Health 4everrecap Reuseable Lids

[kyrsyan]

Just a heads up for anyone using them, they have a recall on the silicon seals and state that they should no longer be used for canning. Several people I know have checked their shelves and found that a large percentage of the lids have unsealed. And at least one has tried to contact them, as per their webpage, and has been ignored.

I received some myself as a gift and fortunately have not used them yet. But I did contact them for replacements and have yet to hear back from them.

If you have them, another canner has said that the rings from the Tattler lids will fit them. But that's up to you if you want to try it.

This is the website with contact info if you have them and want to try to get the replacement seals. http://www.4everrecap.com/

Please pass this on to others you know that may have used them. One person I know lost everything that she canned using these lids. And she is very careful about how her jars are stored. She also uses Tattler lids and glass lids and had no fails in storage for those. Just the 4everrecap lids. Others in our canning group had a minimum of a 50% fail rate on the shelf and are now trying to use up the rest of the stuff before the lids fail.

 

[summerthyme]

Good heads up! That's a terrible shame, though- I held off on buying and using Tattlers for years because I just don't trust "new" products when it comes to canning. Only after it became apparent that the Tattlers were working well did I buy a small sample to test here.

As far as the "4everrecap" company, I'd say an "apology" doesn't come CLOSE to cutting it, in terms of the damage they've done here! At the LEAST, they should be offering every customer who bought and used their defective silicone seals FREE replacement seals- at least for those who would ever trust them again.

Summerthyme

 

[Deemy]

Not to mention all that time and money to buy the food to put in the jars....Love my Tattlers

 

[bbkaren]

I got in touch with them after they announced via facebook and email that they would replace all the silicon seals with nitrile.

They responded immediately and have sent replacements and refunded my cost for shipping the seals back to them.

They have apologized PROFUSELY and been extremely gracious.

So I doubt they ignored anyone's correspondence; I have found them to be extremely responsive.

They are, though, a very small company (home-based, a young couple) so I suppose they may have been overwhelmed with correspondence at some point. I had no problem whatsoever, though.

 

[kyrsyan]

I did hear back from them although others in the canning group haven't yet. After several emails they agreed that they would look up the order and send me nitrile seals to match what the order had been. I told them they could have the silicon seals back if they send a postage paid label. They declined, although they had originally asked me to ship the silicon seals to them in order to get the replacement seals and get a refund on shipping. An arrangement that I declined.

So they are responding if a bit slowly.

My issue is that this product should have been more thoroughly tested before release. I stalled in using them when I caught some comments about the lids unsealing and the owner's response that told folks to leave the rings on to hold the seal. That smacked of being too much like the old zinc lids where you couldn't tell if the seal had popped for me to be comfortable. While I do use some of the old glass lids, I do so with the same precautions that I use with the disposable lids. There are no rings to hold on a lid if the vacuum pops. I have come to a much more thorough understanding of some the canning rules and canning storage rules while using the glass lids.

I'm glad I waited. As of right now I'm just inconvenienced while I wait for replacement rings. (and the replacement rings are the same material that Tattler uses per the owner.) I would have been several levels of furious if I had lost product. We live on a very, very tight budget and lost product typically means we do without until the item comes into season again. I have a lot of sympathy for those who did lose product due to the seal failures.

I will test the lids I currently have, with the new seals and see how they do. But honestly, I'm more likely to pay the extra to order Tattler lids from now on. I can't afford to lose my canning.

 

[bbkaren]

...But I did contact them for replacements and have yet to hear back from them...

I'm not defending the fact that part of their product failed (although I haven't heard about that level of failures, I'm not on canning-specific forums so I'll take your word for that).

But you state that they haven't tried to make good on replacement, when clearly they have. They offered you replacements and to refund your shipping to return the originals, and you declined their offer.

So "have yet to hear back from them" isn't remotely accurate.

A defective product is one thing; implying that the company is ignoring the problem is quite another.

 

[kyrsyan]

I'm not defending the fact that part of their product failed (although I haven't heard about that level of failures, I'm not on canning-specific forums so I'll take your word for that).

