Lowe’s, a home improvement retailer, has been in the news recently for its decision to stop offering warranties on products. The company claims that warranties are unnecessary because their customers can find out if a product is defective before they buy it.
Lowe’s has recently released a new commercial that says their appliances are so good, they don’t need warranties.
After Lowe’s Home Centers allegedly offered consumers an unfair extended warranty, a class action complaint was launched.
Plaintiff Andrew Fritz claims he paid $399 for a barbeque at Lowe’s in January of this year. He was allegedly asked whether he wanted to buy a protection plan warranty when he checked out.
Fritz claims he was promised that the protection plan included on-site repairs and that it “covered everything” and that he would be “totally protected.” He chose to pay $79.99 for the Lowe’s extended warranty, and the cashier put the protection plan booklet in the plaintiff’s bag along with other goods.
Fritz claims that he had issues with his grill in November 2019 and asked that Lowe’s pick it up to repair it, which was allegedly covered by the Lowe’s guarantee.
The plaintiff alleges that the defendant would not fulfill the protection plan since the device was already covered by the manufacturer’s 5-year parts guarantee and that they would not pick up the grill on-site.
The Lowe’s extended warranty class action complaint claims that “Defendants regularly offer Protection Plans for goods for which the manufacturer’s guarantee is equivalent to or greater in length than the Protection Plan.”
During any overlap with the manufacturer’s warranty, the plaintiff claims that the defendants refuse to offer any services or benefits under the protection plan.
According to Fritz, the word “extended” in the title of the protection plan reinforces customers’ expectations that the Lowe’s guarantee would prolong the duration of the manufacturer’s warranty, not that they will run simultaneously.
Furthermore, Fritz claims in the Lowe’s extended warranty class action complaint that the defendants often offer plans with exaggerated coverage. Fritz cites the example of a three-year protection plan for a device with a two-year manufacturer’s guarantee, which actually provides one year of coverage at best.
The defendants, according to Fritz, fail to notify consumers that the protection plans are ineffective if the underlying goods is still covered by the manufacturer’s guarantee. Lowe’s warranty never kicks in if the manufacturer’s warranty is equivalent to or longer than the protection plan.
The Lowe’s extended warranty class action complaint continues, “Defendants’ assertion of extensive coverage, and omissions as to the actual, restricted nature of the Protection Plans, are false and misleading.”
Fritz claims that if he had realized that the defendants would not offer services while the manufacturer’s warranty was still valid, he would not have bought the protection package. He says he’s still interested in purchasing a Lowe’s warranty for future purchases, as long as Lowe’s honors it.
The plaintiff is seeking an injunction requiring the defendant to either a) stop selling protection plans that provide no value to customers during the manufacturer’s warranty period, or b) fully disclose the protection plans’ limitations with respect to the manufacturer’s warranty prior to completing a protection plan sale.
Consumers relied on the marketing of the protection plans, particularly the fact that they are “extended,” meaning they prolong the manufacturer’s warranty, according to the Lowe’s extended warranty class action complaint.
Fritz says that if he had bought a protection plan that covered him for longer than the manufacturer’s guarantee, he would have spent less or not purchased it at all.
The Lowe’s warranty class action complaint claims that “a customer would not expect a Protection Plan thus offered to provide no benefits or services in addition to the manufacturer’s guarantee.”
The plaintiff and putative Class Members engaged into implicit contracts with the defendants, according to the Lowe’s extended warranty class action complaint, in which the defendants promised to offer services in addition to the manufacturer’s guarantees.
However, the Lowe’s extended warranty complaint argues that if the manufacturer’s guarantee is in force, the defendants do not offer any services under the protection plans.
According to Fritz, “Defendants violated the implicit contracts they formed with Plaintiff and Class members by neglecting to perform any services under the Protection Plans if the manufacturer’s guarantee was in effect.”
“All individuals in the United States who bought any of the Protection Plans for any product that has a manufacturer’s warranty operating simultaneously with the Protection Plan during the applicable statute of limitations,” according to the prospective Class Members.
Have you invested in a Lowe’s extended warranty? Please share your thoughts in the comments area below.
Faruqi & Faruqi LLP’s Robert W. Killorin and Timothy J. Peter, as well as Walsh PLLC’s Bonner C. Walsh, are representing the plaintiff.
Andrew Fritz v. Federal Warranty Service Corporation, et al., Case No. 1:20-cv-02210, is the Lowe’s Extended Warranty Class Action Lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Atlanta.
Lowe’s says that their warranty is pointless, and they will not honor the warranty if a customer’s purchase does not have a receipt. Reference: how do i activate my lowe’s protection plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lowes extended warranty start after manufacturer warranty?
Yes, the Lowes extended warranty starts after the manufacturer warranty.
Do I need to activate Lowes extended warranty?
No, you do not need to activate the extended warranty. However, if something were to happen with your house during this time, then it would be a good idea to contact them.
Can you transfer Lowes warranty?
Lowes does not have a warranty transfer program.
Related Tags
- lowe’s extended warranty on appliances
- lowe’s manufacturer warranty
- lowe’s reimbursement
- lowe’s protection plan reimbursement form
- lowe’s protection plus/renew