Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I purchased 6 total mugs for my family. These look great, I don't have to worry about spills, and they keep drinks warm (warmer than any other cups based on my experience); okay, so why do they get 1 star and a bad review? Because, the company told me that I should purchase a new lid every 30-60 days! Get this, the lids cost almost as much as the cup! Okay, so here's the story: I am an daily tea drinker. I know how to use vinegar to clean mugs if needed, and have kept the lids clean (which requires cleaning them between every single use with soap and water, which I do). So, the point is, I get that I have to keep the lids clean. However, after a while, the mugs started leaking regardless of how clean they were kept. First it was one of my kids mugs, I figured they were just rough with it or something. Then the other lid started having a problem, so I told my kids to use regular glass mugs and sit at the table for now on in order to drink tea. Then my mug started leaking, and creaking, and not serving its purpose. I used one of the other ones, again, started having the same issue, and so did my wofe. So, I called the company to complain and was told "that's why we carry replacement lids; please visit our website to purchase new lids." I stated that I had only had these for about 5 weeks and the customer service rep said that she didn't expect the lids to last much more than that and that I would need to purchase new lids. This is exactly what I was told by their customer service. Ok, so let's do the math. I purchased 4 cups at a big box store for $40. 2 cups online for about $20 each. So far, I am out $80. The company states the lids last 30-60 days, and the lids cost $7 each (at least for the models I have). So, based on my conversation wiith customer service, I am expected to pay $42 per month (or every 60 days) in order to keep these mugs. That's between $252 to $504 per year if you own 6 mugs. So, the total cost of ownership of a Contigo mug is $104 per year... Oh, I didn't include tax. Sounds farfetched if you ask me, but that is how the numbers add up. The fact is, these mugs are just not worth it. The company has some of the worst customer service reps I have ever dealt with. Take it from someone that works in manufacturing, the cost for these mugs to be created is almost nothing, the lids are probably 6-13 cents each depending on the how the assembly line in China sets the pieces in the plastic mold after it's cooled. So, this is a rip off. It's one thing to charge $20 for a mug; it's another to not support your product with the expressed intention of selling lids to consumers who supported your company. Here are two replacement mugs from Thermos that I have purchased, & I must say, I have never had to replace the lids. they never leak, and in fact I use it at work, and I don't stir anything, I simply put what I want in it and shake it up, and it never leaks are spills at all. I have had the mugs listed below for almost 2 years, since writing this review. Thermos Stainless King Travel Tumbler, 16-Ounce, Matte Black Thermos 16-Ounce Vacuum-Insulated Travel Tumbler, Stainless Steel Here is the funny part of my experience: my review has reviews! I don't believe the average amazon customer, or customer of any store in general, would be writing a really long review about a review. Also, some are keeping track on those reviews years later in regards to a mug! It's quite obvious the more you look at some reviews online, many are single item reviewers and are likely employees of the manufacture in question. I worked as a marketing director for many years and many of these manufactures do create their own reviews. I have never honored the requests of the companies I have worked for, and those that do, should be ashamed of themselves. This review has more reviews than any of my other reviews. There are so many comments on this review, all about my review. It's kind of hilarious considering that it is just a mug. the manufacturer made a phony attempt in a comment to rectify the situation, but when I actually contacted them, they offered no help; it was purely for show. For anyone that doubts what I say, since you have so much time on your hands to review a review, you can just as easily get the customer service number for contigo, say that you have this particular model and need a replacement lid under the lifetime warranty, and see how much they tell you it's going to cost for the new lid and shipping. Discussion over. Finally, for those of you who have missed it, the company has released a new lid, that now offers an easy way to clean it. If you call the company, or read some of the marketing literature, they will say that it was a common complaint about the old lid, the same one that I had on this mug! So it is not some magical plot for me to dare to say something about a lid that shall not be named, it is simply someone who was unhappy with a lid, and wanted to share my experience over two years ago.