Case in point, I purchased a fountain pen a decade ago, and started to leak (a crack around the threads) a few year back. The company is known for its lifetime warranty and good customer service, as per the warranty, it said if the product is defective (which I believe leaking pen body is), I am entilted for a replacement part or a new model of the same price if the pen is no longer in production. I reached out to customer service and was told, they can't supply a replacement part because the pen is no longer in production and I'm not entitled to a new model because they doesn't deem a leaking body a defect.

[–] Hylactor@sopuli.xyz 30 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Why would you not name the company? If they won't protect you, you are not obligated to protect them.

[–] TwinTusks@bitforged.space 23 points 7 months ago (1 children)

You are absolutely right.

The company is "Franklin-Christoph"

[–] BreakDecks@lemmy.ml 12 points 7 months ago (1 children)

It looks like you can just ship the pen to them and request a repair or replacement. Maybe just ignore whatever the customer support rep said and follow this instead: https://www.franklin-christoph.com/pages/warranty

[–] TwinTusks@bitforged.space 3 points 7 months ago

It never dawned on me that I can just ship it. I always tend to contact customer service before doing anything.

Anyways I have moved to a new country, it is kind of costly to ship a pen internationally (I am also afraid it'll get lost somewhere since it's such small package), added the uncertainty of they (Franklin-Christoph) would honor it, I am quite hesitant to do it.

[–] theOneTrueSpoon@feddit.uk 10 points 7 months ago (1 children)

they doesn't deem a leaking body a defect

Does that mean they purposely design their pens to leak? If it's not a defect, it must be by design, right? Unless the user did something to break it, accidentally or otherwise

[–] TwinTusks@bitforged.space 6 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I believe they just chalked it up as normal wear and tear.

Update: The leak is from the threads where the pen cap screws on the pen, there is a argument here as to I twist it too tight, and over the years there developed a crack. You can barely see the crack, but its enough for the ink to leak bleed through.

[–] psud@aussie.zone 2 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Twsbi - a Korean pen manufacturer - had some bad plastic in one of their production runs, the body of the pen would crack in its threads at the tail of the pen

They handled it properly, I sent them an email with a photo of the damage, they asked for my postal address and sent me a replacement body. The reassembled pen has been working happily now several years later

I now have five twsbi pens (four piston fillers, one vacuum filler - the vac mini doesn't leak on planes)

I have never tested the warranties on Zippo lighters or Maglite lights

*Edited spelling of twsbi

[–] TwinTusks@bitforged.space 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

You meant Twsbi, its a Taiwanese manufacturer. Yes, their customer service is top notch! I also have a cracked cap from my Twsbi mini, and they sent me a replacement even without a picture (infact they sent it twice, because I didnt specified my pen color, so they sent it again).

[–] psud@aussie.zone 1 points 7 months ago

That's the one :)