Cracked For Life...!!! Help

[gavij012379]

Sorry for all your troubles man. I hope you will finally get this settled. I am thinking of a new tank and I am counting this manufacturer out. Keep us posted how it ends. Don't give up till the end.

People in manufacturing should be able to stand behind their products. It is only ****ty manufacturers that don't stand behind their warranty because their products seem to fail often and it will hurt their bottom line if they fulfill warranties, so they come up with any excuse they can.

 

[rpeeples]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9551465#post9551465 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by atvdave
Amen brother.

Ditto....

I have been following this thread. Hire a good attorney, document all communication, send communication via certified mail.

The truth will eventually come out and when it does it is either going to cost the manufacture 5X the cost of just fixing and/or replacing the tank.

Very bad PR for the tank manufacture

Good luck......

Pics would be helpful.

 

[BeanAnimal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9551656#post9551656 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Red_Belly_Pacu
Well yea, say you bought a TV from an electronics store..It has a warrenty slip that you have to fill out and you keep the receipt for the future if something goes wrong...That is standard..If you dont have these stuff, the electronics store will not give you money back.

WRONG! They will TRY not to give your money back. I think you need to check into the LAW

The LAW and what the vendor try to psuh on you are two different things.. guess which one favors you (the customer).

 

[atvdave]

SB 1765


_________________________________________________
1. Existing law , the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act,
prohibits companies from requiring a consumer to submit a
warranty card as a condition of warranty coverage.

This bill would require warranty cards to disclose that
return of the warranty card is not required to obtain
warranty coverage. The required disclosure would be on
the face of the card in a font size no smaller than the
majority of the font size on the card.

 

[BeanAnimal]

The new bill would require the card to properly display that fact... the law itself has been in play for a LONG time. You do not have to send in a registration (or ANY) kind of information to be eligable for warranty coverage. A vendor CAN offer extended coverage or benefits to users who do "sign up" for it.

 

[ruk]

just read everything and what a thread. :eek2: I just hope everyone got the memo I passed out entitled 'Clear For Life, Your An Idiot if You Buy From Them.' I put them all on your red staplers. thats right, the swingline.
I also couldnt believe the manufacturer actually posted a response in here. Makes him sound like a jerkoff. Is he going to come back and tell us that theres $3000 reasons he shouldnt honor the warranty? Give me a break. I cant wait to not buy from this company.

 

[bway888]

that sucks...

that sucks...

i wanted to get one of teir tanks, but not after seeing these pics... im gonna stick with glass now!

 

[bway888]

that sucks...

that sucks...

i wanted to get one of their tanks, but not after seeing these pics... im not even thinkin of getting a tank from them... they make so much money but cant back their product? thats horrible! thanks for posting this before i wasted money!

 

[Camp1320.com]

before you buy any tank just ask to see what the warranty is and make sure there arent any loop holes. If you read clear for lifes website i think that clearly sums everything up.

If its a clear for like its warrantied 100% simple like they say

http://www.clearforlife.com/aboutus.html

its plain and simple. I bet you they will change the site or modify it very soon.

Glass and acrylic are just preference. Some like Glass and some like acrylic. I have both.

Beware clear for life also makes Glass tanks...!!!! VISIO

We hope everyone reading this can approach this situation fairly, and we hope our customers will let us come to a conclusion that is fair to both parties involved.

Thank you for your time.

Best Regards,
Advance Aqua Tanks

They are asking clear for life customers for help so if any one owns a clear for life please shed some light i would greatly appreciate it

They funny thing is that i wasnt even asking for a new tank...they try to lie and say i demanded a new tank.

 

[Slakker]

Wow...okay...where to begin...

Most state law limits "Lifetime Warranty" to a set period of years. I know that in Wisconsin, Lifetime Warranties are only valid for 6 years after the purchase date. It may be different in your area, but I would guess that there is some sort of restriction. Certainly three years seems really short, but it is something for you to look into.

Also, your tank never leaked. The website explicitly states that the warranty is against LEAKAGE. In the context of the paragraph, it's pretty clear to me that this warranty is intended to cover their workmanship, not the materials. This type of warranty is very, VERY common...I can't even begin to count the number of things I've seen with a "Limited Lifetime Warranty against defects in workmanship." Also, as they have already told you, their "product" is not the panels of the tank, it's the assembly of the tank. Nothing about the damage to your tank could possibly have been caused by their work.

I'm not sure if you were provided with any sort of documentation of the warranty, but I would assume that it's just an expanded version of the website, which would state that it's warrantied against leaking, and defects in their workmanship, and not much else.

That said, I am sorry to hear that your tank is damaged, and it certainly is unfortunate, but I don't see a lot of weight in most of the arguments that people are making against the company from which you purchased the tank. They claim to support their work 100%, and I'm sure if one of your seals had sprung a leak they would be more than happy to repair/replace the tank, but as it stands that's not the case.

