New wood splitter, D.O.A.: Typical reseller/manufacture response?

[VirginiaIron]

Referring back to my original post, and it seems pretty simple: This was a new product I purchased. But a new product in working order was never received. ...DOA...

When I purchase online I determine if the savings outweigh the added costs of purchasing locally. I am sorry you have experienced this problem and maybe this experience will help you more easily decide what avenue to take in the future.
Please keep us posted on your wood splitting progress.

 

[muddstopper]

Well there's a useful comment... LOL ..why, you sell non-working DOA equipment, too? Yeah, manufacturers who do that hate their customers... especially ones that expect a working product to be delivered. Seems half the folks here assume they'll have to pull out a welder to get something they just bought working... well good for them... I don't. When something is purchased new, it should arrive in new, working order. Period. This is about integrity and responsibility, and it seems we all have different standards, huh?

JMO but,
It is reasonable to expect a new piece of equipment to work out of the box, no argument there. I also realize that the world isnt perfect and things do happen. The maufacturer most likely buys all their parts from outside vendors and even the best companies can have a few defects make it out the door. The company that built your spiltter offered you several options to take care of you problem and I think choosing a new cyl was the option that works toward your advantage. Did they ask for the bad cyl back? Probably not because of freight cost and repair cost once they get it back and then they cant place it on another new machine for sale or use it to warranty another customers machine. This actually works out great for you, replace the bad cyl with a new one and have to old one fixed at your convience at any welding shop for a fraction of what another new one would cost you. They even offered to replace the cyl for you if you would take it to one of their repair facilities. I realize that not everyone is handy with tools or mechanicly inclined to fix and repair broken equipment, and they can get very fustrated after paying for something only to later find out it had a defect. I feel the manufactuer has been more than fair taking care of your problem and you need to move on.

 

[cantoo]

Maybe instead of calling the rep out on here so we can all jump on him you private message him instead. I constantly deal with dissatisfied customers and there is no way I would step into a thread like this if I was him. Last week at work we received a $2500 piece of glass from a trucking company from the US. It was approx 4x7 feet, had a flimsy 1x3 wood crate and cardboard around it. Of course it was scratched all to heck. Happens all the time, we ordered a new one and will sort it out later. Need the job done and customer happy.

 

[stihl sawing]

Maybe instead of calling the rep out on here so we can all jump on him you private message him instead. I constantly deal with dissatisfied customers and there is no way I would step into a thread like this if I was him. Last week at work we received a $2500 piece of glass from a trucking company from the US. It was approx 4x7 feet, had a flimsy 1x3 wood crate and cardboard around it. Of course it was scratched all to heck. Happens all the time, we ordered a new one and will sort it out later. Need the job done and customer happy.

I agree he should PM the rep here and work things out, I will have to disagree on the rep not showing up. if it was me I would be in here asking what I could do to make things better. that would look good for the rep and company. I also agree that you can get a bad product with anything, it's how the company responds and I think they did an ok job of responding to him with the options. Now the taking a new cylinder to get welded was a dumb idea to me. I would have offered to take it to a place that services them or a new cylinder which they did.

I'm not saying they done a bad job, I will say their packaging is crap. But once the splitter is used a couple times he won't even notice the paint gone. but my cylinder on my old speeco splitter that has split many cords or wood still looks better than his. it has not been babied either.

 

[stihl sawing]

besides why am I in this argument? Mine works.

 

[muddstopper]

besides why am I in this argument? Mine works.

Just why are you in this argument, now that I think about it the better question is" Why am I in this argument"? Mine works too and will cut the splitter in question in half. The new cylinder I put on mine was also scratched up. Worse, I took my cyl apart when new to install bigger ports and found it full of metal shaving, some big pieces, that would have destroyed my hyd system if I had just mounted it up and tried to use it. Northerntool brand. Chinese quality control.

 

[NSMaple1]

Well there's a useful comment... LOL ..why, you sell non-working DOA equipment, too? Yeah, manufacturers who do that hate their customers... especially ones that expect a working product to be delivered. Seems half the folks here assume they'll have to pull out a welder to get something they just bought working... well good for them... I don't. When something is purchased new, it should arrive in new, working order. Period. This is about integrity and responsibility, and it seems we all have different standards, huh?

