When The World I Recognize Briefly Reappears – In The Form Of A Lifetime Warranty

La-Z-Boy Recliners 1970s

When I was a kid, I remember old people saying things like “I just don’t recognize the world anymore.” And by old, I mean people who were around the age I am now. And amazingly, I find myself echoing those long-ago sentiments of long-dead elders. But every now and then a glimpse of that old world reappears. All it took was a broken chair.

Quite a number of years ago, we bought a matching pair of La-Z-Boy rocker-recliners. Both my Mrs. and I love a good bargain, and when a local furniture store was closing we made the trip to see if we could find anything. And we did – pair of recliners in a style and color that we liked. They were substantially marked down, and then we were told that we got both for the price of one. We wondered if the person making the sale made an error, but we decided to be polite about it and took the chairs at the price they charged. Those chairs have been around long enough that they have probably become the most used pieces of furniture in the house

A few days ago, one of them had a mechanism failure – the kind where the chair will change from recliner to rocker without throwing the big lever on the side. I started to investigate what parts had failed (a pawl and ratchet seemed to be the culprits) and how hard it might be to replace them. After watching some chair repair videos and looking for parts I was amazed to find that my chairs might still be covered by a warranty.

In the world I recognize, you can call a company’s telephone number and speak to someone. You can explain your situation and can have that person, in turn, explain what the company might be able to do. That was the world in which La-Z-Boy and I interacted. La-Z-Boy has been in Monroe, Michigan since it was formed (as the Floral City Furniture Company) 1927. They might be the originators of the reclining chair, and introduced the built-in footrest in the 1950’s. Despite the difficult time American furniture manufacturers have had in the last twenty years, La-Z-Boy is still here. Which is a good thing, because the friendly lady on the phone confirmed that the mechanical parts of my chairs would indeed be covered by a lifetime warranty – – – IF I could prove that I was the original purchaser.

A trip to the JPC catacombs followed. I took on the habits of my parents and have always saved booklets and paperwork on significant household items. They are not filed in any order other than mostly chronological, so I took a nostalgic trip through appliances I have not owned for years until I found the papers from our La-Z-Boy purchase. May 31, 1997 was the purchase date, in case you are at all curious. So let this be a lesson to all of you “If I haven’t used it in five years, throw it out” people. Sometimes we pack rats win in the end. But I digress.

In the world I recognize, the manufacturer of a quality name brand will be a source of parts for a long time. And though there was an initial concern from the customer service rep that my chairs might be so old that parts have become obsolete, it seems that 1997 is still as recent as it as it has seemed to me. You see, anything that has occurred since I have been a married adult with children is “the last few years.” That prior period (“a long time ago”) has only recently expanded to claim the 1980’s, so my chairs from the late 1990’s are still quite current, thank you. In any case, I am now awaiting my factory-fresh replacement parts (which I will install myself) and could not be happier.

La-Z-Boy has now joined that rarefied tier of companies that truly takes care of its customers. My first experience with one of those companies was Zippo. That Bradford, PA company introduced the Zippo windproof lighter in 1933. When I started smoking cigarettes in the late 1970’s, a classic Zippo lighter was one of my first purchases. Using that lighter might have been the most satisfying part of smoking. The “clink” of the metal lid flipping open, the “flick” of the little abrasive wheel scratching across the flint and the firm “clack” of the lid shutting over the flame are sounds and feels that will remain with me forever, never mind the fact that I have not used one of my lighters in decades. When the hinge broke on my original Zippo, I learned that if I mailed it back to the manufacturer, they would fix it or replace it for free. Forever. They did. And they apparently still do.

Up until recently, another of those companies was Sears. Sears introduced its Craftsman-brand line of tools in 1927. I have a toolbox full of Craftsman tools, mostly purchased in the 1970s and 80’s, but some being newer. Each tool was backed by the promise that if it ever broke, I could take it to my local Sears store for a free replacement. It seems that Sears spun off its Craftsman brand in the last few years, but that warranty still exists. At least theoretically, because some of the particular tools have been discontinued or are not stocked individually at stores, but in sets.

We have become so accustomed to a world of “buy it cheap and throw it away” that a well-made product with a lifetime warranty has become an oddity. And, in my case, a very happy and satisfying oddity. I now await the replacement parts for my chairs and will enjoy hope to enjoy them for another decade (or three?). In researching this piece I came across one of the company’s slogans from several years ago – “Long live the Lazy”. I agree.

45 thoughts on “When The World I Recognize Briefly Reappears – In The Form Of A Lifetime Warranty”

  1. I’m with you on this. There are any number of ways to say it, but I find “Buy nice or buy twice” my favorite version – sometimes the painful initial cost is worth it in the long run.

