After an experience I just had with Weber warranty services I was completely let down. I'll stick to old fixer uppers and call it a day. I can smoke just fine on other smokers. I really wanted to pick up a smokefire too.
I would think that they could face legal consequences if they didn't honor the warranties advertised on units already sold. However, I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know what they can do in regards to old stock that they've recalled back and retailers chose to sell with a disclaimer like that instead of returning to Weber.
Sorry to here that someone else has encountered that too. I've had a couple pretty frustrating calls with Weber Support since the SmokeFire come out and the pandemic started. In the end with some persistence on my end and patience waiting for parts, they've eventually made everything right. I chalk it up to them being swamped with everyone cooking at home and support representatives being undertrained with new staff brought on to help and trying to get the same training and supervision remotely that they would have gotten in a call center before, etc.
I just got smacked down on two separate occasions, just doesn't seem right to me how they charge what they do and then they don't stand by the product. I'm glad it has worked out well for others, but it just frustrates me having to sit on the phone in anger.
I would guess their support woes right now are probably costing them some customers. When they first refused to send me the new auger, I almost returned my SmokeFire and was thinking about selling my WSCG out of principal. After having more than my share of different grills over the past 10 years, I love both the SmokeFire and the WSCG and eventually calmed down. Though I dread if I have any more issues and have to call again.
I might give it a shot, but I will never buy a new product from them after that service. Plenty of great old used ones out there.
Weber retailers often don't know what they're talking about and many can't correctly assemble a Smokefire. If you register a grill with Weber then it's under warranty. Retailers don't register grills they have in stock. If I still lived in Arnold and saw that ad I would be all over it. What a bargain. WOW