Ridgid Customer Service Rant

[Craig D Peltier]

I just got off the phone with Ridgid , I have there Miter Saw Table ( 2nd one an last one). A weld has broken on the hinge for folding so it flaps, Im okay with that. Now the arm that extends wont tighten anymore, it came un-threaded and its sealed in a tub to see whats going on with it.
I looked online closest was 80 miles away to have it serviced. I live in King County well over 1 million people. You would think there would be one around here. Ridgid told me Tacoma, my Home Depot here says they closed, so Ridgid has no clue. Ridgid tells me you can ship it at your cost to them and they can repair it.Yeah thats worth it. I told her " you guys make this lifetime warranty on service sound all great and its really hard to get service" " You arent any help" Told her I wouldnt be buying another ridgid tool. I said Craftsman makes it easy.
Second one that broke. Think I will be looking at a dewalt.
Im done with Ridgid for good.

[Chris Tsutsui]

I don't know if you have the Rigid MSUV, but I've seen 3 re-designs of that thing in a relatively short period of time. It's a shame you got a lemon. I have the version that is about a year old that is pretty heavy.

Craftsman is easy with returns as long as there are Sears around which is why I try to support my Sears whenever I can because I've got so many craftsman hand tools like sockets and wrenches.

[Mike Goetzke]

Your "Lifetime" warranty struck me. Last night I returned my Ridgid sump pump that had a "lifetime" warranty (it was 3-years old). No problems with the return they gave me a gift card for $ for the same model replacement......but, the new one has a 3-year warranty:eek:. I told the sales helper that I paid for a lifetime pump why is the warranty only 3-years. He totally didn't understand where I was coming from. On the way home my 18 year old son said "dad you should just return this one in 3-years less one day.":D Smart kid.

[Anthony Whitesell]

I had the samething with a laptop. Purchased on with a 3 year warranty and they tried to replace it with a 1 year warranty. When the replacement died, they told me it was out of warranty. I ask how that could be, the purchase date was only 2 1/2 years ago on a three year warranty. They informed me that the replacement machine had a one year warranty. I told them the original warranty states repair or replace at their option but does not state the originally purchased warranty will be voided or changed if they opt to send a replacement machine instead of a repaired one. They ended up replacing the second machine at no change.

P.S. The replacement machine died another year later. Somethings just weren't meant to be.

[Peter Quinn]

I had the samething with a laptop. Purchased on with a 3 year warranty and they tried to replace it with a 1 year warranty. When the replacement died, they told me it was out of warranty. I ask how that could be, the purchase date was only 2 1/2 years ago on a three year warranty. They informed me that the replacement machine had a one year warranty. I told them the original warranty states repair or replace at their option but does not state the originally purchased warranty will be voided or changed if they opt to send a replacement machine instead of a repaired one. They ended up replacing the second machine at no change.

P.S. The replacement machine died another year later. Somethings just weren't meant to be.

I am typing on a 5+ year old mac lap top that was used daily as a work machine by my wife for the first three years, I bought it used from her company and now its my sketchup and couch surfing machine. It has traveled on airplanes, been bumped around in the trunk of the wagon on daily commutes, gone on vacation to the beach. Never a hiccup. Some things were made to be. Some things are well made. Some things are junk. I have found the same to be true with tools by and large. The longer the warranty, the more chance you will need it, the less chance they will honor it. This is probably the 5th or 6th mac in our family? Mac doesn't have a particularly long warranty on their machines, but they do sell insurance, and they honor that no questions asked. I wish there was a tool company that did that. I'm told my craftsman wrenches have lifetime replacement? I'm about half way there and they show no signs of giving up soon. Its me thats wearing too quickly!

Ever look closely at the great warranty on IKEA cabinets? I had a client ask me about my warranty verus IKEA's, so I went and looked at theirs. Basically, the cabinet are guaranteed for 25 years, as long as you don't install and use them, if you do all bets are off. There is a reason most warrantees are printed so small and in a style of writing that spins you in so many circles you can't tell what is being said without legal counsel. Any time I see a great sounding warranty I think "Thou dost protest too much...."