If we're going to stick to the car analogy, it's really more like you got a few door dings and expected the dealership to fix them under your warranty plan. It's just not covered.

 

[Zoos]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9563327#post9563327 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Slakker
Wow...okay...where to begin...


If we're going to stick to the car analogy, it's really more like you got a few door dings and expected the dealership to fix them under your warranty plan. It's just not covered.

Actually no, because some dings won't cause your car to break or fry the engine, these cracks in the other hand can lead to a disaster.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9563738#post9563738 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Zoos
Actually no, because some dings won't cause your car to break or fry the engine, these cracks in the other hand can lead to a disaster.

Zactly

This would be like the car dealer saying because the frame was only cracked it wouldn't be covered under warranty until it completly broke.

Whats the guy supposed to do, use the tank until one of the cracked panels fails? Face it, this company is not standing behind their product.

 

[Zoos]

Well I'm glad they (clear for life) came on the board and confirmed my suspicions, they are clearly trying to save their behinds, there are no doubts in my head that they do bad business, it is a sad day for a company when they have to come on a board and try to discredit a customer, and see if that earns them points with the public, they have "pyrrhus" vote, but that's about it. Obviously pyrrhus you've had some bad customers in your time and you might be a little traumatized, but don't be so sure of things and stop with the inquisitions and trying to play detective.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9549459#post9549459 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pyrrhus
Camp,

Were you the original purchaser of the aquarium in question and what is the aquarium's current age?

Would you mind providing a full tank shot of the aquarium in question? I am certain that if the tank is in reasonably good shape it will help to prove your point. If not, it would be proving the manufacturers point.

Please don't get me wrong, the warranty as written certainly seems misleading. The only thing that I question is if the manufacturer is responsible for the type of damage that has occurred. Based on what I have seen, I do not believe this is a manufacturing issue. It is most likely improper cleaning or impact damage as has been stated before.

Are you serious?

You sound like the guys at CFL "improper cleaning"

You could clean acrylic a brillo pad and it still not going to crack, that is absurd. give the guy a break he has his share of problems already.

Do you sell Clear For Life tanks at your LFS?

 

[Pyrrhus]

No, I do not sell Clear For Life products at my store, nor have I ever considered it. I only sell acrylic products from very few select vendors and there are a number of vendors that I do not feel comfortable working with/ trust the quality of what they produce.

Actually I have never had to deal with a warranty situation on an acrylic tank. All that I am stating here is that from my 7 years in this industry with experience with literally hundreds of acrylic tanks from many many manufacturers I have never once seen this type of damage occur from anything other than improper materials (acrylic) or improper cleaning (windex).

Because I worked in the Aquarium Service industry for a long time I know that it is quite common for the wife/housekeeper to make a mistake and clean the tank with the wrong materials. I have seen it happen dozens of times and not once did the builder warranty the tank because of it.

Please, do not get me wrong. I am not trying to discredit Camp here. I am simply pointing out to the dozens of people who have responded to this thread who know nothing about acrylic work, including the OP (stress cracks cannot be buffed out.) how this type of damage occurs.

Good quality acrylic simply doesn't suffer that type of damage without an outside influence. I know this and anyone working with plastics knows this.

Unfortunately, the majority of the people responding here are calling for the manufacturers head without knowing the full facts of the situation.

Camp, I would send those pictures off to some other acrylic manufacturers and get their opinion. I'm willing to bet that you hear the same story again and again. Impact or chemicals, nothing else fits the bill.

Skip McMahan
Senior Store Manager
About The Reef
www.aboutthereef.com

 

[Zoos]

I understand what you're saying, but you just come off very aggressive, and just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it can't happen.

I also think we could rule out the chemical talk.


"I have never once seen this type of damage occur from anything other than improper materials (acrylic) or improper cleaning (windex)"

So in this statement if we determine the damage on his tank based on what "you have seen" it was either bad acrylic or windex?

Are you suggesting windex did this?

Yes certain chemicals can damage/haze acrylic, most of us know that. I doubt this is one of those cases.

 

[atvdave]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9565417#post9565417 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pyrrhus

I am simply pointing out to the dozens of people who have responded to this thread who know nothing about acrylic work, including the OP (stress cracks cannot be buffed out.) how this type of damage occurs.

I fill so depressed now. I'm hanging my head in shame.

 

[hansnfrans]

Camp - I just gotta say "thanks" for bringing this issue to our attention. I am going to be in the market for a large tank soon and I will certainly not be buying it from these people.....It's hard enough to be successful in this hobby and I definately don't need any added BS from a shady manufacturer such as CFL. Sorry that you have to go through all of this just for CFL to honor their end of the "deal".

 

[Camp1320.com]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9565417#post9565417 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pyrrhus
No, I do not sell Clear For Life products at my store, nor have I ever considered it. I only sell acrylic products from very few select vendors and there are a number of vendors that I do not feel comfortable working with/ trust the quality of what they produce.