Yes, I get that. But to pull the legal action card out based on what has happened so far is pretty lame IMO.

They gave you choices on how to handle this, all of which seemed very reasonable. And followed through on the one you picked. Now you have an extra cylinder that you can either get fixed & keep for a spare, or even sell quick as-is for a profit.

This is how these things work in this day and age of internet buying & at your door delivery. As with anything you buy, you need to think at the time of purchase what will happen if there is something wrong with it. Just like buying a new pair of shoes and they get to your door and don't fit (or whatever). Now what? Can't run them back to the store and get the right size. You need to deal with the hassles of shipping back and all that goes with that. Some things I just won't buy like that - it is most times impossible to get the same service over the internet as you can buying from a local establishment.

 

[panolo]

The small claims court comment ended it for me. It's exactly one of the items that is wrong in the world. Zero problem solving skill and zero communication skill. I'll just sue them. Cause it is easier to piss down your leg and someone else leg than communicating and fixing the issue. You must be new at this off the grid stuff cause your gonna have to be a better problem solver than small claim guy to be successful. I bet every one of these guy's that have replied either had to fab a part or a repair to make something work at one time or another because of a manufacturing issue. You deal with it and move on. Not every cookie in the box is the same size.

 

[NSMaple1]

You did receive a new product. It just had an issue that required warranty action. I still don't think that cylinder is used, either. And their response seems quite acceptable to me. Based on all that has been posted.

Sorry you are not seeing things like that and everyone else isn't feeling the same way as you - maybe you should try the court thing after all.

 

[panolo]

You asked what option you should take. Looks like the response from the company had multiple options. Doesn't sound like you were ignored. So the NEW part got scuffed in shipping. It's a log splitter. It's gonna get dirty, scratched, dinged. Put the part on and split wood. Paint the cylinder if it bothers you.

And you missed the point of my post. But I'm guessing you lived in the city before this adventure and when you needed something you zipped over to your local home depot and bought it or hired it out. Today I had a bolt break on me. What I was fixing wasn't very old but there was no replacement to be had today. So I drilled the bolt out and cleaned up the threads. Could I have gotten a new part from the manufacture? Probably. But why do that when I can be up and running in 15 minutes. I'll send an email to see if they have had issues with the part. You adapt, adjust, and move on.

Quite honestly you now have two rams. Get the one welded and put it on if it is cleaner and use the other as a backup. Heck of a deal in my book.

 

[Husky Man]

If you think that is a new cylinder, I have some swamp land in Arizona for sale. That thing is more scared up than my old cylinder on my splitter. Generally the paint on those new cylinders is pretty heavy duty. I doubt all that rubbed off in the mail. although I will admit that is some pretty crappy packaging. which tells me it's probably Chinese.

Hey SS, we normally pretty much see eye to eye on most things, but from the pic I'm looking at, it doesn't look used to me, and having been a truck driver for over 30 years, things like loose Hyd Cylinders do get abused in shipping, not saying that it's RIGHT, but that is reality, that cylinder COULD have been custom crated in a crate built of 1x8"s or 10"s, and lined with foam, but ain't NOBODY going to do that.

Doug

 

[sundance]

You asked what option you should take. Looks like the response from the company had multiple options. Doesn't sound like you were ignored. So the NEW part got scuffed in shipping. It's a log splitter. It's gonna get dirty, scratched, dinged. Put the part on and split wood. Paint the cylinder if it bothers you.

And you missed the point of my post. But I'm guessing you lived in the city before this adventure and when you needed something you zipped over to your local home depot and bought it or hired it out. Today I had a bolt break on me. What I was fixing wasn't very old but there was no replacement to be had today. So I drilled the bolt out and cleaned up the threads. Could I have gotten a new part from the manufacture? Probably. But why do that when I can be up and running in 15 minutes. I'll send an email to see if they have had issues with the part. You adapt, adjust, and move on.

Quite honestly you now have two rams. Get the one welded and put it on if it is cleaner and use the other as a backup. Heck of a deal in my book.

