Probably the last thing many of us think about when buying a new ​vacuum is the warranty, but it's important to address upfront, before you ​purchase. ​It can be a very rocky road full of despair when you find out, too late, that the warranty you thought you had doesn’t exist. 

​In this article, I will explain what to look for in a vacuum warranty and ​some of the pitfalls to avoid. While ​this article is about vacuum cleaners, the points covered apply to most any product you purchase.

Simply put, a warranty is a guarantee from the manufacturer that their product will be free of defect, or failure, for a specified amount of time. It will also outline the coverage they will provide, such as duration of the warranty, repair parts, repair labor, or replacement parameters.

Vacuum cleaners tend to have a limited warranty, which may affect the duration of coverage depending on where you purchased the unit, such as manufacturer direct vs. local dealer. It will outline use constraints, such as, “for indoor, home use only”. Or, it may exempt certain components, such as consumables, things like bags, belts, or filters.

So, you’ve got your new pride and joy home, used it a few times, now for some reason the brush roll is not working. Like the good consumer you are, you dig into your owner’s manual and run through the checklist to no avail. Not to be outdone, you call the customer service hotline, because, “maybe they have a better checklist,” you think to yourself. Strike two! Vacuum still not working.

The next likely step is that you tell the customer service representative that you’d like to exercise the ​vacuum warranty. The conversation might go a little something like this . . .

Customer Service: Where did you purchase the vacuum from?

You: Amazon

CS: Yes, very good, but from whom on Amazon?

You: Oh, I don’t know, let me look . . . Joe’s Discount Vacuum Emporium.

CS: I’m sorry, you didn’t buy from us directly, or from an authorized dealer, your warranty is void, (or restricted, or ???).

You: What the !?!?!?!?!

CS: Sorry, company policy. *click* *dial tone drones in your ear*

That would be strike three, and you haven’t even gone down the rabbit hole yet. While this example may sound farcical, it is more fact than fiction.

​One vacuum manufacturer, in particular, does everything they can to avoid providing warranty service. Though they talk a good game with their “helpful” responses to bad reviews, it’s another story when you are actually on the phone with customer service. This is far from the only instance of over promise and under delivery of a warranty policy and overall customer service from this manufacturer.

​Other common complaints include:

• ​The warranty period is different depending on place of purchase.
• Warranty does not cover the most common point of failure.
• No local authorized repair facilities, you pay the shipping charges to send the vacuum ​back to the manufacturer for analysis, and you pay return freight to get it back. Should they not warranty the repairs, you’re on the hook for those too.
• On the rare occasion warranty replacement components are issued, you have to pay the shipping to get them.
• Repair parts are not available. As an example, it is very common for the switch in the floor head from this vacuum manufacturer to fail, but you don’t get to buy a $3 switch, you get to buy the entire floor head + shipping for about $100. And, yes, this is for a machine that is supposedly under warranty.

Granted, every manufacturer has at least a few bad reviews, but when you look at the nature and frequency of the complaints, patterns emerge. When I’m buying a new product for myself, I don’t even look at 4 and 5 star reviews, happy customers don’t tell me where the faults are with the product or company. I want the 1 and 2 star reviews, this is where the weaknesses of the machine and manufacturer are borne out.

Fortunately, life doesn’t need to be all doom and gloom. Here are a few tips to help protect yourself.

Reputable manufacturers go out of their way to keep their customers happy and loyal, they don’t want to lose your business, or get bad reviews.

Reputable manufacturers generally have local authorized dealers or repair facilities that you can utilize for your warranty needs. You don’t have to read too many Amazon reviews to get a feel for how you will be treated after the sale.

In addition to knowing the manufacturer, you also need to know who you are buying from, are they an authorized dealer for the product you are buying? This is especially true when it comes to Amazon. Amazon is both an online retailer, selling products for themselves, and a storefront for others, used by manufacturers, businesses, and private ​sellers.

This means that most of the time you are not actually purchasing from Amazon itself. So who are you purchasing from? Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer here, and that is an issue when buying from an authorized dealer is a stipulation of the warranty. Therefore, a call to the manufacturer’s customer service hotline is in order. Ask them if the seller you want to buy from is among their authorized sellers.

Keep your receipts, credit card statement, shipping label, etc., anything that proves that you are the original owner. You can staple these items inside the back or your owner’s manual for safe keeping. It’s also not a bad idea to write the model and serial numbers in the owner’s manual as well, just to have them handy.

If you’ve got the storage space, save the original packaging and shipping materials for the duration of the warranty. By doing so, you will know that the vacuum will be safe and secure for its return voyage if a warranty claim is ever filed.

For the OCD inclined, write the warranty expiration date on the saved packaging to know when it can be re-purposed or recycled.

There will be documentation within the packaging that ​includes a product registration card. Fill it out and send it in, or, go to the manufacturer’s website to register your product electronically. This is particularly important if you received the item as a gift and don’t have any proof of purchase.

The only way to be sure how a manufacturer is going to honor their ​vacuum warranty is to call them directly. Ask the following questions:

1. ​Does buying from Amazon, or any other retailer, affect your warranty, if so, how?
   
2. ​What is the specific warranty on the product you are choosing, and what are the restrictions?
   
3. How do you make a warranty claim?

​Well, you’re fairly limited here, depending on how much time has passed. First option will be to return the vacuum cleaner to the place of purchase.

Assuming you purchased online, you will have to consult the retailer's returns policy webpage. In the case of Amazon, within their 30-day return policy period they will email you a return shipping label that you simply print out and tape to the package. Amazon will then refund your account when they receive the item back.

