Traded my working Shark for a "broken" Hoover

[stricklybojack]

I got a Shark navigator for $8 at auction a year ago and didn't touch it until last night. I answered a Craigslist ad about a free Hoover. It said the vacuum was 2 months old and quit. The owner was frustrated and wanted it outa sight ASAP. I arranged to pick it up later and offered to leave a vacuum with her as i have way too many. She needed bare floor and carpet and the only vacuum i had that fit the bill, and was fairly clean (or so i thought), was the Shark.
I started to clean it and realized i was in for more than i bargained for. Thankfully i powered through the filth in about an hour. These auction vacs are usually store returns. Apparently whoever owned this used it frequently and never cleaned it out once. Everything about this model Shark is easy to clean..except the power nozzle. 9 screws later, 2 hidden under the front wheels, i had it apart. Cut the usual carpet cord from the brush roll and noticed it had the shortest brushes, by design i believe, of any vac i have ever seen. Cleaned out the scuz and reassembled.
Over all i thought the Shark has good to very good build quality, has a great sound, and a compact design.
I will be acquiring more TOL Sharks, they are here to stay for a reason.
The Hoover looks like new, a red WindTunnel3 Pro Pet. The turbo brush is missing, she said the turbo brush was missing when she pulled it from the box, so i will have to order a new one. As far as i can tell everything else is aok. I think the operator simply wasn't versed in how to use the machine.
She has texted me she loves the Shark and her carpets never looked better. My guess is the brush roll on the Hoover was never switched on because i got a load of fluff in just a couple passes on our old entry rug. And no vacuum brand grooms better than Hoover in my experience.
Now i 'm having a Hoover Christmas..[this post was last edited: 1/9/2015-19:24]

 

[smow69]

nice vac

I love that green concept really cool color.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Well Done!!!

You can't go wrong. Some people just don't take care of things. That's where WE come in. ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[stricklybojack]

I will say..

I am not a fan of Hoover customer service. I have contacted the customer service of 3 vacuum companies: Dyson, Electrolux, and Hoover.
I also rank my customer assistance experience in that same order with Hoover a *distant* last because they neglected to solve my problem whereas the others did. And i contacted all 3 with the same problem, broken or missing attachment; and get a load of that sticker affixed to the back of the Hoover in the second pic. Dyson and Electrolux simply sent a replacement, Hoover did not. On two separate occasions concerning two different Hoover vacuums. Also in this last case, the Hoover was by far the most recently purchased of the 3, just 2 months old. They took a good amount of time identifying the part then said they would like to help me but because it was now six months since they manufactured it i would need documentation that i, nor the original purchaser had. The others i called never asked for such paperwork to be faxed in. And in Dyson's case didn't care how long it was since the vacuum was bought and it too concerned a turbo tool.
This is the old game that most people are sick of, myself included. The attachment was, "missing out of the box", the original purchaser told me, and then get this; I read a Craigslist ad the next day for the exact same model vacuum here in San Diego saying it was in great shape except it was missing the same turbo tool, "out of the box"!
The biggest expense to Hoover was paying the agent to be on the phone with me for 15 minutes only to disappoint and come up short to their competition.

Lastly, here is a glowing youtube testimonial for a Shark which illustrates the point well. Do yo think she had the necessary paperwork over a year later? I don't think she was even asked ...see link:[this post was last edited: 1/11/2015-12:51]

 

[kirbyloverdan]

All because HOOVER

Wouldn't send you a free turbo tool for a machine you didn't purchase and traded a lady on CL for ?

That's why your rating them last in customer service ???

I think that's how a great company should be run just imagine if everyone tried to get stuff for free and they just sent out free parts they would be out of business .

If you were original purchaser and called the day or maybe a week later they would have sent you the tool but nearly 2 months later that doesn't work .

I personally could never do something like that and feel that's NOT bad customer service on HOOVERS part .

Dan

 

[stricklybojack]

It was two months later..

And given I have only seen this vac twice, and in both cases it lacked the tool out of the box, it is no doubt a common problem Hoover knows about. Especially considering this is a RM code, or remanufactured unit. Old school giant company mentality says to make the customer jump through hoops in an attempt to avoid helping them, of the three only Hoover chose this path to the point of not solving my issue. New school companies have computers and serial numbers that track know problems and make it right, no fiddling with "fax machines". I almost laughed, I said If I found the receipt I wolud email it, she was not sure if they could receive it that way! It was just another hoop, argh!
This vac has a serial and other coding that told them where it was sold, she asked me and I answered, "Big lots". she confirmed that then started in with more questions until the receipt came up when she said, "well I cannot help you until we have that." The whole feeling was that of someone seeking not to help...as per policy not her personal disposition which was courteous. Not at all with Dyson, they had a , "we are going to fix this now" mentality from start to finish and fedex'd the part ASAP, apparently even before i had put down the phone, he said (as i recall), "the order is in expect it soon" and continued on if there was anything else i needed. Electrolux fell between the two but still made it right in the end. I was on good behavior with all three, even complementing the Hoover vacuum in question and she knew i had at least one more as i was already in their computer system.
Yes technically you are right Dan, but that is my point Hoover seems overly interested in the technical.
I have often browsed Vacs at Big Lots..mostly Hoover. I often buy things there, sometimes the receipt is barely legible as it's printed much less months later. I don't want to have to worry about that noise. So I factor it in. If all the others were the same I wouldn't have posted, but I saw that video and realized Shark my be "cleaning up" for more reasons than I thought.
The sticker kept this woman from thinking to bring it back to the store and so why keep the receipt? she was so frustrated she gave the thing away. Probably called and got the third degree instead of the help she needed. I don't know.
People like no fault and it would seem they have it depending on where/what they buy.
My family keeps receipts for years but that's the old way. With computers, smart
Phones etc. paper receipts seem archaic.
These technologies makes people expect companies to be on top of inventory, issues etc. And companies including Hoover are. But how they apply that info is another matter.
[this post was last edited: 1/11/2015-14:32]

