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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Sinusitis / September 2006Hydromed warranty problems continued
My sister called me, upset about her conversation with someone named Dora at Hydromed. She'd called, at my insistence, to complain about the filthy used unit she'd been sent to replace her dead one (the second death of her hydropulse in one year). She sent her broken one in, and they had agreed to fix it or replace it. What she got back was not her unit, it was a filthy one, with grime all over it, including the inside compartment on the back. It also had marks on it that hers didn't have. Additionally, she's a clean freak and a germophobe; the unit she sent them was no doubt sterile and spotless. She did what I suggested and asked for a new unit since hers had died twice in one year. She was told by Dora that the unit sent to her had been her old one. Dora isn't in the location it was sent from and had no way of confirming this, but nonetheless insisted it was so. My sister is NOT a liar, nor does she have time to waste shilling companies for free machines. She just wants a working irrigator. Dora agreed to send her a new one, but, get this; she told my sister never to call again, that the company wants nothing to do with her nor do they want her business. In case you're wondering, my sister is never abusive or nasty, no uppity, snotty attitude at all. I'm sure she was in character, polite, kind and expecting the best when she was treated so shabbily by Dora at Hydromed. What can I say? I will never buy another Hydromed product, nor will I ever recommend it to anyone. I will share this experience here and elsewhere *any time* the product is discussed or recommended here. I am a very loyal and vocal person both for and against companies, based upon how good their products are (and durability counts) and, especially, how they treat their customers. Susan Susan, Thanks for posting this. It's not the same thing, but I had a cuisinart that broke twice due to defective design: I went to the store to look at the current models, and they replaced the flimsy plastic piece on the top with one reinforced with metal. The first time it broke, they replaced it--saying it was under warranty. When it broke again, I was told I used it incorrectly, given a huge run-around (for a $35 piece) and finally they sent me a replacement--with the caveat that I never call them again. It broke again. I bought a replacement piece from a website that sold cuisinart parts, and went out and bought a kitchen aid. My kitchen aid food processor developed a tiny flaw--and they sent me a whole new machine and accessories with a profound apology. I gave the cuisinart to my daughter when she got an off-campus apartment. I'll never buy another one of their products. But, I was also told--never call here again. Sure builds loyalty. I don't use a food processor as a medical device. Medical devices should be held to a much higher standard. Judy > x-no-archive: yes > [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > > Susan > Susan, > Thanks for posting this. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > I don't use a food processor as a medical device. Medical devices > should be held to a much higher standard. Wow, I've never had a company do that to me! In fact, I used to have a Cuisinart grind and brew pot with a part that kept breaking, and for years they sent me free new ones each time. I stopped buying Cuisinart products due to the plastic latch part on my food processor breaking and the problems with the coffee pot. Susan It was the plastic latch on the food processor--now they have a metal insert...(Obviously my fault, as the customer service person told me.) Judy > x-no-archive: yes > [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > Susan > x-no-archive: yes > [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > > Susan I do not know what the situation is with your sister's HP and I am not doubting she had a legitimate problem. My comment is that many businesses in America have huge problems with people buying stuff and using it for weeks or months and then returning it and wanting full credit. The feeling is that the big company can tolerate the loss. I can not begin to tell you how many thousands of dollars of merchandise I've thrown away after eating the entire cost in an attempt to preserve good customer relations. The lame stories I've heard when returning this merchandise would fill a big hard drive. rant over, AW > I do not know what the situation is with your sister's HP and I am not > doubting she had a legitimate problem. > > My comment is that many businesses in America have huge problems with people > buying stuff and using it for weeks or months and then returning it and > wanting full credit. My sister had her first unit for one week before it broke. This is the unit they'd replaced it with. She never asked for a refund, she wanted to keep using it. The feeling is that the big company can tolerate the > loss. I can not begin to tell you how many thousands of dollars of > merchandise I've thrown away after eating the entire cost in an attempt to > preserve good customer relations. The lame stories I've heard when returning > this merchandise would fill a big hard drive. rant over, AW This is completely off topic. My sister was only trying to continue to have a useful irrigator. She sent hers back and got someone else's filthy one in return. When she called to discuss it, she was lied to and told it *was*hers. I don't know what your point is, it has no relevence to this discussion, where the abuser is Hydromed, not my sister, the polite, non scamming customer. Susan There are two issues here: one is return policies and consumers who abuse them--I've stood in line at LLBean in Maine and watched the return policy taken to the extreme--15 year old boots brought in and exchanged for new...but clearly it's a policy geared to build brand loyalty--and the issue here about a medical device, which has been marketed as superior to other irrigating methods and a company that did not even honor its warranty, and sent a biohazard of a used device out as a return. How Susan's sister was treated is unacceptable, and actually dangerous. Would we return used syringes? used asthma nebulizers? Anything designed to be inserted into a human body can't be "reconditioned" and returned. August, I know someone who worked at Home Depot, and she told horror stories of customers who abused the return policy. I'm sure that it's a huge issue in retail. Dr. Grossan's name is featured prominently on the hydromed, but we really have no idea of who manufacturers and markets it. Whoever does, did not behave in an ethical or safe manner here. Ironically, my husband is currently watching Dateline, where they made a "fake" moisturizer, and found physicians who were willing to state that it was a superior product. That's unethical, and if you market a product as an important therapeutic aid in treating chronic sinusitis, it should be held to a high standard of quality and service. Judy > x-no-archive: yes > [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > Susan > There are two issues here: one is return policies and consumers who > abuse them--I've stood in line at LLBean in Maine and watched the [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > not even honor its warranty, and sent a biohazard of a used device out > as a return. Technically, they did honor the warranty in at least one case; she got a new device when the first one died after one week. The one she recently returned to them died at one year old, the warranty had just ended, I think, but if it did, it just barely did. The biohazard and the failure to know what they had sent her is very disturbing, though, as is the attitude. The way in which they dishonor the warranty is by abusing and dismissing a customer who seeks redress under the warranty. Susan |
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