Stanley Thermos Warranty *review*

[Frank]

Rather than write a complaint, I thought I would call this a *review*.

My family, both my grandfathers and my dad have always used Stanley Thermos products. -both have had the same thing for years, works great. My mom bought my brother and I thermoses for Christmas about 5 years ago. It only took about a year of use out of mine for it to stop keeping my coffee hot longer than about two hours. The next Christmas go around, mom bought me another. This time it lasted about 4 years, bringing us to date.

For whatever reason, I kept the first one knowing someday I might just try to take Stanley up on their lifetime warranty promise. Well...about 2 months ago I decided to begin my warranty claim. What a nightmare this has been. Let me share my experience.

First off, talking to someone at Stanley for a warranty is impossible. If you want to purchase something, call away. Yes, there is a warranty phone line...good luck.

I took it upon my trusty gmail to get a message to them. After about a 5 day wait, I get a reply with a PDF asking for information from the bottle, the bottom specifically. Flip your thermos over and you will find a sticker placed in a very nice spot; right where the info they ask for is located. I went to town scrapping that stupid thing off, almost deciding to give up, it just isn't worth it...then I thought, nope...that's the point of this stupid sticker. Goo-gone, water, brake cleaner...nothing takes that stupid thing off. I ended up using a screw driver to scrape it off.

So I email them the info. They replied...about a week later...no need to send in your old stuff, they will mail new thermoses out, expect them in 2-3 weeks. 2-3 more weeks, its almost been a month since my initial email, what kind of customer service is that? Whatever I thought...its a $20 thermos. If they show up, great.

-about a month goes by...a (1) thermos shows up. Guess what...I requested 2, both of mine are not keeping anything hot.

Now I am waiting on a reply from Stanley as to where my second thermos is.

*review* to be updated....

 

[Julie]

Warranty Help

Hi Frank

I work in Marketing for Stanley and I am sorry you are having such a hard time with our products and customer service. I apologize for your inconvenience and that you have had to go through so many hoops to get our attention. I would like to put you in contact directly with our person who manages customer service so we can solve this dilemma. If you can email me with your information I will get in contact right away so we can help you out. I am in the office M-F 8-5 west coast time, if I do not answer my phone please leave a message with the best time to call you back. Also I am available by email 24/7. I am a real person, not spam or trying to pull your leg. Again I am sorry for all the trouble you are having and hope we can find a solution.

http://pmi-worldwide.com/who-we-are/default.aspx


Sincerely
Julie


http://www.stanley-pmi.com/about-us/contact-us

 

[4x4x4doors]

Watching for updates....

 

[Frank]

Thank you for the email and the PM, Julie. I should have updated this, my apologies.

After waiting two weeks, I decided to once again call to see where the second thermos was at. The lady became quite combative on the phone insisting that I only made a claim for one. After reading the email I initially sent to Stanley (for two thermoses) she took the information again and about 5 days later, my second thermos showed up.

Overall, quite an ordeal to get two thermoses replaced at what is supposed to be a no hassle warranty policy.

I love Stanley products, my wife bought me a new coffee mug for Christmas and it is very nice. The mother in law bought me a Stanley flask for Christmas to add to my "first aid kit". This warranty though...a joke. I guess they finally did come...months afterwards.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Fwiw I don't consider ~4 weeks as an outrageous time on a consumer product such as a thermos. Hell it takes "4-6 weeks" to get a $5 rebate card from the office supply store. I recently warrantied my Fossil watch, Leatherman Skeletool, Otter phone case, etc. All took approximately that time frame from start to finish with the process and given my experiences with similar warranties I didn't remotely think it was out of the norm. In the case of Fossil, they use a 3rd party warranty company that had to receive the item (my dime to ship), inspect and attempt repair, and if they can't repair they attempt to replace, if they can't replace with an identical model they send out a gift certificate that can be used in one of their Fossil stores or online. Again, weeks of process that I felt fine with. I can understand your frustration with the quantity dilemma but given the fact they were willing to warranty one on your good work I think I would have given them the chance to followup on the second before turning to the www.

If this was an auto part, cell phone, computer or other 'high priority' need item I would expect much faster turnover but for a pair of 5 year old Thermos's I don't see their time frame/process as unrealistic personally.

 

[Julie]

Hi Frank

I am glad you received your thermoses, and sorry you still feel this way. I'd still like to put you in contact with our Customer Service manager. As a company we are going through some big changes and our customers are very important to us, we are only here because of our loyal customers. We like to hear from everyone, good or bad, so we can figure out what is going wrong and improve on it. I personally depend on my stanley gear when I am out hiking so I understand how irritating it can be when you like to depend on something, it fails, and ends up being the biggest pain in the butt at the end of the day.

If you can give me a ring, we'd still like to talk to you and get your opinions on what would make things work better and easier.

Sincerely,
Julie

 

[Frank]

I will try to call you this afternoon, Julie.

 

[Julie]

Warranty Help

Thanks Frank,

It was nice hearing from you. Feel free to contact me if you have additional questions.