Pretty much sums up my perspective. Small claims court threat based on what you've posted? Get a life. Your comment that the local court will look favorably on the claim speaks volumes about your approach to life.

 

[Husky Man]

Referring back to my original post, and it seems pretty simple: This was a new product I purchased. But a new product in working order was never received. It didn't break while I was using it, it never worked properly, ever. This is not a 'warranty' issue, rather, it's a 'dead on arrival' issue. DOA. Never worked. In any case- I decided to go with a replacement NEW cylinder they offered, but it seems again, they did not send something new. It's obviously used. Yeah this company seems DIRTY alright. LOL. Will afford them one last chance to make it right, what should've been right to begin with. But turning into a horrible runaround. Here I am into heating season buying split wood again.

First a DOA "Issue" is STILL a Warranty "Issue". Your comment about the company being "Dirty" is the first reference that I have seen identifying the MFGR, I have no interest in DHT, other than owning a 27 ton DHT, and I will say that after 3 seasons of using ours, I would buy one again without hesitation. In my experience DHT's Customer Service has been TOP NOTCH. Our 27ton was among the last that was built with a bad batch of Teflon paste on the hydraulic fittings, causing a few minor leaks, DHT didn't squabble a bit, but arranged for the local John Deere dealer's shop to clean and reseal every fitting. We tow our splitter more than most, when I asked about getting a spare tire/wheel, they said "No Problem" and shipped me a complete tire/wheel preloaded with bearings as a"Warranty" item, and shipped it to me at No Charge.

From what I have seen and read, the MFGR has offered you Very Reasonable options for you to choose from, I really don't know what you expect, that would make you Happy, please explain just what you would expect them to do, that would make you Happy.


Doug

 

[chipper1]

Hey SS, we normally pretty much see eye to eye on most things, but from the pic I'm looking at, it doesn't look used to me, and having been a truck driver for over 30 years, things like loose Hyd Cylinders do get abused in shipping, not saying that it's RIGHT, but that is reality, that cylinder COULD have been custom crated in a crate built of 1x8"s or 10"s, and lined with foam, but ain't NOBODY going to do that.

Doug

Now I understand all the trucker like stories.

 

[milton dave]

Did oil drain out of the cylinder when you took out the plugs?

Did distributor take cylinder off of another unit to get you a replacement faster then waiting on a new from factory cylinder?

You most likely ordered from a online distributor. They ship from a warehouse somewhere but most likely do not assemble the units. That would be done at the factory they are built in. Shipped complete in a crate to distributor then to you.

Cylinder looks ok to me.

I sell heavy equipment for a living. Sometimes even best equipment has an issue when built.

 

[Husky Man]

Now I understand all the trucker like stories.

Just remember to keep an eye in your rear view mirror Brett, it just might be my Grill you're lookin at there

Just sayin........


Doug

 

[chipper1]

Just remember to keep an eye in your rear view mirror Brett, it just might be my Grill you're lookin at there

Just sayin........


Doug

I've been out of the truck for about six yrs, still have my CDL just in case though. That being said if your catching me your way over the speed limit , might want to slow down a bit before you get an award .

 

[Husky Man]

I've been out of the truck for about six yrs, still have my CDL just in case though. That being said if your catching me your way over the speed limit , might want to slow down a bit before you get an award .

Well it might not be me then, Dayum I MISS having a truck that could Giddy Up and GOOOOOO, I've had a couple in the past that would run up past 80, that was Nice getting into Utah, and being able to run the Speed Limit, Ahh, those were the Days, just a memory now


Doug

 

[Husky Man]

I've been out of the truck for about six yrs, still have my CDL just in case though. That being said if your catching me your way over the speed limit , might want to slow down a bit before you get an award .

I for the Life of me, can't remember who it is right now, but there is another regular here on AS, that is a Gear Jammer too, that is still working, Shcitt, they say that the Memory is the SECOND thing to go, Please give your Condolences to my Wife(But that's ALL)

Doug

 

[Marshy]

All I see is what appears to be a new cylinder that is a little dirty and has some paint missing. Wipe it down with WD40 and shoot an email off to the manufacture and ask if you can get a small rattle can of paint to make it pretty. In the mean time, swap it out and run it. Its paint, not a dent in the cylinder.