[Bruce Wrenn]

My experience with Ridgid's Lifetime Service agreement is completely different from yours. I have several of the 12 volt LI drills, which are registered. About every 18 months, I take them in and get new batteries. We run the snot out of them at work! Monthly, we put at least a year's worth of homeowner use on them. I do have to take them to service center (expected,) and go back and pick therm up. But if you live outside of county where service center is, they ship them back at no charge. Just because you live in a county with over a million people isn't enough of a reason to put a service center there. Ridgid chose existing service centers with a good track record to do their servicing.

[Mike Heidrick]

Want better cms stand? Bosch T4B. Its amazing.

[Dave Lehnert]

WOW! a good word for Craftsman on here. I love my local Sears Hardware store but they are in the process of closing. BTY- A lot of Craftsman stuff is made by TTI so at the end of the day you are buying from the same source as Ridgid (power tools)

Warranties are a funny beast. You may purchase something with a lifetime warranty but almost always when you trade it in the warranty ends. You are now on the new warranty.

Ridgid power tools have a 3 year warranty and a "lifetime service agreement" I never took the time to understand what the difference is. Go to the Ridgid forum and you will see a mixed bag of love or hate the Lifetime service agreement.

From what I understand Ridgid power tools are made by TTI (Ryobi) They only use the name Ridgid. They are the ones that honer the warranty. The miter saws below are the same Ryobi brands sold in the UK. Ridgid brand sold in the US.
Other Ridgid stuff is warranted by Ridgid.

http://www.sitebox.ltd.uk/prodimages/Ryobi/Saws/ems1830.jpghttp://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSlEGXI1QUdsXUTt85YCuLD-EaFM-8ZoTbu6NITS0JoCsyPDrQO

[Rich Engelhardt]

I said Craftsman makes it easy.
Second one that broke. Think I will be looking at a dewalt.

While I dislike/distrust Craftsman power tools, I do like the fold up miter saw stand Sears offers:
Model # 22304

Sears runs them on sale for $79.00 every so often.
Not real fancy - but - heavy, sturdy and folds up nice and compact.

I liked mine so much I bought a second one and cut the legs down ~ 5" so I could use it while sitting down.
It makes a great reloading station &/or break down project table.

While I don't put a lot of stock in online reviews - the most common (3 people out of 37 complained) one, is that it's "too heavy".
Well,,,yeah,,,steel tubing is heavy....;)

[Bobby O'Neal]

[QUOTE=Peter Quinn;] Basically, the cabinet are guaranteed for 25 years, as long as you don't install and use them, if you do all bets are off.




Love it.

[Jerome Stanek]

I did a trade show display for TTI and they told us when we go to set it up that we had to use Ryobi or Ridgid tools no Dewalt or Porter Cable. We built the display only using Dewalt and Porter Cable tools but had to go out and buy Ryobi for the set up. Now we have a bunch of Ryobi stuff that doesn't work as well as our tools.

[Bill White]

I bought a Ryobi MS stand. THe thing is heavy, but it has been a very stable device. Mounted the DeWalt 10" on it. I'd buy it again.
Bill

[glenn bradley]

My experience with Ridgid's Lifetime Service agreement is completely different from yours. I have several of the 12 volt LI drills, which are registered. About every 18 months, I take them in and get new batteries. We run the snot out of them at work! Monthly, we put at least a year's worth of homeowner use on them. I do have to take them to service center (expected,) and go back and pick therm up. But if you live outside of county where service center is, they ship them back at no charge. Just because you live in a county with over a million people isn't enough of a reason to put a service center there. Ridgid chose existing service centers with a good track record to do their servicing.

My experience has been like Bruce's. In fact my "local" service center (40 miles away) now sends the batteries by mail (although I do have to make one trip to take them in, still way cheaper than new batteries). I will agree that registering for and using the Ridgid LSA is an obstacle course but, once you're in the loop it is pretty painless. Craig's issue is exacerbated by the 80 mile trip (I thought 40 was far) and I understand the frustration. Folks who live in the country expect that, they are far away from everything by choice. Folks that live in the city are used to services being nearby. Our push as consumers for cheaper and cheaper prices have driven the ability to provide local brick-and-mortar service out of reach of even the manufacturing giants. We have met the enemy and they is us :D.