[MrDK]

Of cause it is marketing, and so is darn every promotion you make ... it is called MONEY. That being said, the company I worked for was the first in out business to offer lifetime warranty on our products (transferable). Here the catch was that you had to keep it updated with purchase of consumables. Still nice considering the piece of electronics cost $1k. Even thought our warranty repairs over a 10 year period went up 3 fold the money we made on consumables covered that 10 times over.
Another good example is Nordstroms lifetime warranty on shoes. Less than 2% of claims to Nordstoms are unreasonable.

Originally Posted by JayBee

How many Americans keep their car more than five years? Not too many! So it sounds great for promoting sales to say life-time warranty, indicating their's must be a superior product, if they are willing to guarantee it for life, but costs them very little more than other carmaker's warranties, since it's less than one in a million people that keeps a car for life.

For life, yes. I do have a number of friends that have second and third cars that are well over 10 years old (original owners). My personal record is 18 years "only owner". How I would have loved a lifetime warranty on that shit car.

Originally Posted by JayBee

Very clever marketing ploy. Should easily more than pay for itself in increased sales.

I am sure it will. It was the 100,000 mile power-train warranty that helped turn bankrupt Chrysler into a profitable company in the '80's.

Originally Posted by JayBee

Incidentally, when I am over working on my apts. in Richmond, CA(recently named crime capital of the US for the highest murder and gun crime rates), the current big favorite with the locals is the Chrysler 300. It's the # 1 choice of 9 out of 10 gangstas. There's a few new ones on every block it seems. Guess they like that lifetime warranty! But too bad for them it is not transferable to their next of kin!

In that little corner of your world, that may be correct. Otherwise it is a crock of shit. Based on The National Insurance Crime Bureau list of most stolen cars the "300" doesn't even figure. BTW on my street it is the VW Golf that is the most stolen car (though there has only been one stolen car in nearly 10 years).