Actually I have never had to deal with a warranty situation on an acrylic tank. All that I am stating here is that from my 7 years in this industry with experience with literally hundreds of acrylic tanks from many many manufacturers I have never once seen this type of damage occur from anything other than improper materials (acrylic) or improper cleaning (windex).

Because I worked in the Aquarium Service industry for a long time I know that it is quite common for the wife/housekeeper to make a mistake and clean the tank with the wrong materials. I have seen it happen dozens of times and not once did the builder warranty the tank because of it.

Please, do not get me wrong. I am not trying to discredit Camp here. I am simply pointing out to the dozens of people who have responded to this thread who know nothing about acrylic work, including the OP (stress cracks cannot be buffed out.) how this type of damage occurs.

Good quality acrylic simply doesn't suffer that type of damage without an outside influence. I know this and anyone working with plastics knows this.

Unfortunately, the majority of the people responding here are calling for the manufacturers head without knowing the full facts of the situation.

Camp, I would send those pictures off to some other acrylic manufacturers and get their opinion. I'm willing to bet that you hear the same story again and again. Impact or chemicals, nothing else fits the bill.

Skip McMahan
Senior Store Manager
About The Reef
www.aboutthereef.com

I guess you dont read ???
ONCE AGAIN..!!!!! THOSE CRACKS ARE FROM THE INISDE OF THE TANK NOT THE OUT SIDE....!!!! :mad2: no windex no checmicals no house keeper. IT must have been my new born son who wakes up in the middle of the night and bangs on the tank.????

and since you dont sell clear for life your saying that there quailty is not up to par or meet your standerds..??? which tanks do you carry..?

the cracks started from the inside of the tank and has not penatradted thru yet.. you can see it about 1/4 way thru . I didnt use any chemicals .. and if so i have other tanks smaller which are 1.8 thick and if brillianze which was the only chemcimal i was using
and local tap water your saying one of those 2.

If it was an impact crack you would feel a mark or point of impact. its smooth like a babys butt. They used there fingers to find a dent or marking and to there suprise they found nothing.

over the phone it was impact for sure. when i brought it to them it had to be chemical ??? i was like seriously

these are 1-2 inch fractures. at that size you would definalty notice a impact marking. Im willing to hit the tank with a hammer to see how much force would take to make a crack like that. and after then we can see if it will create a point of impact marking. Just to make you happy.

you have been attacking me as if this is the frist tank i owned and i made these cracks. Do you do this with your local customers..??
I didnt make these post until clear for life started giving me the run around.

I had "Acrylics" who i dont know on this forum look at the pics from a netural standpoint this is what he had to say from his professional opinion...

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9459765#post9459765 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Acrylics
What are the actual dimensions of the tank?
Where on the tank are the fractures?
Have you done anything different with the tank in the last coupla days? (such as newly filled, lighting, etc) looks dry now but thought I'd ask
Cleaning with anything smelly lately?
You show 3 pics, in each pic there is a primary center point and 3 fractures coming out from it. Are all fractures on the same planes?

Off hand guess is that is not an impact fracture. Impact fractures *generally* have some chipping involved and all fractures will *generally* radiate out from the impact point. You have some fractures which do not correspond with this.

James

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9464063#post9464063 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Acrylics
Sounds to me like stress fractures of some origin. Couldn't say what it is off-hand though. Given that there is no chipping, similar fracture patterns, some stray fractures which do not radiate from a central point, I just think it's stress fractures - just don't know the origin. The fact that it happened to an empty tank is odd though.
BTW Brillianize is good stuff

HTH?
James

 

[BeanAnimal]

pyrrhus

I think your looking down your nose at a lot of folks... many who may be a lot more informed than you "think" you are.

The bottom line is that the manufacturer attacked a customer in a public forum.

They could have as easily posted a KIND reply and said that they would work with the upset client in private to work out the issues.

They could have noted the construction methods, quality control, number of satisified customers, number of warranty claims and any other KIND information that would help show that they have a good product and good business practices.

Instead they attacked a customer with a LOT of straw arguements and basically showed that their warranty is all hype used to sell products, not to help customers who need it.

I don't care why the tank cracked, I would never consider doing business what a company that acted like that in public. Their defense was to discredit an upset customer, NOT ASSURE THE PUBLIC THAT THEIR PRODUCT AND WARRANTY ARE TOP NOTCH!

 

[atvdave]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9567841#post9567841 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BeanAnimal
pyrrhus
NOT ASSURE THE PUBLIC THAT THEIR PRODUCT AND WARRANTY ARE TOP NOTCH!

I think we can say the same thing about pyrrhus, "and his whopping 7 years experience" 7 years are you kidding me.. I have shoes older that that, what makes you the expert? not even seeing the tank in question? All of us less than knowledgeable pee ons our despiting the warranty issue with the manufacture, not to implied that we are all experts on acrylic products.

In the end... Vote with your wallet. I think we just found 2 people we don't need to do business with.

(when I say we... i mean us uneducated no nothing about the about the aquarium industry business)