My Attempt to Claim the Jansport Lifetime Warranty

I have had my Jansport backpack for the better part of the last 3 years. I acquired what I believe is my “Big Student Backpack” from a local thrift store for a small price as part of my buying and selling on eBay venture. This is how my attempt to claim the Jansport lifetime warranty all begins.

My backpack came with a faded military green color, working zippers, and a Jimi Hendrix ironed on patch. Very hard to pass up this $3 purchase especially after the free backpack I was using decided to fall apart and bleed red anytime it rained.

Wait, some of you don’t want to hear my story, no worries click How to Claim Your Jansport Warranty and it will take you right to the meat and potatoes.

Foxy Lady Coming to Get You

During my time with the Foxy Lady, which is the nickname for my thrift store backpack and also performed below as part of Wayne and Garth, I had very few complaints.

In fact, for my $3 purchase, I could hardly say a word. Foxy Lady had multiple zipper compartments for organization, comfortable shoulder straps, and of course a great look.

If the backpack were perfect however I would have kept it for years to come. This is no fault of Fox Lady and Jansport.  But as I ride my bike down the streets of Chicago I would be left with a Foxy Lady size sweat mark.  

Of course, Fox Lady was not built for breath-ability so it’s not her fault, I would chalk this up to me using the wrong tool.

I wouldn’t complain about a hammer for not being snugly like a blanket or a spoon for not being able to cut my steak.  So I will not complain about this either, however, this was a deciding factor for buying a new bag.

Need a New Backpack

A few weeks ago I decided to buy a new backpack.  Fox Lady was about to be replaced. I ended up purchasing the Osprey 34 Radial backpack.  I’m happy with my purchase. Osprey even has an All Mighty Guarantee, but we are here for Jansport, moving on.

Jansport Lifetime Warranty

After buying a new backpack I realized that my Jansport still had some life in it. Unfortunately, it had taken a couple of severe body blows that would probably make just about anyone pass.  

Then something magical happened.  As I was browsing the internet, I came across the Jansport Lifetime Warranty.

I didn’t even know Jansport had a lifetime warranty. If you are wondering what companies have a lifetime warranty, Penny Hoarder just recently comprised a list of companies with a lifetime warranty.  The list includes Jansport, Osprey, and Cambelback which covers covers all reservoirs, backpacks, bottles and accessories.

Reasons for a New Jansport Backpack

My Jansport backpack aka Foxy Lady if you are joining us late in the game had an injured strap.  Enough where you could see into the padding and the bag itself.  The backpack probably looked like it had been through a small war with its military green color.  

The bag and it’s stitching had black strings coming out from every direction.  The biggest issue was the inner bag was deteriorating. If I would put any clothes in my bag, they would come out with little green pieces from the inner lining. This was enough for me to think I should send this in and see if Jansport could fix it or at this point in Foxy Lady’s life, replace the bag.

Since I had just purchased a new backpack I didn’t have much interest in a new bag, but Mrs. Even Steven did. On our last vacation in Nicaragua, she gave her new backpack to a family member who had been doing really well in school as encouragement. Who would deserve a new backpack more than someone who had given theirs to a family member?

How to Claim Your Jansport Lifetime Warranty

Of course, you can always check out Jansport and the detailed information they provide on how to go about claiming your warranty, go ahead I won’t be mad.  However, if you want to know how someone went through the warranty process and provides useful information including taking you through every twist and turn then read on my friend.

I am going to share a little bit from Jansport because it’s good information to have and know. Also, remember this is Even Steven Money shipping his backpack from the United States.  If your situation differs you might want to check out that link.

Jansport Equipment (Packs, Bags, & Luggage)

JanSport engineers quality, durability, and reliable products. So, if your pack ever breaks down, simply return it to our warranty center. We’ll fix it or if we can’t, we’ll replace it or refund it. We stand by our packs for a lifetime and since we’ve been making packs since 1967, that’s a guarantee you can stand by.

Jansport Lifetime Warranty Repair Form

Please include your name, address, email, and phone number (including area code) with the item, along with a description of the problem. Please fill out the warranty return form and include a copy when you ship the product to be repaired.

Download (PDF)

From the above form.  Which you can download right from my website there are a few important pieces of information to highlight.

