@shasta posted:Lifetime warranty! Lionel won't even warranty a brand new locomotive purchased from an authorized retailer past 3 years of the date of manufacture. Lionel's warranty is one year from date of purchase or 3 years from date of manufacture whichever comes first. If you buy a brand new locomotive from a retailer that is past 3 years from the date of manufacture lionel will not warranty it. Your only hope would be to get the retailer to take it back. To bring this back around to the original Poster's statement, doesn't sound like Lionel has much faith in the quality of their products. Definitely not the longevity.
Then you have to say the same thing about all manufacturers. By far the most prevalent warranty for general consumer products, and toy trains are consumer products, is 90 days. One year (or 12,000 miles) is most prevalent for automobiles, although frequently it can go up to 3 years and 36,000 miles.
Lionel is ahead of the curve at 1 year. Be thankful.
Now, 3 years after date of manufacture is ridiculous, because the buyer has no easy was to determine what the date of manufacture was just by looking at the outside of the sealed box that item is packaged within. Unless perhaps the date is now being printed on the box. Anybody know?
Name something, other than Craftsman tools, that has an unlimited lifetime warranty. They are very, very rare, and usually come with additional hoops to jump through before the buyer can claim them.
If you want a lifetime warranty try MTH, WBB, Atlas, or any other hobby manufacturer for that matter -- you won't find it.
Mike
