My thoughts on Meguiar's

I've returned several hundred dollars worth of products to Meguiar's, some that had been purchased more than a year earlier, and Brian Hann always took care of me. Don't know why you'd have such a hard time.
 
Thank you Mike for trying to help out. I'm sure you and Tom MacDonald are busy men, especially this time of year, to have to deal with one consumer-level customer over a $10 pad so I'd rather not inconvenience the both of you. I understand that not all products are made equal.



As a consumer, I just have to decide if I wish to keep buying the same product, or try a similar product from another manufacturer. So far, I've had a broken Meguiar's wheel brush and the problem with this burgundy pad. I felt I got my money's worth out of the wheel brush and just the other night purchased another one to replace the broken one from last week. The pad on the other hand didn't live up to my expectations and for the little use I got out of it, I don't know if I could afford to fork up $10 every few details. Whether or not I'll purchase another burgundy pad I'm still unsure because I love doing business with ADS and I have been a loyal Meguiar's user so far. To be fair to Meguiar's, I've been pretty happy with most of their products so far, but I'm also at that stage now where I'm curious as to what else is out there. It's hard to say one product is great when you haven't had anything else to compare to.



My point about this thread is that I don't want to have to go through Mike Phillips if I ever were to have a problem with a Meguiar's product again. Customer Service is there and they should be able to resolve this without anyone else intervening.



As far as the whole product distribution/channels, I'm somewhat familiar with how that works and I contacted Meguiar's in the first place because ADS only has a 30 day return period I believe. Setec, you're probably right that it was reasonable of them to ask when/where it was purchased and refer me to the original point of sale, but this incident along with some of the stuff I've read about the lifetime warranty on the G100 makes me question my trust with Meguiar's. I believe that just because a consumer purchases a product from a 3rd party authorized vendor doesn't mean the manufacturer has no liability for their own product. If the lifetime warranty only applies to G100s purchased directly from Meguiar's, I don't think that's fair to the consumers nor the vendors that sell for them, even if Meguiar's only selling directly out of "courtesy" to their customers.



Mike, I appreciate your willingness to help and I commend you for going out of your way to assist me. I haven't lost all my faith in Meguiar's and I hope you don't think I'm taking this out on you in any way, because I'm sure some things are beyond your control and solely up to Meguiar's. I can't speak for the rest of the people on here, but for me when I think of Meguiar's I think of Mike Phillips. I guess that can be a good and bad thing that Meguiar's has such a well-respected individual to represent their company, but at the same time some anger may be directed at you when you might not even have any responsibility or say in it. Again, thanks for at least trying to help. At least now I know that Meguiar's makes an effort to listen to what consumers have to say on other forums besides their own.
 
BlackElantraGT said:
If the lifetime warranty only applies to G100s purchased directly from Meguiar's, I don't think that's fair to the consumers nor the vendors that sell for them...
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That's the first I've heard that, and it doesn't sound right. It may be, but it wouldn't make much sense. I would think as long as you have a proof of purchase (and you are the original owner) the warranty would apply.
 
I just recently experienced a batch of defective clay from Megs. I called the 800# and spoke to somone and they asked if I could e-mail them a picture of the container and the product. I did & they sent me a new clay 3-4 days later. They also e-mailed me letting me know it's on the way and gave me a tracking #. This is one of the 1st products from Megs that I've used in over a decade(I mostly use Auto Magic). My point is that out of the 1 product I used, it did fail, BUT, the replacement/warranty process was effortless. I appreciate that. That's how big business should be run.
 
If I ever have any more problems with their product in the future, next time I will just call and speak directly to a rep instead. Seems like most of you had a better experience calling in.
 
BlackElantraGT said:
Here is where I read about it:

Meguiar's G100 Warranty Question? - Car Care Forums: Meguiar's Online
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Again, that sounds like the reseller is responsible for making the claim to Meg's, and they are kind of saying that you won't get "hosed" if the unit says "Meguiar's" on the side, even if the reseller is gone. I think they are trying to cover themselves against broken units getting pulled out of a junk heap and being sent back by whoever found them and getting a brand new one.
 
Quote:

Originally posted by 35th Anniversary SS

If mine quit 5yrs from now, and if ADS wasnt around anymore, are you going to deny me a replacement or replace it?



