Hey everyone. Well, this is the second time this year where the lack of proper communication between a vacuum dealer and the manufacturer has caused me problems, and I'm beginning to think this is fairly common, I know we have some dealers on these forums, so I'm just wondering if this is common, or if I'm just expecting too much. I do believe it's a consumer's responsibility to research a product before they purchase it, but at the same time, it is a dealer's responsibility to keep up with changes in products from manufacturers that they deal with, and also to verify that the information the manufacturers provide them is correct. Recently, I decided to give the Electrolux Ultra One a try, I know some on here didn't think it was very good, but others really like it, you will probably see that with any vacuum. There are 3 ultra one models, the classic, the signature and the deluxe. I looked at the Electrolux web site to try and discover what the differences were, but the way the features were listed made this rather difficult. So, I contacted a major internet vacuum store who is an official Electrolux dealer. I was told that the main difference was the attachments that were included, but that the canister and hose were the same. I was told that the classic model, although it did not include a power head, did include an electric hose and could be upgraded later. I have all hard floors so don't need a floor power nozzle, but I do have a mini electric brush that I use for above floor cleaning. I decided to purchase from this dealer since they offered me a 10 percent discount, and went ahead and purchased the classic model. It arrived yesterday, and I discovered that what I was told was incorrect. It turns out that the ultra one classic is a straight suction model, although that makes the price even more puzzling. It sells for $599, and they gave me a discount so I paid $540. for a straight suction canister, that is a ridiculous price, considering that the Miele c1 Olympus sells for $329 and the Sebo K2 sells for $399, and the ultra one classic is very similar to these, if it could support a power head, I could see this being an appropriate price, but not for a straight suction model. I contacted the dealer and told them that either I received the wrong product or I was told inaccurate information. It turns out that on this dealer's web site, it also says that there is a power switch on the hose for this model, which is also incorrect. Apparently, this was the information that Electrolux gave them as far as what this model included. In this case, I think it's partially Electrolux's fault and partially the dealer's. Electrolux gave them incorrect information, but when this model was introduced, the dealer should have actually opened one up to make sure that the information they were provided was correct. So, I can choose to keep this model which I probably won't do because it's very overpriced for a straight suction canister, I can send it back for a refund, or send it back and exchange it for the next model up which does have a power nozzle and thus, would have an electric hose I could use for the mini brush. None of this would have happened if I had been given the correct information in the first place that the ultra one classic is a straight suction model with no electric hose.
The other situation happened earlier this year right before I got my prima. I was considering the Riccar Star Bright, and we have a local store here who is a Tacony dealer. I went ahead and ordered one, then found out that it was being discontinued in favor of the Prima. The store was completely unaware that the Star Bright was being discontinued, and had never even heard of the Prima. I ended up canceling the order, and got most of my money back for it, but I did lose $20 since they would need to ship the Star Bright they ordered for me back. Again, this would not have happened if the store was up to date on Tacony products, they could have told me that the star bright was being discontinued and offered me the Prima. Granted, if I would have taken it, I would have probably paid a bit more for it than I did from the outlet store, but still, the lack of being up to date on the dealer's part led to things being far more complicated than necessary.
It seems to me that there is a major lack of communication between manufacturers and the dealers who represent them, and I think this is something that really needs to be improved. I will let everyone know what I decide to do about the ultra one classic situation, but wondering if anyone else has had experiences such as this.[this post was last edited: 10/30/2015-15:38]
The other situation happened earlier this year right before I got my prima. I was considering the Riccar Star Bright, and we have a local store here who is a Tacony dealer. I went ahead and ordered one, then found out that it was being discontinued in favor of the Prima. The store was completely unaware that the Star Bright was being discontinued, and had never even heard of the Prima. I ended up canceling the order, and got most of my money back for it, but I did lose $20 since they would need to ship the Star Bright they ordered for me back. Again, this would not have happened if the store was up to date on Tacony products, they could have told me that the star bright was being discontinued and offered me the Prima. Granted, if I would have taken it, I would have probably paid a bit more for it than I did from the outlet store, but still, the lack of being up to date on the dealer's part led to things being far more complicated than necessary.
It seems to me that there is a major lack of communication between manufacturers and the dealers who represent them, and I think this is something that really needs to be improved. I will let everyone know what I decide to do about the ultra one classic situation, but wondering if anyone else has had experiences such as this.[this post was last edited: 10/30/2015-15:38]