 

[mark40511]

Interesting Shark Review

Hmmmm. I called Shark asking them if something went wrong with mine and she told me I would have to pay to ship the unit to them and they fix and and I pay to have them send it back......OR, I could buy a new vacuum from them at a heavily discounted price and not worry about sending anything to them.....That doesn't sound like a great deal to me so I'm hoping nothing goes wrong with it. I wonder how she ended up getting them to just send her a new vacuum? The person I talked with was very nice.....

 

[kirbyloverdan]

Yes Robert

but lets see if Shark , Dyson and Eurekalux will be around as long as HOOVER has .

They may be giving away the moon now but that wont last forever .

If anything was ever missing from a purchase first I call the company immediately then if they don't resolve it I let them know I will be returning it at place of purchase as soon as I hang up .

I think it could be more of laziness on the previous owners part and not HOOVERS fault look she posted it on CL to just get rid of it didn't she ?

Dan

P.S Mark Rosen of Shark was the last owner of the Fantom vacuum and we all know what happened to that company don't we ? Also if you buy refurbished machines they don't always includes every attachment that came with the new machine.

 

[stricklybojack]

and to clarify...

this is not a 'woe is me' story as i was not the original buyer. It was just informative as to how the 3 companies in question handle the same issue...i thought, "hmm noted." Especially since this apparently is a common issue.
Did you notice in the Shark testimonial the woman felt dumb or stupid (i forgot the exact wording) because of her broken vacuum? This has to be a common sediment with people with gadgets of all kinds. Apple Inc. has made themselves the biggest company in the world with easier functioning products and slogans like: "it just works", and their "genius bar" staff to sort out issues.

 

[kirbyloverdan]

HOOVER is NOT

a brand new company trying to STEAL customers they operate the old fashioned way that if you have proof of purchase they will go to the end of the world for you if you don't have a receipt then they just cant help you . That has been my experience with all great companies .

Dan

 

[mark40511]

I've had luck

calling different companies in the past few years if something went wrong with their product. Kitchenaid blender - Norelco Electric Shaver - Biddeford Electric Blanket - I used to never do this - but I always call the company and explain my situation with their product and what happened, and more often than not, they send me a new one for free......Example, the norelco shaver died in 2 years and 3 months. It only had a 2 year warranty, but the rep sent me a new handle (not the blades) and a coupon for a discounted blade refill...With the kitchenaid blender, I had to call 3 times, and the third rep sent me a new polycarb pitcher which is so much better than the leaking one that came with the blender. I think it depends on your tone of voice and which REP you get quite honestly when it comes to these companies. One rep will say "no sorry we can't do that" and then next one will, so it's really hard to say.

Maybe the lady that called Shark just got a good rep. Perhaps if she had gotten another rep, she may not have been so lucky. I dunno.

 

[stricklybojack]

Dan..

i don't think any company goes out of business rectifying *known issues* with dispatch. As a matter of fact it is quit the opposite. Did you see the fine Honda was just hit with for purposely under reporting known fatalities with their product?
Such behavior is, i think, the sign of desperation of a failing company. Some years ago i had my mother's Saturn fully serviced as per warranty at the Saturn Dealer from which it was purchased. Soon after the battery died. I noticed one cell had leaked its contents and had been doing it for years given the related corrosion caused.
They refused to replace the battery citing the fact the warranty had lapsed a week before. I pointed out our "full service" was supposed to include the battery (which obviously wasn't the case,) and was carried out by you guys, the dealer, just weeks ago while the warranty was still valid. They saw my point but still did not budge as 'technically' they did not have to and proceeded to try to sell me the same inferior battery brand at an exorbitant price. This is bigger than it sounds because Saturn was known for their service and my mother was about 80 years old at the time. Being stranded by a bad battery is serious business for someone like that. Saturn went tits up soon after this episode. I now see it was evidence of GM, Saturn's parent company, being on the skids and nearly down the toilet to make such a foolish customer relations mistake over a few bucks.