Pretty simple question. How bout' a simple answer instead of taking me for someone who cant read a post? (simple, like a yes or a no)



Simple answer:

No. If all the What If's take place we will not honor another

companies warranty for the G100. The warranty is something we offer to customers who purchase it directly from Meguiar's. You will have to trust that ADS does not go under in the next 5 years. I guess you have to trust that Meguiar's will still be here selling buffers and supporting ADS too.



From that answer it seems like it's pretty cut and dry what their policy is. I think Meguiar's has been in the business long enough to hire lawyers to review their policies and warranties to protect their company and assets. Consumers don't want to hear a "maybe we'll cover it, maybe we won't" attitude. This shouldn't be a case by case basis.



Back to my original analogy, if I bought a Sony TV from Best Buy that came with a manufacturer's 1 year warranty, and in 6 month the TV doesn't work, why would I go back to Best Buy to deal with the issue? Best Buy's has a 30 day return policy. After that, it's covered under the manufacturer's warranty, unless you buy Best Buy's protection plan, in which case usually their protection comes after the manufacturer's 1 year warranty.



Wouldn't you feel cheated if you contacted Sony and they said "Hey you didn't buy it from us. We offer the same product at our store and website and if you bought it from us we would honor that warranty. But since you didn't, go back to Best Buy"?
 
Well, let's agree to disagree. It's clear to me from what the Meg's rep said that they have a distributor policy, which he said he doesn't want to get into. My reading between the lines is, if you bought a G100, and it breaks, you'll get your warranty coverage, distributor/reseller or no. Your reading between the lines is that you're SOL.



I never thought the lifetime warranty was worth the price difference anyway. Many others disagree. FWIW I have two PC's, a G100 (that I bought before I knew about the "PC"), and a Porter Cable labeled PC (which I bought after).
 
IMO the warranty isnt worth the 50% price difference on the G100....100 vs 150....if you are busy and have one break, what are you going to do...put off all your other details and tell your customers you have to reschedule because your equipment broke???? NO, you are going to stop right then and there and go buy another one to keep your customers happy....its not their fault your stuff broke, why should they suffer?



on the topic of megs customer service, i get more of a "are you new" attitude when I called for some questioning regarding product differences (like last touch, final inspection)....part of the reason I dont buy megs stuff anymore besides what I know I need...APC, wheel brightener - thats it!, no more pads, polishes, or towels
 
toyotaguy said:
IMO the warranty isnt worth the 50% price difference on the G100....100 vs 150...
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Actually difference is more, it is 100 vs 225. To get lifetime warranty you would have to pucrhase from Meguiar's and its 225 from them.
 
Megs has some good stuff and some not so good. Their chenille wash pads shed quite badly. I think they may have respec'd the foam on the burgundy pads. I have one that is nice and fairly soft and one that is really hard. Mike seems to be an upstanding guy willing to correct any issues tho.
 
I think there's definitely been some kind of change within their pads, at least the yellow polishing pads. The reason why I say this is because I bought some pads from Steve (can't think of his SN at the moment) and his yellow pads were different from mine. His pads also probably saw more use (I bought it used) and were most likely purchased long before mine. The foam on his seem a bit more dense and stiff, while mine felt slightly more plush. Also, the burgundy print on the velcro backing that says SoftBuff, etc. on my pads started wearing off where you can't really read what it used to say, while the print on this velcro backing still is holding up.



I'll try and take a picture later to show the difference. I don't know if the polishes he used caused the foam to feel different, but the pads have been washed and cleaned and his still feels and looks a bit different. I'm not saying his pads are bad, because they're not. In fact, I have a feeling his will hold up longer than my pads. FWIW, I've only used #83, #80, #3, and NXT on the pads I've owned.
 
Whoa... I got dragged into this thread and I havent even posted until now. lol FYI that was me that posted that on Megs about the G100. I do have faith in the company I bought my G100 from but I do feel its crazy to expect someone to pay $225 for a PC7424 just to get the "solid" warranty. I also dont like how Brian Hann replied to my question.. I took it as "dancing around the subject" and it felt like he took me for an idiot who couldnt read. It really left a bad taste in my mouth and its honestly one of the reasons I did a search to find other places to post.. like here and AG. I hardly post over there anymore and because I now post here and AG Ive found other products that I will eventually switch to.



This is all very ironic because as strange as it may sound.... I have a Megs burgundy pad that did the exact same thing a few weeks ago. Im tempted to go take some pics. The strangest thing... I dont know how or why but the damn thing is oval now.