• Email-Make sure to enter this information, this is how I received my warranty acknowledgment receipt.  This will also have a service action number which is how Jansport tracks your claim order.
• Reason for Return-It’s important to know you have a good reason for your return, let them know what’s wrong and what needs to be fixed, help them out.  Also, make sure to clean it out, it is California State Law after all!
• Replace-As I look into my magic 8 ball, I’m fairly certain most people want their backpack replaced after all of the years of use…..All signs point to YES.  By selecting this option you are allowed to provide 3 color options for your replacement. The easiest thing to do is to jump on the Jansport company website and look for your style bag and choose 3 color options.

After you have filled out your warranty form, signed and dated the form.  The next step is to send your backpack to Jansport with the warranty form included.

 Here’s an example of mine, address, and everything.

Goodbye Foxy Lady

Shipping

Head down to your local USPS, FedEx, UPS location and send your package on its way. The shipping cost me $16.65.  From Chicago to Alameda, CA with priority shipping from USPS aka the post office.  I believe the weight was 1.0-2.0 pounds.

Check out the websites from any of the shipping companies previously mentioned.  You can get a pretty good estimate of your specific cost before you send it out.

I should have done a better job of lowering the cost of shipping the backpack.  I believe if I had done more research and spent a little extra time packaging costs could have been cut in half.

The package has been sent and then it will be received, but how will I know?  

As I briefly mentioned above you will receive an email stating the receipt of your warranty request.  My email came under the title:  JanSport/Eastpak Warranty Receipt Acknowledgement from warrantyservice@vfc.com.  In the email their was a service action number and phone number if you needed to check on your bag.

Receiving

The next step according to the form is an anticipated 2 week turnaround time for repairs from the date of receipt.  However, some delays can occur, especially during busy season.  

Here’s where my warranty claim took a little bit of a turn in the usual expectations.

I called in approximately 3 weeks after I received the email of acknowledgment.  The customer service representative who let me know my bag could not be repaired and a new backpack would be sent out in 7-10 business days.  My estimate was a little bit before Thanksgiving.

I was really excited as I didn’t really want them to repair the bag, especially since Mrs. Even Steven would be carrying this around, Foxy Lady is clearly a man’s bag or a fan of Jimi Hendrix.

Issues

I waited till after the major holiday and shipping bonanza that Black Friday and Cyber Monday entail because I had yet to receive my backpack. I called in and to my surprise, the bag had already been delivered.  The bad news is the bag was either lost or stolen.

I’m sure with the holiday season this, unfortunately, is pretty common. The customer representative immediately told me not to worry that she would send out a new one in the mail. My only additional task was to pick out a new color because the 3 options my wife selected were out of stock.

Just in case my neighborhood was a hotbed for stealing packages or the UPS guy struggled with figuring the numbers on my house, I decided to send it to my office.

For whatever reason this was rejected at my office.  So I called customer service who again was above and beyond helpful and had the item shipped to my house…. again.

Need to Know Jansport Lifetime Warranty Claim

What I found out was that the backpacks they send to the Jansport Warranty customers are last year’s model.  I was left with a handful of colors to choose from.  The customer service rep did a great job of walking me through the struggle of picking the right color backpack for my wife.

 Jansport even gave me the option to get other backpack styles and colors but an additional cost. No additional questions were asked.  I also had no intentions of paying extra unless my wife had specifically picked out that style and color.

Final Results of my Jansport Lifetime Warranty Claim

As I was getting back from the holidays I received a shipment from Jansport.  Enclosed was a brand new backpack with the tags, new smell, and everything.  

I can say with great certainty that the Jansport Lifetime Warranty is real. The customer service was beyond exceptional.  Despite the shipping complications, they easily made up for any issues to make me a happy customer.

I can guarantee the next gift I buy for a backpack will be Jansport. The quality, customer service, and integrity of the company are exceptional.

Just like Jansport I work as a financial coach at Even Steven Money to provide exceptional service and value to provide an “Action Plan for your Money”.

Imagine working with someone who cares about your financial goals and can help guide you on your financial journey.  Have you considered getting in a better financial position to spend more time, energy, and money on what you value most?

Returning a Jansport backpack for the lifetime guarantee is a small indicator that you care about your money too!  Why not work with someone who feels the same way.