lifetime Warranty" to be honored. Why would this be necessary? If they are making such a high quality and superior product why does it matter if you are the original purchaser? The "Lifetime Warranty" is supposed to show their confidence in their own product, but this is a surface level claim that will not hold up for most people.
 

Rookie

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Unfortunately, most manufacturers do not have transferable warranties. Many don't even offer lifetime warranties anymore. It's hard for companies to determine where their product came from without proof of sale. I'm sure it is very frustrating but I hope you understand that it is common practice and not just a Rigid policy.
 
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elindley01

elindley01

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Unfortunately, most manufacturers do not have transferable warranties. Many don't even offer lifetime warranties anymore. It's hard for companies to determine where their product came from without proof of sale. I'm sure it is very frustrating but I hope you understand that it is common practice and not just a Rigid policy.

Hey Rookie, I really appreciate you reading my post and understanding my frustration. I agree with you that most manufacturers don't offer transferable lifetime warranties, but many of the industry leaders do and that is part of the reason they are so well respected (Craftsman tools, LL Bean, Camelbak, Zippo, Carl Zeiss Optics, Leupold Scopes, Cutco knives, etc...).

From what I've been told by other forum members that have been in this community much longer than me, Rigid Industries developed their reputation partly because of their no-fuss Lifetime Warranty. This allowed them to charge a premium for their product and become very well respected in the industry.

Then the typical commercial scenario played out: Penske purchased the company and they became very regimented, forgoing what got them there and began requiring specific documentation to honor their warranty that they didn't previously. This is my concern... The company developed an almost cult following because of their high quality product and exceptional warranty/customer service. They drove the company's value up and sold it off. Then the big business came in and is cutting us off at the knees.

As with most exclusions in lifetime warranties, it's not about validating it's a legitimately produced Rigid item (that should be extremely simple for the manufacturer to do), it's about giving them a way out while still giving the illusion of a lifetime warranty.
 

4x4TruckLEDs.com

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It's also to prevent people from selling broken lights on craigslist/ebay and then having others try and obtain warranties (dumpster divers/etc...)

As a manufacturer I will allow my customers to transfer the warranty BUT if they ever need warranty work they need to provide me a receipt from the original person that ordered it OR have the original person contact me to verify they did indeed sell the lights.

I sell Rigid, but not a lot of it. Mainly because they could care less about their dealers. You can buy a Rigid bar on amazon for less then a dealer pays via distribution. And they don't seem to care. The more lights they sell, the better. You are buying a name at this point. Nothing unique about them. it's why my focus is on other light bar brands who have a better reputation (not as well known but a better product offering)
 
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