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  2. Our first new car came with a lifetime warranty on the rustproofing. Which we used over and over again, to have repairs to a rust prone fender. Maybe about the fifth or sixth time, they said they could no longer honour the lifetime warranty, and did one final repair to said fender. Not long after, I sold that car, so it was no longer an issue. However continued corrosion and rust through could have lent itself to some litigation I suppose, to have them honour their original commitment.

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    • You remind me of the story that went around several years ago of the lady who bought a new Mercury Comet in the 1960s and drove it until she died. She bought lifetime warrantied brakes, mufflers and batteries and got multiple replacements at no cost over several decades.

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      • I remember that story. Wasn’t it from Sears or Midas or someone. Cool! I wonder if they made her pay for the labour and if it was just the parts that were covered. Great story.

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  3. Well, JP, reading your blog might pay off.

    We bought a La-Z-Boy sectional with a reclining section about 14 years ago. The footrest on the recliner broke (the wooden board in the footrest, that is) a year ago. We were thinking we have to replace the whole thing, but maybe we don’t! I’ll have to rummage through the papers we’ve stored and fins the purchase paperwork this weekend.

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    • Happy to be of service! My warranty was different on different items, so I only know it was lifetime on the mechanism and possibly on the frame. Good luck!

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  4. itā€™s amazing that any contemporary furniture ever had a lifetime warranty on it, much of it, in order to be affordable, not particularly well built. My mother, who had an antique store for a while, and who was a ā€œpickerā€ for my great aunts antique store in the Chicago area, would not have allowed La-Z-Boy furniture in the house! That would have been considered the height of dĆ©classĆ© furniture, if thatā€™s the correct term. I remember going to look at a house for sale one time, where a husband and wife lived, and her neā€™er-do-well brother, and one bedroom had a huge tv in it, with three La-Z-Boy chairs in an arc in front of it! Glad I had my pocket camera with me. My mother considered most modern furniture lower than maybe Ethan Allen furniture or a specialty shop to be ā€œdisposableā€, most likely to be torn up beyond repair through use.

    Moparlee has an interesting story, and one Iā€™ve heard before concerning rustproofing companies eventually refusing to fix any rust problems. I think the concept of ā€œlifetime warrantiesā€ being based on the average ownership of the first owner before trading in, selling, or cracking up. I think back then it was pretty common that anyone might have kept their car no more than maybe five or six years. Long haulers would have been the exception to the rule, and truly testing the warranty. My father had company cars, and they took them in after five years, considering them to have reached their viability against trade in value ratio.

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    • La-Z-Boys were never my idea of “affordable” I don’t have the paperwork in hand, but the (inflated) retail was over $600 and the markdown was still over $400 for a single chair in 1997 when we bought them. That would be over $800 each in 2025 dollars.

      I get what your mother meant, though. We would never have chosen them for “living room” furniture, but bought them for a family room where we did our television and movie watching. They were perfect for that room and that use.

      I think that many of these lifetime warranties are cheap to offer because so few people keep something (be it cars or furniture) for the long haul.

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  5. I worked in the hardware department of a Sears in Illinois back in 1977-79. We often saw tools that had been seriously abused (long screwdrivers bent to 90 degrees, sockets and ratchets that had broken from excessive force, breaker bars that were broken, etc). No questions asked, just pulled one off the shelf and sent the happy customer on their way. I’m told that you can take a broken Craftsman hand tool to a Lowes or Ace Hardware for a replacement, but I haven’t tried.

    The saddest part of the job was when something came in broken or damaged, even if it could be fixed, for example those sweet red tool cabinets, we had to physically verify that it had been placed in the compactor and destroyed. Because an unethical person could take it home, bring it back and ask for a replacement.

    My parents bought a couple La-Z-Boy recliners for a cabin in Missouri way back in the early 80’s. They are still going strong with no repairs needed. Of course the cabin is only occupied for perhaps 50 days a year, which contributes to longevity. I recently picked up another La-Z-Boy recliner for the princely sum of $9 at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore facility. It even included the swivel base. Now there are 3 La-Z-Boy’s lined up side by side in front of the TV in the living room similar to Andy’s story. LOL.

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    • I forgot to mention that Mt father bought a new La-Z-Boy about 1973 that I eventually got during my starving student years in the early 80s because of some tears in the vinyl seat cushion. That may have been the most comfortable chair I ever sat in. It was finally replaced when we bought the ones I wrote about. Dad warned me to never attempt homework in it because the chair always had him asleep in no time! šŸ™‚

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  6. What a cool post! Also, very cool that La-Z-Boy came through for you.

    Sometimes we pack rats win in the end. LOL! True.

    ā€œLong live the Lazyā€ – Thanks for this! I’m filing it away for trivia night. “)

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  7. I love knowing that LaZBoy is still the company it’s always been.

