Well, like most people have reported here, this product works great. Until the battery goes. Then try getting a new one.
I've had my Dustbuster for a year and five months, and the battery's going. So I checked on Amazon for a replacement. They don't have any. So I went to the Black & Decker website to find one. They don't have any. So I called their customer service line. They were closed due to bad weather. Try later.
To their credit, B&D's instruction sheet gives detailed information about disposing of the old battery properly. You really need to do that, folks, it's toxic. Don't throw it in the trash! Think of your grandchildren, if any.
But the Dustbuster instruction sheet is very vague about getting a new battery. It says to check with your authorized service center or call C/S. Replacing the battery, if you could find one, isn't trivial -- you don't just drop it in, you have to take the Dustbuster apart. You need tools. You have to remove several screws, pull on some plastic tabs, etc. It's not hard, but the mechanically-challenged could have a problem.
I finally located a not-so-local dealer who has the replacement battery. It costs $30.40, plus shipping. In other words, the replacement battery costs the same as buying a whole new Dustbuster! Does that make sense?
If I was a conspiracy theorist, I'd almost think B&D was purposely making it hard to replace the battery. Guess they'd rather we bought a new Dustbuster.