But you state that they haven't tried to make good on replacement, when clearly they have. They offered you replacements and to refund your shipping to return the originals, and you declined their offer.

So "have yet to hear back from them" isn't remotely accurate.

A defective product is one thing; implying that the company is ignoring the problem is quite another.

As of posting that it had been almost a week since I contacted them and I had not received any response back. So yes I was truly wondering if they were going to honor their responsibility. Most companies will send at least a notification that they received your contact information and an estimate on when they will get back to you. Since they are directing folks to a specific email address, it would not be too difficult to arrange an automatic mailing that told folks all the basic info that I received in the first email.

The thing is that out of 3 folks on the group that emailed them (that I know of), only I have heard back. The other two sent requests in several days before I did and still haven't heard back. Another one sent a request in back in November and hasn't heard back. I was, and still am, honestly surprised that I got a response. Quite a few of us heard of these during the spring of last year and ordered them. For the most part, those who ordered them are high volume canners who figured the one time expense is worth the savings we'd get eventually over the disposable lids. I go through over 400 lids in a year easily. I am hoping to switch completely to reusable lids over the next few years for my home canning and only use disposable lids for gifts and sales.

I didn't decline the replacements. I declined to be responsible for the expense of shipping anything. My experience with multiple companies in the past is that I may get the replacement product but getting the shipping costs back turns into a battle. To be honest, I was pleased and surprised when they accepted the responsibility for shipping.

And I did send the information on the responses I received to both here and the canning list when I got them. I figured that it was only fair to make sure that others knew what the response had been since there seems to be differing levels of response. Hopefully everyone will eventually get a response and replacements but there is a lot of anger over lost product.

 

[bbkaren]

As of posting that it had been almost a week since I contacted them and I had not received any response back...

I'm confused - maybe I'm misunderstanding. So what response are you hoping for? They've already offered you replacements and reimbursement for shipping. Are you asking them for something additional?

 

[kyrsyan]

I'm confused - maybe I'm misunderstanding. So what response are you hoping for? They've already offered you replacements and reimbursement for shipping. Are you asking them for something additional?

I was expecting nothing more than what I should be getting. If you reread all of this you will realize that my original post referred to the situation of another who had, and still has not hear back from them. In addition several other folks came forward stating that they were in the same situation. I honestly truly didn't expect to hear from them at all given that information. I don't know why I have and the others haven't. I was giving all the information I had at the time. You are the person who seems to be trying to convince yourself that I want more.

I am disappointed that they did not make the recall known to their customers when they found out about the problem - yes. And knowing that several folks here might have used their lids I have shared what information I had/have. That's all. If others hear back and get their product replaced - great. If not then they at least know enough to check what is on their shelves before it turns really nasty and yucky. And they know a possible alternative to having to completely throw out the lids. It is all information I would have liked to have received if I was in that situation.

Why are you trying to make this into more than it is?

 

[bbkaren]

Like I said above, I don't think it's fair to disparage a small home based company when as far as I can see, they've attempted to make good on the defect.

The fact that they offered new ones, but you declined their offer makes this statement hard to understand:

...But I did contact them for replacements and have yet to hear back from them...

It bothers me to see them portrayed in this manner because with me, they've been nothing but friendly and helpful - from the day of order, to the day I received notification of the recall, to a few days ago when they refunded my shipping and informed me my replacement seals are on their way.

But I guess I misunderstood your statement above that you hadn't heard back from them. I'm glad you heard back and hope that you'll send the seals back to get the replacements, which I think is a very reasonable solution.

 

[kyrsyan]

Last update. I received the replacement seals yesterday. One of the other women in the canning group received hers earlier this week. The others are still waiting. Hopefully I'll get a chance to test them with the new seals this weekend or next week.

 

[Deemy]

If nothing else....can some water!

 

[kyrsyan]

If nothing else....can some water!

I just can't afford the possible food loss at this time. That was why I wasn't sure about getting to testing them. So it probably will be water. Thanks for the idea!