    In Sears’ waning years I had one of my Craftsman tools break. Might have been an adjustable wrench. I went to the Castleton Sears with the tool, handed it to a salesman, and he handed me a new one that was identical (but less worn and cleaner). That was a very cool experience.

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  9. Love it. I love stuff you can fix yourself. The house we live in was built in 1959 (I was built in 1960) and we got it with quite a few original things, furniture, tools, and just the way things are built in general. Sturdy. Someone took a lot of pride in making it.

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  10. This is encouraging – we have a year old La-Z-Boy recliner couch that is aging prematurely. We will definitely be calling. I’m glad you had a great experience.

    The lady with the Comet you mentioned above – there are a few YouTube videos about her. The Comet was pushing 600k in the most recent video I saw. The engine had not been touched.

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  11. Great story. I used to work at Radio Shack and the had several lifetime replacement speakers. After thirty years they had to be replaced by different madels because the origional technology couldn’t be found anymore. It was to old. šŸ¤£šŸ˜ŽšŸ™ƒ

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  12. Very cool story, and one that indeed uplifts ones faith in humanity and commerce. Well, at least some humanity and some commerce.

    I can personally verify the Zippo and the Craftsman warranties. I had the hinge replaced by Zippo on a lighter back a long long time ago when I used to regulary use and carry a Zippo. I’ve applied the Craftsman warranty within the past several years. If Ace or Lowes doesn’t carry the tool you need replaced, you can call Craftsman (which somehow exists independent now of Sears) and if the tool is made, they’ll send you a new one. I also use a slightly different version of a lifetime warranty for car parts from FCP Euro (ECS, a similar parts supplier now has a similar warranty). If you buy something from FCP – anything – it’s replaceable for life. Therefore, any part is a “buy it once, get it replaced forever” scenario. Unfortunately nowadays that’s morphed a bit so that you get store credit for your replacement cost. Not quite the same as simply getting a free replacement part, but it helps nevertheless. And if you have a car that you keep long enough such that you’re buying the same parts over and over (e.g., brakes, radiators, shocks, etc.), it works out to the positive.

    One thing I’ve never quite understood about lifetime warranties is the bit about having to be the “original purchaser”. I mean, if the idea is to warranty the product forever, what difference does it make if the product changes hands at some point during “forever”? If something’s broken, it’s broken…I mean, no one would buy something used and then break it on purpose just to get it fixed, right? (well, people can be awful…so maybe not right)

    The cherry on top of this story is the victory of the pack rat. I KNEW there was a reason why I have kept that folder that has the proof of purchase for my coffee maker from 1991!

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    • Haha, I agree that it’s a good day when pack-rattery can take a well-earned bow!

      On the original purchase requirement for a forever warranty, I can see both sides. Companies are in business to sell stuff, and I get the desire to protect purchasers and leave those who buy secondhand at yard sales out in the cold. OTOH, nothing says quality better than a no-questions-asked warranty for anyone.

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  13. That’s great and you can fix it with the shipped parts is even better. You lucked out JP. I also save every booklet from new purchases and not in any kind of order except chronologically. I did know that La-z-boy was in Monroe. I listened to WJR radio station and their long-time host (Paul W. Smith) was from Monroe and always touted the great La-z-boy company from his hometown of Monroe. That is exceptional service with a smile. It does pay to buy a well-known brand as opposed to an off-brand. We got the Maytag washer and dryer in 1984, so 41 years later, it is going strong, as is the KitchenAid fridge bought in 1990 … hopefully I don’t jinx any of these appliances by giving them kudos.

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    • My mother’s Maytag washer lasted for 25 years with not a single service call other than a new dial because the numbers wore off. I bought one right after we got married in 1990 and did not have that kind of luck due to some design changes. You got the old design which should last you for life.

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      • When I had the plumber in after the faucet handle snapped off on the laundry tub, he glanced over at the washer and dryer (also purchased in 1985) and said, you should think about asking an appliance repair person to take a look at this to see what parts MAY wear out and have them on hand as they may not be available when you need them. I don’t know whether to do that or not to be honest. However, my outside pole sensor light uses special lights that look like chandelier lights. I was told by the owner of the light store where I’ve purchased the lights for decades that they won’t be manufacturing them anymore since the lights are not “earth friendly” so I bought the last box of them (maybe 20 boxes with two lights in each box). It was a gamble because I use two lights per year so 20 boxes will last me 20 years, but the light/pole is already about 40 years old. Hmm.

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  14. My 20 year old La-Z-boy recliner developed a problem where the footrest section did not work properly. Husband was not inclined to try to fix it. The repairman came to our house, repaired it and we were charged a very reasonable amount for labour, nothing for parts.