Local purchases are much easier, since most retailers have a pretty generous return policy, especially if you purchased an extended warranty. They’ll take the vacuum back, or exchange it, with virtually no questions asked.

​These days, it’s tough for brick and mortars to compete against online retailers, so they tend to be a bit more forgiving in their policies, putting a larger emphasis on customer service. If the local retailer also has a web presence, often times they will allow purchases from their website to be returned at local stores.

​As you can see,​ things can get complicated with warranties, but they don't have to. ​​Take a few of the precautions mentioned above and you can enjoy your new purchases worry free.

​What's your experience been with ​vacuum warranties? ​I'd love to hear about it. Whether it's a shout out to those companies with exemplary service, or warnings of shady practices, drop ​me a quick note in the comments section below​.

And, please, share this article if you found it useful. ​I'd really appreciate it.​

You don’t have to be a do-it-yourself savant to need a good home tool kit on hand. Whether it’s a thingamajigy to turn a gizmowhippy, or a whamsbanger to pound a frazzlesmashy. Everyone, renters and homeowners alike, should have a gazzerjabber full of fiddlespanners at the ready.

All kidding aside, a basic toolkit is an essential component to every household because there is always something to hang, a screw to tighten, furniture to assemble, or some other little thing needs attention. Whether you’re “handy” or not, having the right tool when you need it can save you time, money, hassles, and headaches.

The easiest way to go is to buy a pre-assembled kit. Two really good ones are the Stanley 65-Piece Homeowner's Tool Kit and the Craftsman Evolv 23 Piece Homeowner Tool Set. Kits like these have many of the essentials at a good price and are a good way for the infrequent user to get started.

The most common problem with pre-assembled tool kits is that their molded plastic storage case won’t hold the tools in place securely enough. Additionally, these kits probably won’t have everything you might need, nor is there room in molded cases for other items that you may want to add to your stash. For these reasons, you may wish to build your own home tool kit, or at least have a secondary tool box with extra goodies in it. By assembling your own tool kit, you can control the quality and variety of the tools you get. Life is too short to ​mess with bad tools! This is especially ​true if you​ intend to become a serious about doing your own repairs.

Let’s start off with the toolbox itself, because what good are tools if you can’t find them or transport them to where they will be used? Personally, for a household tool kit I prefer a 16” toolbox. A rigid box maintains its shape, keeps tools organized well, and is easily cleaned if it gets dirty. Tool bags are a good alternative, you can choose one with a few pockets or many pockets, though, IMHO, ​bags are ​more cumbersome to use than a standard toolbox.

​There are a myriad of toolbox designs and sizes, a small toolbox with a tray is more than sufficient. Unfortunately, most toolboxes these days have storage bins integrated into their lid, which can make them top heavy and prone to tipping over, spilling when opened is a common problem. Accessing lid mounted bins can also be quite a pain. I prefer using separate small storage bins to hold what I need and they are kept in the toolbox with everything else.

Storage bins also come in an array of designs and sizes, you might find having one or two small bins helpful. I prefer those that have fixed dividers because they keep parts securely in place. Adjustable dividers tend to lift during use which allows small parts to migrate from one cup to another. If you buy a fixed divider bin and need a larger cup, simply cut out a divider or two ​until you get the sized cup you need.

Which Tools Are Best And Why You Need Them?

​Avoid the temptation of buying ​household tool kits ​or tools based on price alone, or multi-tool gadgets, most of them don’t work well and won’t last past the first use. This is not to say that you have to buy expensive stuff, just choose mid-range tools from trusted brands, such as Stanley or Craftsman. For your convenience, the links provided in this article are to items that I have used for decades, that are known for their ​balance between quality and value. You won’t be wasting your money on garbage and you won’t break the bank to have the essentials.

​There are all kinds of things you can put into your toolkit that are specific to your home and your needs, such as a ceiling fan balancing kit or electrical tape, just don’t get too crazy, as it can quickly become overfilled and too cumbersome to bother using. The key is to have the most needed tools at your fingertips, additional, lesser used tools can be kept in a secondary box in the garage or storage room.
 
To keep my tool kit compact, I have small boxes in the laundry room cabinet to keep other commonly used things organized, tape in one box, a selection of lubricants and glues in another. Things like lubricants and glues are extremely messy if they spill, which is why I don’t keep them in the toolkit itself, they are handily stored nearby for when their need arises.

​More and more DIY products are ​being marketed towards women, usually in the form of ​the color pink, pink tools, pink toolkits, pink gloves, pink aprons and accessories . . . If pink is your thing, ​this would perhaps be a bonus, but here’s the thing, most of ​these tools are most often ​sub-standard ​quality without any brand ​markings or manufacturer’s reputation ​to stand behind them. Tools ​so poorly made that they are rendered useless, or worse, they break, injuring the user, with no recourse to get the tool replaced, not that you’d want another like it.  
 
The solution is to stick ​with trusted brand name tools. Name brand manufacturers stand behind their tools, warranting them against defect, replacing if failure should occur. If you want to add a little color to reflect your own personal tastes all it takes is some strategic masking and ​a ​can of your favorite color spray paint.

​As you can see by this list, you don't need a huge tool cache to be able to ​handle the most common things that pop up around the house. ​Feel free to customize it to suit your specific needs, as there's no one-size-fits-all toolbox.

Got a favorite, or absolutely indispensable, tool you use around the house? ​I'd love to hear about it. Drop ​me a quick note in the comments section below​.

And, please, share this article if you found it useful. ​I'd really appreciate it.​