>>> WHETHER YOU PAY FOR THE
WARRANTY OR THE PRODUCT COMES
WITH ONE, YOU EXPECT THE REPAIRS
MADE PROMISED WHEN YOU NEED
THEM, BUT MANY CONSUMERS FIND
OUT BUSINESSES MAKE IT NEARLY
IMPOSSIBLE TO FILE CLAIMS FOR
WARRANTY WORK.
>> THEY ARE ASKING AMY, OUR
KPRC2 INVESTIGATOR, AMY DAVIS,
WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT, AND HERE
SHE IS, AMY, GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
FIRST OF ALL, I KNOW YOU GUYS
HEARD THIS BEFORE, PAYING FOR
EXTENDED WARRANTIES USUALLY NOT
A GOOD IDEA, AND MOST PRODUCTS
DO NOT BREAK DURING THE TIME
COVERED BY THEM, AND IF THEY DO
FAIL, IN TEXAS, ALMOST ALL
PRODUCTS ARE COVERED BY AN
IMPLIED WARRANTY.
IT IS IN THE TEXAS BUSINESS AND
COMMERCE CODE, AND THAT MEANS IT
IS EXPECTED THAT THE PRODUCT YOU
PURCHASED WORKS FOR A REASONABLE
AMOUNT OF TIME UNLESS THE SELLER
CLAIMS OTHERWISE.
STILL, GETTING BUSINESSES TO
STAND BIND THEIR PRODUCTS CAN
SOMETIMES BE A CHALLENGE.
WHEN GWEN HILL SHOPPED AROUND
FOR NEW FLOORING LAST SUMMER,
SHE CHOSE A LAMINATE HARDWOOD
WITH FROM LOWE’S’ ALLEN AN ROSS
BRAND, AND OTHER THAN THE STYLE
AND COLOR, THE 30-YEAR WARRANTY
CONVINCED HER TO GO WITH THE
PRODUCT.
>> ACTUALLY RIGHT THERE, BUT IT
IS ALSO ON THE BOX.
>> Reporter: JUST NINE MONTHS
AFTER THE INSTALLATION, GWEN
NOTICED CRACKS AND CHIPS.
>> THEY ARE ALL OVER IN
THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE FLOORING,
AND SO IT’S, LIKE THE MIDDLE OF
THE WOOD OR ON THE TIP OF THE
WOOD, THE EDGE, AND SO THEY ARE
ALL OVER THE PLACE.
>> Reporter: IF IT LOOKS LIKE
THIS NOW, SHE DOESN’T WANT TO
KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN TWO,
THREE YEARS, AND IN APRIL, SHE
COULDED LOWE’S HOW TO FILE A
CLAIM.
>> ONE SAYS WE HAVE TO CONTACT
ALLEN AND ROSS, AND SO I
CONTACTED ALLEN AND ROSS, AND
ALLEN AND ROSS SAYS, NO, YOU
HAVE TO GO TO THE CYPRESS STORE
WHERE YOU PURCHASED IT FROM, SO
I WENT THAT ROUTE AS WELL.
>> Reporter: FROM CORPORATE TO
ALLEN AND ROSS OWNED BY LOWE’S
TO THE LOCAL CYPRESS STORE WHERE
SHE BUCKET THE FLOORING, SHE’S
GONE IN CIRCLES FOR FOUR MONTHS,
AND NO ONE ABLE TO TELL HER HOW
TO FILE A CLAIM UNDER THE
WARRANTY.
SO MUCH HASSLE AND FRUSTRATION,
SHE WONDERS IF THIS SO-CALLED
30-YEAR WARRANTY EXISTS.
>> I TRULY BELIEVE THEY PUT IT
ON A BOX FOR ADVERTISING
PURPOSES TO GO UP AGAINST SOME
OF THE BETTER BRANDS.
>> FIRST OF ALL, DON’T PROMISE A
THING YOU KNOW WITHIN THE FEW
MONTHS YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BE
ABLE TO DELIVER.
>> Reporter: ANOTHER FACES
THIS DILEMMA WITH A WHITE GOLD
EMERALD RING THEY PURCHASED FOR
THE 20th ANNIVERSARY IN
DECEMBER PAYING $130 FOR THE
RING ON SALE AND $20 FOR THE
UNLIMITED LIFETIME JEWELRY
PROTECTION PLAN.
WHEN TWO EMERALDS FELL OUT
WITHIN A COUPLE MONTHS, SHE TOOK
IT BACK TO THE STORE FOR REPAIR,
AND JCPENNEY SAID THEY ARE
UNABLE TO SOURCE THE REPLACEMENT
STONE AND WOULD BUY BACK THE
RING, BUT NO REFUND ON THE
PROTECTION PLAN.
ACCORDING TO THE FTC, THEY
SHOULD BOTH WRITE A LETTER TO
THE MANUFACTURER, SENT BY
CERTIFIED MAIL REQUESTING A
RETURN RECEIPT SO YOU KNOW THEY
RECEIVED IT, AND THE LETTER
SHOULD DEMAND REPAIRS PROMISED
FOR THE WARRANTY, AND IF THAT
DOESN’T WORK, REPORT THE
COMPANY’S TO THE FEDERAL TRADE
COMMISSION AND STATE ATTORNEY
GENERAL’S OFFICE.
SOMETHING ELSE TO KNOW, IF YOU
REPORT DEFECTS TO THE COMPANY IN
THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND THE
PRODUCT IS NOT FIXED PROPERLY,
THE COMPANY MUST CORRECT THE
PROBLEM, EVEN IF YOUR WARRANTY
EXPIRES BEFORE THE PRODUCT IS
FIXED.
ALL RIGHT.
SO WE REACHED OUT TO BOTH LOWE’S
AND JCPENNEY ABOUT THE ISSUES
GWEN AND CHRIS ARE HAVING AND
BOTH SAY THEY ARE WORKING TO
RESOLVE THE ISSUES, BUT THEY ARE
NOT TALKING ABOUT WHY THE
PROCESS IS DIFFICULT.
ONE THING TO KEEP IN MIND, OWEN,
LISA, IF A PRODUCT CLAIMS A
WARRANTY, YOU ARE ENTITLED TO
SEE THE DETAILS OF WHAT THE
WARRANTY COVERS AND HOW TO FILE
A CLAIM BEFORE YOU MAKE THE
PURCHASE.
THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO OPEN THE
BOX AND SHOW YOU BEFORE YOU BUY
IT, YOU ARE ENTITLED TO THAT.
>> SAYS "LIMITED," I WANT TO SEE
THE LIMITS, AND FOR SOME OF THE
PRODUCTS, POOR FOLKS SPEND SO
MUCH TIME, EITHER GETTING MONEY
LOST, TIME LOST ON TOP OF --
>> IT’S NOT EASY.
>> MAKING YOU GIVE UP.