I must say though.. there are several Megs products I LOVE and will use until theyre torn from my cold dead hands (APC+, #80, #38, #21, etc) but there are a few that work well but I hate using, #83 works well but after todays detail Im thinking Im going to wear a dust mask while using it.



Anyways... I didnt join this thread to bash so Ill stop. I do have a couple Megs products that I should call 800# and have replaced but just havent had the time. I have some of that bad clay and that burgundy pad, maybe Ill call next week.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Again, that sounds like the reseller is responsible for making the claim to Meg's, and they are kind of saying that you won't get "hosed" if the unit says "Meguiar's" on the side, even if the reseller is gone. I think they are trying to cover themselves against broken units getting pulled out of a junk heap and being sent back by whoever found them and getting a brand new one.
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My posts also appear on the Meguiar's On Line thread in question. That thread is about getting two different answers to the G100 warranty question from two (and in my case, three) different Meguiar's employees. When I bought mine at Meguiar's HQ, I was told no receipt was necessary for a warranty claim. There was no requirement to buy the unit directly from Meguiar's and no requirement for a receipt. Now, there seems to be a requirement for a Meguiar's direct purchase. I posted because I do not have a receipt and Meguiar's no evidently no longer has a record of my purchase. Not having a receipt was not a concern of mine per the warranty terms explainerd to me at the time of purchase.



Jorge Sanchez first answered the warranty question, then Brian Hann corrected Jorge's answer. Further, Hann specifically answered 35TH LE's question on what would happen if APC shuttered its doors and he had a G100 claim. Brian Hann's reply included the following:



"Simple answer:

No. If all the What If's take place we will not honor another

companies warranty for the G100. The warranty is something we offer to customers who purchase it directly from Meguiar's. You will have to trust that ADS does not go under in the next 5 years. I guess you have to trust that Meguiar's will still be here selling buffers and supporting ADS too. "



Obviously, what the first two sentences say (and I don't understand the implication that APC is giving their own warranty on the G100), is a categorical and literal "No!" Why Brian mentions "the next 5 years" regarding a product with a lifetime warranty is also beyond me.



Do I believe Meguiar's would take care of me on a warranty claim? Yes. I guess the guys need to have a meeting or two on how to answer questions on a public forum.



Pulling broken units out of a junk heap and sending them to Meguiar's for repair/replacement would be perfectly OK under the terms of the warranty as originally explained to me. Since there's a lifetime warranty, why would they be in junk heaps anyway?
 
Dent's & Details said:
I used to live and detail in southern california. When people first started to use the PC I was open to trying it. I used to pick up products from a place in Costa Mesa that sold Meguiars products. After spending over $100.00 on pads that were coming apart after a couple uses I thought I would call and complain on the 800#. The guy I spoke with was telling me not to wash them with water. Let them dry and knock the product out. He stated that he had been polishing with the same pad for a year on his car and had no problems.

I detail for a living not on weekends when I'm not answering an 800#. I need things that work. The final outcome I got my money back I had to complain lots to get it. I stoped buying Meg's products after this except the 3000 grit sand paper.



I would sugest trying the Lake Country pads. I had never had any issues with them.

You can even use them with your Meguiars Products. Dust Mask not provided
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Yes good one - I've got some 6.5 and 8.5 inch LC pads and will be getting their entire pad range directly from them shortly.



For some reason, I was just never happy with the meg's pads
 
You guys sure like to quote only the "simple answer", without the "complex answer", which IMO says your warranty will be honored:



"Complex answer:

For those who trust Meguiar's please contact us directly if you have any concerns that are not neccessarily black and white. We find that when dealing with people not all policies are cut and dry. To set any policy in stone would be foolish and inconsiderate.

Although we do run a business and make policies to protect ourselves and our customers we pride ourselves in our high rate of customer satisfaction. We vow to hear you out no matter what your issue or request. We have a Quality Assurance Manager, Tom MacDonald, who's entire job is to handle any out of the ordinary issues. Tom also happens to be an active member of this Forum. It really comes down to trust. Do you trust Meguiar's? If the answer is "yes" then I hope you will respect us enough to contact us with any issues that do arise and give us the opportunity to figure it out with you."



