Lifetime warranty
A warranty term that means three very different things depending on whose lifetime — and the difference is almost never on the price sheet.
What it means for you
Ask which one you're being offered: product lifetime (the maker's expected 5–25 years, the common one), limited lifetime (split clocks per part), or a true owner's lifetime (covered as long as you own the home). Two same-price quotes with different lifetimes are not the same purchase.
Where you'll see it
Every warranty brochure; the fine print is where the real terms live.
Don't be fooled
“Lifetime” rarely means yours. The FTC requires the term be defined — read that definition.
Related terms
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