Carpet Stain
Warranty ...What You Need To Know!
©2011
Alan Fletcher - Carpet Expert & Consumer Advocate.
Visit
my Carpet Care Page to
learn how to care for your carpets.
Homeowners expect their new carpet to be
very stain resistant, but there are many types of stains that are NOT covered under your carpet stain warranty. Most
carpets sold today have been treated to resist stains. Some of the branded
types of stain treatments are known as:
-
Scotchgard®
-
R2X®
-
Stainmaster®
Stain
resistance is the ability of the carpet pile to resist permanent stains. No
carpet is fully stain-proof and manufacturer warranties typically exclude
stains caused from:
-
Non-food
and non-beverage substances.
-
Strongly
colored natural dyes as in mustard, teas and other hot beverages.
-
Substances
that can destroy or change the color of carpets such as bleaches, acne
medications, plant fertilizers, drain cleaners, and plant food - to name a
few.
-
Vomit,
urine, and feces.
What type of carpet stain warranty coverage do you have?
The
fiber manufacturer provides most stain warranties. Contact the following fiber
manufacturers for further information on care and cleaning and limited stain
warranties for your specific carpet as specified by the warranty page.
Carpets
made from fibers manufactured by:
-
INVISTA®:
Call 1-800-438-7668
-
ANSO®:
Call Anso Smart Lines Consumer Hotline at 1-800-441-8185
-
WEAR-DATED®:
Call the 24-hour hotline 1-800-633-3208
Have you read your carpet
warranty?
It's an eye opening experience to read a carpet warranty.
There are limitations and exclusions that make it nearly impossible to
substantiate a valid claim. You must follow the instructions and requirements
to the letter. I've read most carpet warranties and it seems like consumers
must be able to prove that the carpet is defective in order to get any
resolution. If your carpet does not perform as well as you had hoped then they
will likely assume you have selected a carpet that was not capable of
withstanding your level of foot traffic.
- Warranties expressly exclude fitness for a
particular purpose. That means if you choose a carpet that is not designed
withstand your level of foot traffic, you will have no warranty coverage if it
wears out too fast.
- Most warranties also exclude matting and crushing. Read
what the manufacturers warranty limitations are, what your responsibilities are
and keep an eye out for sneaky terms like "Affected Areas Only" or
"Reimbursement Limitations".
Did you know that you are required to
have your carpet cleaned every year or two or you void the manufacturer's
warranty? Here is a recent post from a reader...
"I purchased a carpet almost three
years ago. The carpet from year 1 has matted. The twists have come out in
the heavy traffic areas. I called Home Depot 3 times over the past 2 years
and was told nothing could be done about it. This last time they filed a
complaint. They asked for my cleaning records which I didn’t have. They
would not even look at the carpet. I was never told about this when I
purchased it and it is not written anywhere on my receipts. I told them you
get a written warranty on almost all products on the package. You get a
written warranty when you buy a car or appliance. Why are carpet
manufacturers able to get away with not giving it to consumers at the time
of purchase. I was told it was on the back of the sample. I guess we are to
take a pencil and paper and sit down and write the warranty out ourselves."
Read a Carpet Warranty:
- Home Depot Carpet warranty link
- Mohawk Carpet warranty link
- Shaw Carpet warranty link
What
are Reimbursement Limitations?
If
you can prove a valid claim with the carpet manufacturer, they may pro-rate
your reimbursement amount depending on how old your carpet is when your claim
is filed.
For example: If your
carpet does not perform according to the warranty, the
manufacturer may offer you a credit equal to the cost of the carpet only
in accordance with the following 10-year reimbursement limitation schedule:
100%
Year 4
80%
Year 5
70%
Year 6
60%
Year 7
50%
Year 8
30%
Year 9
20%
Year 10 10%
