Revette

Back in '69 or so I purchased a J.C. Penny's "lifetime" Diehard battery for my '66 and that warranty has served me well for the 40 years since that purchase. Every four to five years I find the current battery doesn't hold a charge anymore so I make the trip to the local Penny's customer service desk and get a voucher for a battery replacement (always a top shelf like a Firestone Supreme). I've had many batteries replaced under that warranty and at the last replacement (3 or 4 years ago) I had Penny's try to buy back the contract for $150 so I know this will be coming to an end.

This always makes me think of the old Midas commercial where the guy with a Model A Ford comes in for a lifetime muffler and departs with a "see ya again, boys".

Am I alone in this or has someone else managed to get these "lifetime" replacements.

MikeM

You are not alone. They tried to buy me out too!

Bill Irwin

Rob, I never knew they offered such a program. You sure have benefited from it. Do you recall what it cost back then? Bill.

Plasticman

At one time I had several of those batteries and after Firestone took over the JC Penney auto service, it was always a battle to get a new one out of them (but we succeeded each time). Eventually we sold off the vehicles that the batteries were "registered" to, and sadly had to see those "lifetime" batteries go with them.

Had to be the straw that broke the JC Penney auto service outlet's "back"!

Plasticman

LT1driver

I have some "lifetime" JCP tools...when is the last time you ever saw those. Have a broke one I took in and they looked at me like I was from mars, kinda like going to a dealer with a 60-70s car and they have nobody who has ever worked on them anyway going to go to headquarters of jcp in dallas for a new tool.

66since69

Me too, buy out and all.

C2Driver

Back in 1989, I bought a battery with a Lifetime Warranty from Canadian Tire, which is a large chain here in Canada, which also owns the PartSource chain of stores in Canada. If I had to guess, I have had the battery replaced either 4 or 5 times since 1989. Only once did one of their stores try to convince me that I'd have to live with the 6 year Warranty on the replacement battery. I pointed out my original Bill Of sale wherein "LifeTime Warranty" was spelled out and I asked to speak to the Manager or Owner. The Sales Clerk relented and wrote "LifeTime Warranty" on my receipt. No problems since then as I have replaced it again.

Also, no buyout offer, nor would I accept it unless I was ready to sell the '63.

- Pat

MikeM

I bought my JC Penny lifetime in about 1973. I think it cost me $90. That was a lot of money to me back then. Almost as much as my house payment.

The first go-round with Firestone, they also tried to tell me the lifetime warranty was no longer valid on the replacement Firestone battery and I'd just get the warranty on the replacement and then TS! I didn't accept that. I think it was the next time, JC tried to buy me out.

DZAUTO

Lifetime JCP battery in the 51 back in the early 70s for $45.


And in the 56 in the mid-70s for $49. No way in God's green earth am I going to sell it back to them!!!

Kerrmudgeon

Pat, me too. Bought two on sale at half price in about '79 for my 62 and 56 Belair. Cost 50$ ea. They don't expect people to keep cars for 30 years, heh, heh. Love that Canadian Tire.
.................... ....

C2Driver

Rob, inflation had driven the price up to around the $ 100 mark by '89!

Best hundred bucks I ever spent.

6T7L71CPE

A friend still has a 1929 Model A that was his High School car. He has a Midas muffler and Sears lifetime tires.

Revette

As some have said above I believe it was in the $90 range. Since there is no longer a Firestone dealer near me, my last replacement came from the Goodyear store that is close to the local J.C. Penny.

67L36Driver

'Old Blue' is on his fourth pair of Midas lifetime mufflers replaced for free. Sadly the Diehard from Western Auto died after eight years and now has a used Hundi oem from son's Tiberon. The battery lasted better than the freakin car, ha!

corvetteed

Since I've got 7 vehicles I always get the longest warrenty I can for batteries. I've had my collectible classics for over 25 years, and I normally keep daily drivers for at least 10 years before a trade-in. In the "old days" the lifetime warrenty was available, but, the retailers caught-on to guys like me and you, and so, they don't offer those types any more. Still, I get the ones with the 7 year warrenty, and I trade them back in every 3 years or so for a prorated replacement. Back in the day, in the 1970's, I did get those life time warrenty offers for Sears batteries, shocks, and other miscellaneous parts. Again, since I kept cars for a decade or so, I always would get "free" replacement parts.