My experience may also have to do with customer service and price points. Do Big Lots Hoovers receive the same consideration as a QuietForce bought on Hoover.com?
I expect a more bare bones experience from a Dirt Devil. But i hope the Hoover name is not tarnished with a cut rate approach to product and service wherever they are sold. If so, then sell Dirt Devils at Big Lots and not Hoovers would be my choice. Keep the name meaningful.

Now i have no idea where Hoover/TTI falls in the scheme of things. For all i know none of the WT3 Pet Pros RM's even have the turbo tool to begin with. Seems odd there is a place on the Handle for it, but still, one has to consider all the possibilities. And / or it is not yet a know issue despite my (admittedly limited) pair of examples. Regardless i felt the representative was looking for a way to avoid doing something, however nicely, rather than solve the issue...which was not the case at Dyson, or apparently Shark, at least for that one customer...and it got me to thinking.
[this post was last edited: 1/11/2015-16:24]

 

[kirbyloverdan]

Robert

I am sorry but I think it is wrong what you tried to do I just think HOOVER was smart not to send you a free item for something you did not purchase .

I always believe in Karma and that's how I live my life be honest and do the right thing and everything works out for the best .

I'm not being nasty it's just reality and how life works yes the other companies gave you stuff for free but it just came to a stop with HOOVER .

HOOVER is a thriving company thanks to TTI so that's not the problem .

Dan

 

[turbomaster1984]

Strictlybojack

Your 100% right on there. Hoover UK also suffer this shoddy service standard and although they are different companies they don't half act the same.

I had a brand new Hoover cleaner for my birthday last year from my other half. It was a discontinued model and likely to be rare in the future as it was only sold for a few months. When I unboxed it the cyclone bin had a scratch on it. SO I rang HooverUK and asked for a new one to be sent out.

Not only did I wait a stupid amount of time holding I got told id be called back as the part had to be authorised. I never received a call.

I rang back and had to go thru the whole rigmarole explaining as a collector why I wanted a blemish free machine and that as my partner had paid full price for something we were entitles to it .

They did send me out a new cyclone in the end but it was the wrong colour and I am still stuck with a blemished machine although it still means the world to me.

This is just not good enough on Hoovers part.

If Hoover aka TTI offer dismal service like this on your side of the pond then your well entitled to be peeved.

Rob

 

[stricklybojack]

Dan I see your point..

however my point was not that Hoover was wrong for not sending the part, or even not offering to send one out at a price. And people loose attachments all the time so i can see why time is of the essence to sort it out fairly if that's your primary objective. Of course she may have mentioned that. Really to me it just illustrates different approaches to customer service and the two fastest growing vacuum companies (as far as i can tell...growth not by way of corporate merging or acquisition) in my experience do it a different way. Hmm, that could mean something.

And it's not wrong or "bad karma" notifying Hoover they may have a problem getting all the components in the box, that's useful info to any good company to make their service better. She didn't say i had to be the one who bought it, i told her i didn't actually buy it, she simply said any action would require the receipt that apparently has been lost or discarded. However she also left the door open somewhat that even the receipt may not be enough...again, just not a sign of eagerness imo.
Hoover has been sold twice in the last 30 years..to me that in some ways is not a good sign and in others it is. The name soldiers on as the biggest in the vacuum business even with such ups and downs.

 

[kirbyloverdan]

Robert

Ok so you left a few things out

I have owned a few businesses and managed a few others and without a receipt I was unable to help them .

Shark is desperate I told them I bought my Shark on eBay even said what I paid for it and they sent me a new machine . I don't think that's good business but it's not my company .

Dan [this post was last edited: 1/11/2015-18:05]

 

[turbomaster1984]

what did I miss out?

feel free to explain.

 

[stricklybojack]

You do have lucky Karma Dan!

Although i think Shark may be doing what Amazon.com did in the early days. You could send anything back, for any reason...anything to keep the customer happy for good word of mouth advertising. Now it is somewhat different with Amazon.

I saw a Lindhaus Healthcare Pro on Craigslist and called. The woman wanted something lighter and bought a Shark. She knew vacuums and paid up for the Lindhaus a few years ago. The Shark brand is hot as a pistol, and i'm not extolling the product here. Every time i ask why someone is selling a vac it's either because they now have hard surface floors, or they want a lighter vac and usually without fail it's a Shark they have bought.
I now have over a hundred vacs, few are bagless, and now not one is a Shark, but the right model at the right price and i'm a buyer.

Buying market share doesn't always lead to profits. I always see people point out Apple's smaller market share in whatever area, PC, smart phone etc. not realizing their profit margin is vastly higher than that of their competiitors..who are often profitless chasing market share. And so they, Apple, profits rather handsomely it seems, while others go bust.
I use Apple as as an example because I am very familiar with it and so are many others. I have many praises and criticisms but regardless of how you feel it is the most influential company out there right now. [this post was last edited: 1/11/2015-22:04]

 

[kirbyloverdan]

That's a nice

Lindhaus looks rather new too .

Dan