Atwood's bitchy bitchy bitchy

[tynyphil]

That sucks about the bad service! I’m not familiar with Enid Atwoods. But the one in Norman is usually decent.

I will say though, if you are mechanically inclined it’s probably a simple fix. Most of those lawnmowers aren’t too terribly complicated. I bet a small engine shop could fix it pretty easily if you’re not into wrenching.

that being said it definitely sucks to have to work on some thing you just bought

I trashed the mower deck on my JD tractor type mower by hitting a tree stump. Found an exact replacement online. installed it under the tractor. as soon as you engaged the blades the tractor died. Spent hours going over it and never found the problem so I took it to a local independent mower repairman. He ended up getting a 'parts picture' of the mower deck to determine it was assembled incorrectly at the factory. A washer was placed above a bearing on one of the spindles rather than below it causing it to bind. He charged me $140 labor which I was happy to pay him for his work. I contacted the seller.....rather than ship it back to him he credited me $70. My point is take it to an independent repairman, could be money well spent

 

[psimp]

Atwoods does not service their sales. Pretty important to know when you're buying.

I can understand not servicing, but should at least refund or switch out… wonder if just taking it to them and making a scene would do it..

 

[El Pablo]

I trashed the mower deck on my JD tractor type mower by hitting a tree stump. Found an exact replacement online. installed it under the tractor. as soon as you engaged the blades the tractor died. Spent hours going over it and never found the problem so I took it to a local independent mower repairman. He ended up getting a 'parts picture' of the mower deck to determine it was assembled incorrectly at the factory. A washer was placed above a bearing on one of the spindles rather than below it causing it to bind. He charged me $140 labor which I was happy to pay him for his work. I contacted the seller.....rather than ship it back to him he credited me $70. My point is take it to an independent repairman, could be money well spent

I had the same issue with a first gen colt anaconda. A spring was installed backwards at the factory, and somehow worked for 20 years. I don’t think it was shot much).

 

[aarondhgraham]

That sucks. I thought for sure that Atwoods of all companies, would stand behind what they sell.

Actually, Atwoods has a reputation for being terrible on returning defective or just plain broken stuff,,,
At least the one in Stillwater is terrible.

I bought a "Mr. Heater" gas heater from them,,,
Actually, the heating/air company bought it and installed it in my trailer.

After about a week the pilot light would go out after a few "cycles",,,
Atwoods refused to replace it, or even act as a go-between with the manufacturer.

The Manufacturer said it was the store's responsibility to replace it,,,
Atwoods adamantly refused any kind of return/swap.

Fortunately for me, the heating/air company was able to "fix" the problem,,,

I bought a scope from them that had loose lens elements,,,
You could hear them rattling around the tube,,,
I tried to return it the same day.

Atwoods wouldn't replace it either,,,
They told me the manufacturers warranty was my only recourse.

Several of my friends have had similar experiences with Atwoods,,,
They will never see me or a penny of my money again.

Aarond

.

 

[Chaparral]

When I think buy local I am thinking Mom and Pop shops not big box stores. That said, bad on Atwood’s for this low level of service.

 

[HiredHand]

I’ve noticed on several products that I’ve purchased that there’s a note from the manufacturer to call them if the product is defective. I’m not sure what the law is on returning defective products to the retailer and under what circumstances the retailer is obligated to repair, replace, or make a refund.

I remember back when Walmart had a generous return policy. If they had one like it on the shelf, they’d replace it even if you didn’t have a receipt.

 

[Aries]

I’ve noticed on several products that I’ve purchased that there’s a note from the manufacturer to call them if the product is defective. I’m not sure what the law is on returning defective products to the retailer and under what circumstances the retailer is obligated to repair, replace, or make a refund.

I remember back when Walmart had a generous return policy. If they had one like it on the shelf, they’d replace it even if you didn’t have a receipt.

My argument would be that if it was defective when they sold it to you, they are obligated to take it back. Not sure if that would work or what the law is, but that's how I would present it. Stores aren't really supposed to sell broken stuff as new.

 

[rickm]

This one of the main reasons i went with a John Deere when i bought my first one, knowing i had a dealership close that i could get parts and repairs if something went wrong with it, but purchased the second one straight from the dealer since they was the only one i could get what i wanted from.

 

[geezer77]

Sorry to hear that. Kind of a shock to hear that Atwoods would treat customers like that. I learned my lesson about big box stores the hard way many years ago, after a few drills like yours. Finally I learned that when I need to buy power equipment that I expect to actually use hard for many years to come, I go to a power equipment dealer that both carries major brands AND that has a full service shop. For example, I've personally been well treated by the folks at Smith Farm & Garden in OKC for over 20 years. I'm still running a large Scag Turf Tiger bought new from them in 2002, which is nearing 1,000 hours. Other than upgrading its electric clutch to a heavier duty replacement, this mower has needed no major work in 20 years. It still runs great and starts every time, but I admit I do take good care of it. Professional power equipment dealers certainly aren't budget priced, but most carry top line, heavy duty commercial class equipment (as opposed to "consumer/residential" level equipment like BB stores) and they all service what they sell and are factory-backed authorized warranty shops. Of course, there are no free lunches, so there will always be some $ tacked on the purchased price to help pay for their service shop and a big inventory of spare parts. Over the years, I've learned to smile and pay it up front, because it's worth every penny.

 

[Aries]

I bought my cub cadet lawn mower from a local power equipment dealer. Wouldn't start one spring, so I took it back to them to repair. It took them a week and cost $500 to find a wire that a mouse had chewed in half. I assumed when I took it in that it was a wiring problem, but figured a dealer would know how it was wired and could trouble shoot it fairly quickly. I guess not. But I just say that to say... there aren't any guarantees that you'll have a good experience if you have to have something repaired. Generally speaking, your odds are probably better with someone who specializes in that equipment.