As I've noted before, in any supply chain, there are agreements about which parties are responsible for customer service. Obviously, Meg's has an agreement with G100 resellers that the reseller is responsible for doing the front-line warranty claim processing on the units they sell. That would include weeding out the broken Porter Cable-labeled units, the ones that work that people had plugged into a bad outlet, the ones that got scratched and people are trying to get a new one because they don't like the appearance anymore, etc. You heard the rep in the Meg's thread say that he personally had processed hundreds of returns in his 7 years; Meg's obviously wants the reseller to share that workload.





STG said:
Pulling broken units out of a junk heap and sending them to Meguiar's for repair/replacement would be perfectly OK under the terms of the warranty as originally explained to me. Since there's a lifetime warranty, why would they be in junk heaps anyway?
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Although technically accurate, I don't think that Meg's really wants to be evaluating/processing/replacing "junk" units picked up by someone with a profit motive rather than an interest in polishing cars. How would they wind up on the junk heap? Plenty of ways: People don't realize/remember that it has a lifetime warranty (the box says nothing about the warranty, BTW); they received it as a gift and never used it; they died, and it got dumped with their effects; they never really liked polishing cars (it was a phase/fad, etc.), or they could never get it to come out right, etc.



If people never threw things out or parted with them for less than their actual value, there would be a lot of antique stores and ebay sellers out of biz. Here's a stupid example that I made up, that could be one of a hundred scenarios: Billy is graduating from college, and he gets a G100 as a graduation gift from Uncle Frank that he hasn't seen since he was 12 (Frank felt bad about that, so he picked the G100 out of the Meg's catalog he got in the mail). Billy, who has only washed his car 3 times since high school, decides since he got this thing, he should try to polish his car. He gets half way through and the thing quits, but he doesn't really care, and puts it on the shelf in his garage. A month later, he gets a job (from an interview he had on campus) across the country, and he packs up to move. His parents tell him they intend to sell the house to retire in 2 years, so he'd better make sure he has all his stuff/junk with him or gone before he moves out. So a) he puts his G100, which he has no interest in, on the pile of junk at the curb, or b) he leaves it on the shelf in the garage where his mother/father say "damn kid left his polisher here, oh well, and they throw it on the junk heap. Some neighbor/passer-by/garbage man etc. says "wow, I can't beleive someone threw this out, it must be worth money, I can sell it on ebay", takes it home, finds it doesn't work, wants to find out how much it will cost to fix, finds Meg's on the web, calls, and finds out that it has a lifetime warranty, and that Meg's will take it back with no receipt, no answer as to where it was bought, etc. The finder "innocently" asks how much a new one costs, finds out it's $225. So now they have a brand new replacement, which they can put on ebay..."brand new G100, list price $225, yours for $150". There is your answer as to why Meg's is trying to restrict their policy a bit. I think if you are a legitimate purchaser, you will have no problem getting warranty service, no matter where you bought it.
 
I have had a couple of minor issues over 25 years and I have call and they have always step up to the plate and have gone above a nd beyond my expectations. Now if you have a product that is simple exceeded a practical life span that is different. Everything wears out, Meg is a top ten company in my book
 
Unfortunately, the complex answer contradicts the simple answer. Does it negate the simple answer? No. Instead of clarification, Brian Hann's simple/complex post just raises doubt. Just how "complex" does a warranty need to be?



My point was that the warranty, as explained to me, face-to-face at Meguiar's HQ, was lifetime-no-questions-no-reciept-required. If that's what they told me (twice), I certainly don't want to see a post from Brian Hann to the contrary while I'm still alive. I don't need Brian Hann telling me I ever implied Meguiar's warranty is "ficticious". In my opinion, it is not good business practice to have employees post completely different answers to which G100s have a lifetime warranty. Like I said, They need to have a meeting and get their act together.



By the way, Leupold rifle scopes come with a lifetime warranty. It is not uncommon for heirs or garage sale bargain hunters to send a Leupold scope in for free replacement. (They do not require any paperwork.) I can say Leupold evidenty understood ALL the ramifications of their warranty when they implemented it. It is kind of difficult to change a 100% no questions lifetime warranty without rebranding the product, ain't it?



Guess what. That's a big reason I buy Leupold. I like very simple warranty claims. That's why I pay way more for Leupold. To me, it's worth the extra $$$ to be able to box up a broken scope and know I'll get a repair or replacement in a few days without having to dig up original reciepts and having to send in warranty cards. (If you own Nikon lenses, you know what that's like. Didn't send in your warranty card? Your 5 year warranty becomes 1 year.)That's why I paid more (though not $225) for a G100.
 
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