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  15. BTW, just checked on-line and lots of negative reviews on current La-Z-Boy quality. Apparently a while back they stopped using solid hardwood in their framing and switched to “C” grade plywood, which does not hold up. Also lots of stories about upholstery not lasting more than a few years and “leather” peeling away from the base material. Mechanisms falling apart after a few years too. Seems like from what I’m reading, no lifetime warranty on anything either. Seems like 5 years is it. Buyer beware and you should check before you buy a La-Z-Boy new. To J.P.’s comment above, they are substantially expensive, as are most things actually made in America, so I’d hate to pay $1200. for a recliner to have it start falling apart within 5 years!

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    • That’s a shame to hear. But not unexpected. The way American furniture manufacturers have been battered by cheap imported products, it’s hard to blame them for cutting costs enough to stay in business. But I hate the unstoppable march to cheaper, cheaper, cheaper.

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      • You know the more you read the comment sites, they’re pretty divided between people commenting on how their 20-30 year old La-Z-Boys are still going strong, and people who paid a whole lot of money without discounts, for La-Z-Boys within the last 5 years that are literally falling apart, without much help from the company. Must have been something that happened all at once to change the quality.

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      • Your comment on the US furniture industry is well taken. However, in many cases, the furniture companies themselves invited the Chinese inside access to view their operations, upon which they then went home and replicated the processes at much lesser cost, resulting in cheap imports, and virtually killed the industry. For a sad and sobering narrative, check out “The Furniture Wars; How America Lost a 50 Billion Dollar Industry” at your local library.

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      • BTW, that’s a similar story to almost everything from bicycle manufacturing to high quality dress shoes. I remember reading a comprehensive story in the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel about Chinese manufacturing back in about 2005 or 2006, and basically, if any manufacturing company in the world is doing any kind of business with the Chinese, your technology is basically being “appropriated”, going out the back door of the factory, being improved, and someone there is building your future competition.

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  16. The fact that you unearthed paperwork from before the turn of the century is almost as impressive as a lifetime warranty. This topic had me thinking about TiVo (which I hadn’t thought about in years). When we purchased our TiVo box the associated DVR service was free for life. I always questioned the business logic of free-for life and sure enough, I think later TiVo subscribers had to make regular payments. But it remained a one-time pay for those of us who took the plunge when the technology was in its infancy. I just never expected the technology would be superseded by streaming.

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  17. Lots on here about “affordability” and buying quality so you get value for money, but it’s a moving target. We have a local “carriage trade” furniture store that carries American made quality, small batch, furniture for those that can afford it; but a small fabric covered sofa starts at $4000. and I’ve seen them advertise a dining room table and chair set starting at $10,100. This may be lifetime quality furniture, but few of us could actually afford it. (BTW, those two items added together would be about the same cost as my brand new 2020 Kia Soul). Most of us, when we need a place to sit, are down at Bob’s discount furniture looking at the 800 dollar couches. My mother always bought antiques because depending on what you bought, you got solid furniture for little comparative money. I had to finally sell a wonderful 1920’s era sofa I had been keeping for years because it seriously needed recovering, and after I got estimates for this service with decent, hard wearing fabric, all the quotes were well over $3000. I consider the $1200 La-Z-Boy chairs I’ve seen to be straddling that line between both worlds. Regardless of their mechanical ability, it is unlikely I would pay $1200 for a single chair, but in the scheme of things, that price wouldn’t be considered long-term durable goods pricing. You certainly wouldn’t want it to fall apart in a few years, tho, like many of the recent reports are saying about La-Z-Boy.

    I had an interesting discussion with a buddy on the coast the other day, and he was telling me that he saw an Econ presentation that was commenting on the availability of affordable goods for “the masses”. One of the disturbing stats talked about, was a study that showed that 60% of all goods in America, are bought by the upper 10% of the population. This has started vendors to start to build durable goods targeting this group (and why when you need a new refrigerator, it seems like they all cost over $2000. and are loaded with features most of us don’t want). I asked whether the stat was 60% of items sold by volume, or 60% by total money spent, and he couldn’t remember, but we agreed either way, it doesn’t look good for “affordability”.

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    • One of the assumptions of economics that I have been reconsidering is the argument that inexpensive imports are a net benefit to us here in the U.S. I am reading arguments that such theories assume that there are no net negative changes in the work force and its buying power. I don’t think those assumptions have proved themselves true. I, too have noticed that there seems to be two kinds of things offered today – custom, high quality and expensive stuff and mass produced, low quality cheap stuff without much in the middle. I don’t like the trend.

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      • That is very true. A few days ago, I accidentally found a picture of my Mother in a newspaper clipping from the late 1930’s, pictured with five other preteens in their horseback riding gear. One of them was a friend she still had at the end of her life but I never realized how long they had known each other.

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