Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Unpleasantly surprised., August 7, 2008
I purchased a Kärcher K5.85M (form PressureWasherDirect.com) and received it one week after ordering it; that week counted towards the warranty period.
Although entire housing/exterior is plastic and it is cheaply constructed, it functions very well.
My complaint concerns customer service.
The product arrived with a damaged right wheel and the lower spray wand storage bracket missing; the packaging was undamaged, so the problem was entirely the manufacturer's fault/responsibility.
I contacted customer service--the call center is located in the Philippines, but their hours are M-F 9AM-5PM EST. Their automated greeting advises you to have the invoice handy, as they "may" need you to fax them a copy. There is no "may" about it, they "will" require you to fax it, even if the product was factory-direct shipped and warranty-registered. When I told them there was no invoice included with the product I received, they told me to fax them a copy of the Email sent me confirming the order. I asked them if I could just return the item for a refund, and they told me to contact the retailer. The exchange took about 20 minutes, about half of that was on hold.
I contacted Pressure Washer Direct. They were pleasant but absolutely no help: "We just sell the item." I asked if I could return the unit for a refund, and they said I would have to pay the return shipping.
I called Kärcher customer service again and had to go through the entire process from the beginning--apparently the personal and product information provided earlier was unavailable to this representative. When we got to the matter of faxing an invoice copy, we repeated the no-invoice/use-Email-order bit. I told them it would be easier for them to refer to the original order, and they said they couldn't access it. I reminded them that the product was a factory-direct shipment, but they repeated that they couldn't access it. I told them to provide me an Email address and I would forward a copy to them. Their response was, "Our policy is that you fax us a copy if you want support; we will send the parts after we receive it." They added that I was to wait 25 to 30 minutes after sending the fax, then call them to confirm that they had received it. They would then send the parts. Again, the exchange took about 20 minutes.
I was frustrated and upset because I felt the incident/process was completely unnecessary. On the plus side, they did not require me to pay shipping for the parts, which they could have under the warranty's terms.
My opinion that this experience was completely unnecessary was confirmed a few minutes later when I contacted Vita-Mix about a product malfunction for a unit I have owned and used almost daily for over a year and a half. I was asked my name and telephone number, and they referred to their database. They confirmed my mailing address. They said they would send me a FedEx mailing label and directed me to return the item (original packing unnecessary). They said they would get the unit repaired and returned to me as soon as possible, apologizing several times for the inconvenience. The entire exchange lasted less than 5 minutes.
The following day, I faxed the required document from Kinko's, but I didn't have the Kärcher phone number with me, and it was too late to call them when I got home that afternoon.
The ridiculousness of this needless and senseless process/experience was again emphasized when a few hours after sending the fax, I dropped off a DeWalt scroll saw (reconditioned) at a service center. When I asked if they wanted to see the purchase documentation, they said it wasn't necessary. They typed in my personal information along with the product serial number to confirm eligibility for warranty support. This exchange likewise took less than 5 minutes. A few minutes after leaving, they called to tell me they'd contact me when it was ready and deliver it to a drop-off point closer to my home--they even offered to UPS it to me, but I told them it wasn't necessary.
I called Kärcher the following day to confirm their receipt of the fax. They told me they had received the fax and would send the parts. I asked about how long it would take, and they said the parts were on backorder until the end of the month, and then it would be seven to 10 working days after that before I could expect to receive them. More than a month from the date it was ordered, and because this was a remanufactured item, the warranty will be up before I received the parts. A product could be out of warranty before you even know if it works.
The same day I verified the fax with Kärcher, I received the FedEx label from Vita-Mix. Their letter invited me to contact them for any reason, with customer support hours Monday through Friday 8AM to 8PM EST and Saturday 8AM to 5 PM EST. The only thing I had to do to return the blender was call the FedEx Ground Package Returns Program to arrange for pick-up.
Both Vita-Mix and DeWalt offer quality and they back their products with outstanding support. I feel Kärcher's warranty (90 days for new and 30 days for reconditioned) and customer service likewise reflect the quality you can expect of their product. It appears their product is entirely outsourced overseas, so the company is obviously profit motivated and has little concern for or loyalty to the customer.
I rated the unit 2 out of 5 overall; the low rating is due to warranty and customer support.
performance: 5
fabrication: 4 (the wheels are inadequate for the weight)
warranty: 1 (retailers have a 30-day return policy and most home improvement centers 90 days, so essentially there is no warranty)
customer service: 1 (it's far from hassle free and beyond primitive for a .com company)
If you're going to buy a product from Kärcher (or any manufacturer offering limited warranty or poor customer support), look it over thoroughly, then use the piss out of it as soon as you can. It would be very disappointing to find your new purchase doesn't work and is out off warranty only a few months after you bought it.
07AUG08 UPDATE
I've used the unit more than eight hours since receiving it and, except for the cheap wheels and spray-wand side storage (awaiting replacement parts), the product performed beautifully. PRESSURE WASHER DIRECT refunded me $25 for the inconvenience; however, they did not post my review and their present overall rating is "5" (1 reviewer).
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty good, August 8, 2008
This is a pretty good product. The plastic cover (yellow and gray) arrived broken in the box. I did not have the time to return the item so I fixed it with duct tape. Everything works as expected though it is not extra powerful.
Make sure your water pipe input is steady otherwise the engine will cut automatically. This one has a slightly longer hose and power than other models and I would definitely not recommend taking a shorter hose or a less powerful pressure washer.
Washed the car but needed the brushes to really get rid of the dirt marks. The dirt blaster is pretty good to wash the house, deck and windows.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I'm Happy with it..., May 16, 2009
I have a large ( +1000 square foot) deck that requires regular restaining.
Using my gas powered pressure washer works fine , but it's heavy and bringing it up on the deck ( six steps ) requires more effort than I like . Also the first time each season , after sitting for months , it's
hard to start. My wife could never manage to start it.
This electric unit does a good job of general cleaning and has enough power with the "jet" wand to remove the stain to bare wood. A little slower than the gas powered PW, but better control and doesn't damage the wood. My wife can use it and she never felt comfortable with the more powerful gas unit.
The cord length and hose length combo is sufficient to reach all corners of the 40 foot long deck without changing the supply hose or changing outlets.
We used it for about 6 hours and never had any problem with the electric cutting in and out as some have mentioned. It started and stopped just like I would like it to , and was much more convenient than starting and stopping a gas powered unit every time I had to apply new cleaner to an area.
The only complaint I have is the bottom of the hose holder ( a snap in )
will pop off. I just put a small piece of duct tape in the right place and it's fine now ( I just LOVE Duct Tape ).
Overall I'm happy with the unit and would recommend it.
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