Julie

 

[off-roader]

Working on the front lines in a related customer service role for my company I'm also looking forward to learning how good Stanley service proves to be.:ylsmoke:

 

[4xdog]

I'm more than satisfied with the customer service that's been shown from Stanley. Being sought out to help a company improve its service like is being done here is almost unheard of. The timelines aren't impossible for a relatively low value, high volume item. But... maybe my expectations are different.

The multiple reported quality issues are a bigger concern. Stanley vacuum flasks are near indestructable, or at least used to be. (The one my brother and I gave our dad about 40 years ago is on my shelf and going strong). Have they changed so much that a majority of them fail to give satisfactory service? Wow. To the original poster: What leads you to conclude multiple flasks have gone bad? How did you run the test to get the "two hour hot" or "not keeping anything hot" results?

Don

 

[Frank]

My response to the quality issue...the thermos is now a $30 disposable thermos. If you get a few years out of it....well you got you money's worth. Today's Stanley thermos is not my grandpas thermos. If my replacements fail, I'll just go buy a new one. -maybe that's what they want?

The conversation with Julie was great. I felt she had a real concern in how her employees handled the situation and agreed with me it took way to long to get resolved. I appreciate her concern and her attempt to correct the issue. Stanley has a great employee.

How did I come to my conclusion on the failures and why did I have two after several years....great question. As you can see from my avatar, I'm a former Marine. In 8 years, I moved my family 8 times. If any service member has any memory of military movers, they pack everything, no exaggeration with the word everything. My first thermos followed me throughout the moves. After the second one failed, that's when I pulled the plug. It was really just like a switch was turned on to not keep things hot longer than about 2 hours. (my two hour window was ....by 10am, the contents were cold) One day it was great, the next it wasn't.

Lastly, this is the first negative rant I have posted about a company. This is my experience, take it however you wish. Again, I like Stanley products but from experience, a lifetime thermos is not a lifetime thermos and when these fail, I'll go buy another. I own several other Stanley products and will continue to purchase more.

 

[rwb0481]

My experience with the newer stuff is about the same. My Stanley thermos works about as well as a travel mug. I fill my Stanley up with coffee when I get up, about 5 A.M. and when I get to work at 8:30 A.M. the coffee is only luke warm. The time it takes to go from steaming hot to cool enough a child can drink it is definitely less than 3.5 hours. I have not, however, tried their warranty and cannot speak from that standpoint. I drink all that I put in there by 9:00 A.M. and it's just warm enough to be drinkable so I still use it, but would not recommend it for use such as keeping soup warm from morning till noon.

 

[goodtimes]

My experience with the newer stuff is about the same. My Stanley thermos works about as well as a travel mug. I fill my Stanley up with coffee when I get up, about 5 A.M. and when I get to work at 8:30 A.M. the coffee is only luke warm. The time it takes to go from steaming hot to cool enough a child can drink it is definitely less than 3.5 hours.

If it takes you more than 3.5 hours to drink a thermos full of coffee - you need to drink a little faster. :coffeedrink:


OK, seriously though . . .

My Stanley thermos is going on 20 years old (1992) . . . and it still works pretty darn well. To say that it has been around the world with me would be a stretch - but I can honestly say that it has been so far West that it was East. But, if I don't pre-heat it before filling it with hot coffee - it will be only 'warm' in 3 - 4 hours. If I'm working on the thermos solo, I always fill it with hot (tap) water & let it sit while the coffee is brewing - having the metal lining hot before the coffee goes in really helps. Of course, if my girlfriend is helping me drink it - there is no need to pre-heat it; the coffee just isn't going to last that long.

 

[hillbillyjake]

i don't have any relative input to the warranty claim, but my 20 year old stanley will still keep coffee hot for about 10 hours if i preheat teh thermos. when i start my coffee in the morning, i run the hot water in teh kitchen sink as hot as it will go, fill the thermos and then put the cap on. 20-30 minutes later, pour it out, fill tiwh coffee and it will still be hot 10 hours later. may be worth a shot.

 

[rwb0481]

If it takes you more than 3.5 hours to drink a thermos full of coffee - you need to drink a little faster. :coffeedrink:


OK, seriously though . . .

My Stanley thermos is going on 20 years old (1992) . . . and it still works pretty darn well. To say that it has been around the world with me would be a stretch - but I can honestly say that it has been so far West that it was East. But, if I don't pre-heat it before filling it with hot coffee - it will be only 'warm' in 3 - 4 hours. If I'm working on the thermos solo, I always fill it with hot (tap) water & let it sit while the coffee is brewing - having the metal lining hot before the coffee goes in really helps. Of course, if my girlfriend is helping me drink it - there is no need to pre-heat it; the coffee just isn't going to last that long.

Haha, I should have mentioned that's after drinking a pot by myself at home. Sadly I am completely addicted to caffeine.

Now I've not made any actual weight comparisons, but it certainly feels like the newer Stanley's are a good bit lighter than the older stuff. This is just a thought, I have no evidence whatsoever, but... I can't help but wonder if when the manufacturing went to Asia they didn't make some changes to the insulation in the thermos. My dad has an older one I remember him buying in the 80's and it still keeps coffee hot all day long, but we can both fill them up (I even tried the "pre-heating", doesn't help it) before a hunting trip and when we can back to the truck mine is barely warm and his is piping hot.