Cruzmeisters

In 1978 I bought a JCP "Lifetime" battery + got "CLASSIC" plates for the '62 when the plates first came out; one was $55, the other $65 (I don't remember which). I've been back to Firestone 4 or 5 times for replacement, but not lately. It's located in the same mall as JCP, so I drop the Vette off at Firestone, walk up to JCP's with the original paperwork, and - when I get back to Firestone - the new battery is installed. TWO good investments; I ran the "CLASSIC" plate until last year - 30 years with no renewal fee, but required state inspection - when I switched to "ANTIQUE" plates. Cost was $97.50, also with no renewal fees and Pa. state inspection is not required

Sxrxrnr

I have a JC Penny lifetime warranty battery contract on our 1971 Corvette. Purchased the battery in 1975. Replaced several times thru JC Penny and then was directed to Firestone for a couple of replacements. The last time Firestone put a battery in the car, they stuck in an Interstate Battery.

Now some 6 years latter, this battery has almost failed,,,will not hold a charge. I have contacted Firestone, JC Penny and Interstate. All say they have never heard of such a warranty. Likely they all have but thru some conspiracy have decided this is the best way to rid themselves of this "nuisance"

I am now just getting a bit ticked off. If someone were to walk into a Penny's store and load up on merchandise and walk out without paying, off to jail they would likely go.

However Penny's can design a system where they make a legal contract and decide that they no longer wish to honor it, they apparently can do so. Some might say, "hell you are only talking of a 100.00 dollar battery, why should JC Penny's officers be jailed for this shirking of their committment. Well I had once heard that they had millions of these lifetime batteries out there and their total obligation could run into the 100's of millions of dollars to eventually legally rid themselves of this program as car ownerships change or owners pass on.

Sounds like could be a fairly serious criminal offense to decide to cheat and/or defraud consumers of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Perhaps I might call President Obama to find if he cannot direct Eric Holder (his Attorney General,,,better known as the man in charge of the firearm transfer to Mexicans) to look into this matter,,,he likely could fit this in between his busting of pot smokers in Calyfornua.

Anyone have any suggestions for a less drastic,,,,and likely more fruitful solution to my dilemma?

Here is a link to a 1974 commercial where JC Penny says that their battery will be the last battery your car will ever need.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZrNsRextok

w1ctc

I haven't paid for a caliper or brake pads for any of my cars for years. All from Auto zone. As for refusal to honor the contract, small claims court would be the obvious place to handle it.

stellar

My brother used the JCP lifetime warranty for his Karman Gia for about 35 years . He sold the car. Always a bit of a struggle to get the replacement, but never denied.

Sxrxrnr

After making calls to 8 or 10 Firestone stores and a 3 different JC Penny stores (what a waste of time with these guys,,,none have real people that you can talk to when you call,,,however some furniture salesman screwed up and picked up the phone on one of my calls),,,I finally located a Penny store in Hayward, Calyfornua that knew about this program. The rule now is you must go to a Penny store and get an approval document that you then take to an associated Firestone store (apparently those that were once Penny stores that converted to a Firestone store). This was the case with the Hayward store at Southland Mall,,,,right next door was a Firestone store that had been owned by Penny's.

You better have all your ducks in order with your original receipt, car registrations certificates, current drivers license in hand,,,,and they even checked the VIN on the car to assure themselves that it is not only the original purchaser of the battery, but that it is the exact car for which it was purchased.

Anyhow ended up with a new battery installed at no charge. Pennys did want me to take their offer of 130 dollars to forgo further claims. I refused so they then paid Firestone for a new battery. Charge to Penny's by Firestone was 115 dollars plus 15 dollar installation fee. So on this deal I break even and have option for further replacements in the future.

I figure that my time wasted on this rewarded me with about 20 dollars per hour,,,,but felt pretty good that the "man" had not gotten the best of me,,,,but not from a lack of trying by him.

The Firestone store says that they see about 5 of these claims each year,,,,of course this is some 38 years since they offered this program.