Can't Beat That!

[mapper65]

A few weeks ago I was out detecting with a friend and was going through a field in a community park about an hour or so from where I live. I had a really strong signal and when I looked down I could see something square and shiny in the uncut grass. As soon as I reached for it I knew that it was a lighter. I was hoping it was a Zippo. I've visited their factory a few times being that they are also the makers of Case knives and I have a few of them that I'v bought over the years. I know that they always brag about both having a lifetime warranty and I've sent a few knife back once and received excellent customer service but not being a smoker I've never had any experience with the Zippo side of the business.

Sure enough when I looked on the bottom it read "Zippo". When I flipped open the cover the little thumb wheel had rusted pretty badly and would not turn but other than that the lighter was in overall great condition. I know that people do some sledding on the other side of the park and they have to pass through that area so I'm sure it's been sitting there at least since this past winter.

The next day I packaged it up and shipped it to Zippo with just a simple note saying "please repair as needed" and giving them my return address. That was about two weeks ago and today I received it back completely repaired. They sent it to me in a replacement box along with a small folder with two extra flints. They also included a little plastic credit card sized document that tells you how to date a Zippo lighter. I've also seen that information online. This is one of their Zippo Blu butane models which are nice because the fuel doesn't dry out and not being a smoker it's nice to have a lighter in the car for fishing trips but a lighter that takes fluid would be dried out by the next time I would go to use it.

So I'm sure that many of you guys out there have also found Zippos so remember that they have a lifetime warranty and all you have to do is ship it to the address on their website and they will repair them at no charge. They do not cover the finish on the lighter but guarantee that they will send it back in working condition.

 

[jabbo]

Mapper. Thanks for the info. I never knew Zippo made butane lighters.

 

[Mark in S.E. IA]

That's nice that you found something that you can use.


I've got a few Zippo's that are wore out and I've always said that I'll send them in someday but never have, lol

 

[mapper65]

I've got a few Zippo's that are wore out and I've always said that I'll send them in someday but never have, lol

I figured since I was getting something for nothing I would splurge and send it it one of those Priority Mail boxes that I think coat $5.85 for as much as you can fit in the box. You should really take a few minutes and send yours out. The hardest part is boxing them up. Ha ha ha

 

[Dirt Hound]

hah that's really cool!

 

[pescadore]

Very cool !! Glad you got the Zippo back and it's really nice that they repair them for free.

 

[bob.oz]

Hey Mapper, Good post
That's a great looking lighter, I knew that Zippo did that life time warranty. I saw a post a while back, on this or some other forum, were a guy sent a totally trashed old Zippo in and they replaced the hinge and guts polished up the case best they could and sent it back with the same info you got. I've found several Zippos, buy mine are fresh drops swallowed up by hungry sugar sand. lol,..I found a Cross pen once that had been stepped on or run over in a park, sent it in and got a restored or new one back, could not tell.
I did not know that Zippo also made Case. Is the warranty the same for the knives? I have an old one that I would like restored. GL

 

[mapper65]

I did not know that Zippo also made Case. Is the warranty the same for the knives? I have an old one that I would like restored. GL

As far as I know it's the exact same warranty. I have a small handful of their mini lockback knives which I always have one in my pocket and do as we speak. One of them out of the four or five that I have has wooden bolsters. The main pin kept pushing through and it would snag in my pocket and was one step away from falling out possibly making the knife unusable. I sent it in for repair and it came back repaired and within two weeks the same thing was happening. I sent it back again and less than two weeks after it I received it, it was happening again.

I got PO'd and made a drawing as to how I would fix what I considered a design flaw for this version of the mini lockback and boxed the knife up and mailed it addressed to the CEO of Zippo/Case. I told him that he had to be unaware of this problem and his people were just "repairing" it back to the original specification which was flawed.

Less than a week later I received a call from one of the CEO's henchman apologizing for having the same problem multiple times with the same product and he asked that in the future if I had any problems that I come to him and not to the CEO. I think I may have gotten this guy in trouble.

About a week later I received my knife back with a letter saying that all future versions of the knife would incorporate my suggestions to resolve the issue. That was over two years ago and the knife still works fine. So that's my claim to fame. That and $0.99 will get you something off of the value menu at Wendy's.

 

[bob.oz]

Glad you set them straight. Maybe I should mention your name when I send it in . lol Thanks