[Goosegirl]

Over a year ago we bought a set of rather expensive black Circulon pans with clear lids and a non-stick covering inside and out and stated to be dishwasher safe. They were great except some of the coating on the rims was coming off but still acceptable. During summer we noticed that a bit of the outside coating was chipping off in a couple of places at the base (um) then our milk pan which also had these chips suddenly sprung a leak, so we chucked it out and bought a replacement. They have never been dropped or knocked so I emailed Circulon to find out the cause. They asked for details and pics of the damage and the bases of the pans showing the details of when they were made etc which was duly sent. In the meantime, as we didn't want any more pans to go the same way we decided to buy another set of their non-stick pans with a stainless steel outer covering via Amazed. I got an email stating they would send me a replacement set but as we'd already got another set of pans I asked for a refund. Their reply was "I am afraid we are only able to offer you a replacement as the pans are more than 12 months old and are advertised with a lifetime guarantee[/]". Is it me or are these two statements contradicting each other? Some consumer advice would be welcome as I'm not going to let this drop until I get some ammo to fire back at them.

[Plot 1 Problems]

The terms of their life-time guarantee will be only to replace like for like, they're under no obligation to refund. A life time guarantee is not a legal obligation under consumer law, it's a 'feature' of their product essentially so they are free to set the terms I'm afraid.

[mumofstig]

They wouldn't replace them at retail value, only what they are worth straight from the factory, that is the problem.
Probably best to accept the replacement set and get the best price you can for them on ebay or the like.

[Goosegirl]

Thanks for your replies. I thought that would be the case so we will accept a replacement set which we'll give to either our niece or someone else who needs them. 

[mrs bouquet]

Who's lifetime, yours, theirs, or the saucepans ?    Last time something like that happened to us, the firm had gone bust anyway    Sorry, it does stick in ones craw, does it not.   You need Lardy with you on this one.  Mrs Bouquet

[mumofstig]

I think it is good that the manufacturer is offering to replace them, surely that covers the guarantee they had? It's just a shame for GG, that she bought some new ones in the meantime:(

[8doubles]

Circulon are saying you cannot expect a refund after 12 months use which is fair !
Replacements should be ok.
Circulon are normally bombproof and last many years but yours show a fault in the non stick coating maybe during manufacture.

I started getting chipped plates from the dishwasher which i realised was due to me opening the door too soon after the drying cycle had finished causing too fast cooling and shrinking of the plate rack.
Do you let the pans cool in the dishwasher ?
Could be a similar metal shrinkage problem.

[Growster...]

A 'lifetime guarantee', is spending lots of years with an old bloke like Growster..;0)

Apart from that awful comment, we had a problem with Ebay on a similar case. The supplier was absolutely useless and refused to compromise, so apart from a credit report on the seller to the original manufacturers, we were powerless, and wrote it all off as a bad debt. Life's too short, and we weighed it against the better deals we'd had; they usually balance out.

A replacement is better than a kick - er - there, but today's shopping experiences have to be checked against our own eyes for either a bargain, or a fiddle...

But, if I knew Goosey was on the phone to complain, I'd immediately try and get a job in Outer Mongolia - by lunchtime..;0)

[Goosegirl]

What or whose lifetime s-pan (slight pun there) is rather debatable! I was thinking along the lines of them being fit for purpose within a normally-expected lifetime, such as if the pump on your 18 month old washing machine broke down after the guarantee had expired, it is reasonable to assume it should last longer than that ,and I think I would have felt better if they admitted some defect on their part. Anyway, TBH in their blurb they do state they will replace defective goods without any hassle so that's what we've gone for, but we've asked if we could have a cheaper stainless steel set so will let you know if we do.

[Growster...]

We wanted to buy a new cooker a few years ago, and went to our local Currys for a beak around.

The little guy trying to make himself useful just floored us when he said that the model we were looking at wouldn't last more than a couple of years!

Needless to say,after a few strangled 'Whaaaaats', we just left him alone and wandered out to buy something somewhere else, shaking our heads and trying not to laugh!

Where do they get these morons?

[JayG]

Whatever retailers might want you to otherwise believe, under EU rules goods bought in the EU have a statutory minimum guarantee of 2 years - worked for me when a fridge freezer started freezing the contents of the fridge as well as the freezer compartment after about 14 months, although the company did need 'reminding' of the legislation. 

What happens to this protection after March next year I couldn't possibly say...

[Goosegirl]

That's interesting JayG but after looking this up via Martin Lewis' website it seems we have stronger rights here but I don't want to go into trying to prove they were faulty in the first place as that would be rather a battle and not worth it. Thanks anyway.

[JayG]

They have acted responsibly and within the law in your case, which is good (if not the ideal solution for you.)

The burden of proof of 'faultiness' being with the buyer can seem a bit problematic, but with goods such as a fridge or other electrical items, in reality I don't think you need to do more than show that you've not attacked it with a hammer in a fit of rage, or used it in an unreasonable way or for a different purpose from what it was designed for.

I suspect that most retailers wouldn't put up much of a fight against someone who is both determined and knows their legal rights (and yes Goosey, the EU legal guarantee is 6 years in England, 5 in Scotland, but that's probably pushing it a bit, even for me!)

[Goosegirl]

All I can say is that I'm glad I didn't buy a new house!! 

[mrs bouquet]

What and get the  National Federation of Builders (or something like that) 10 years certificate.   Huh,   I understand that to be a complete waste of time.I'm glad you didn't as well    Mrs Bouquet