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Tervis makes unbreakable, air‑insulated drinkware tumblers that are very popular, particularly in locations with high humidity. The glasses are tough, don't sweat, and they come in various "fun" designs (which primarily consists of decorations trapped between the two layers of the vessel).
Tervis heavily promotes its "lifetime guarantee," which promises replacement for failed products. A few years ago, I had a Tervis tumbler whose seal failed. When I sent the product in, they sent me a new one with the same decorative element as the one I returned.
That's a far cry from the policy they enforce today, as I recently learned the hard way.
Today, you mail in your failed tumbler, and in return, you receive a gift card for their online store. When you submit your return, you can pay $12 to ask them to re-use the decoration in the broken unit. If they're able to salvage it, they'll send you a replacement tumbler instead of a gift card, plus an additional bill for return shipping.)
I wasn't sentimental about the decoration, so I opted for the gift card. It was issued the same day that they received my return, but when I opened their email, the disappointment became apparent.
The gift card was for a paltry $15. The cheapest replacement tumbler (same size, but sans any decoration) is $12. A decorated tumbler, equivalent to the one I returned, costs $18.
So, using their gift card, I could get a plain tumbler in exchange. Not a great choice, but acceptable.
But here's the kicker: Tervis charges $11 to ship me the replacement! It would cost me an additional $8 to redeem my gift certificate, and I'd end up with a cheaper, plain tumbler.
I say "additional $8" because I'd already spent $9 just to send them the broken tumbler. Tervis isn't responsible for what UPS charges (the least expensive carrier; I checked) but that cost has to be factored in, right?
That's $9 to return my broken tumbler, plus $12 for a lesser replacement, and plus $11 shipping. Subtract the gift card, and the "lifetime guarantee" costs me $17 to claim.
To compound the insult, a replacement decorated tumbler, which includes a lid, sells for $15 at Amazon with free shipping. (The lid, at the Tervis online store, would add $4 to my replacement cost.)
Quite the warranty racket you're running, Tervis.
Postscript: I reached out to Tervis customer support about their insufficient gift card amount. Two weeks later; no response.