Generac Home Standby Generator

Generac Home Standby Generator

October 7, 2005

I purchased a Automatic Standby Generator from Home Depot 6335 S. Florida Ave. Lakeland, FL 33813 (863)619-8955, on August 30, 2004. The unit was defective and would start up for no reason and not shut off. I did not know this until a neighbor told me that this had been going on. This was a couple of weeks after purchase and was the middle of the hurricane season. In October 2004, I contacted Home Depot who said they would not exchange or service it under the 2 year warranty and said to contact Generac. I became ill and not able to call anyone until July 2005. Generac listed an authorized repair dealer, Power on Demand 20 N. 8th Street Haines City, FL. 33844 (863)412-0014, and I called for them to service the unit. Bobby Richards of Power on Demand came to my home on July 14, 2005. He said the unit was under warranty and that he had to remove the unit from my property to repair and would return in 1 week. After 2 weeks I contacted Power on Demand and they said the unit had not be repaired because there were parts back ordered from Generac and that it would be done in another week. After 4 weeks from when he removed the unit, I call Power on Demand and was again told they had not received the parts from Generac. I called Generac at 1-888-436-3722, and was told someone would get back to me. No one ever did after 6 weeks since it was removed from my property. I called Generac again and asked for a fax number which was (262)968-3791. I faxed them a letter and mailed the same letter to the Home Depot Store, Power on Demand and Generac Power Systems telling them I wanted a unit returned to me within 10 days from August 22, 2005. On August 24, 2005, I received a call from a Greg Cowsert representing Generac Power Systems. He said they received the letter, had contacted Power on Demand, that the problem was not a back ordered part but that Power on Demand did not know how to trouble shoot the problem and that he now knew and would have the system repaired and returned within 1 week. On August 31, 2005, after not receiving the unit back I called Greg Cowsert at (262)473-5514 Ext. 3036 and was told he was out of town. I spoke with someone named Terry who said she was covering for Greg and would contact him to find out what to do and would call me back by the end of the day. I have not heard from her since. On September 1, 2005, I received a letter from David Valerio, Generac Guardian Customer Service Department. The letter told me how sorry this had happened and that Power on Demand had received the parts to repair the unit and that he was certain that this would make the unit operate properly and would be returned to me shortly. After waiting a few more weeks, I called David Valerio at (262)473-5514 to ask where the unit was as I had not received it back. I was told that he would again contact Power on Demand to find out what was going on. In the mean time, I received a call from Generac Sales saying that Power on Demand had installed the parts and that the unit still would not work properly, I was told that Generac had requested that Power on Demand return the unit to the Generac factory location so they could look at it and see if they could make it work. On October 1, 2005, I received a call back from David Valerio stating that Power on Demand would had not returned his messages he left on their answering machine. He went on to say that Generac could do nothing until they could find out where the unit was and that if it had not been sent back by now and if Power on Demand could verify they still had possession of the unit, that Generac would just send me a replacement unit. On October 3, 2005, I received a call from David Valerio again, saying that since he had not received a return call from Power on Demand, he was going to have someone from sales contact Power on Demand and see if they could get Power on Demand to return a phone call. On October 6, 2005, I received a call from David Valerio saying that Generac Sales was able to speak to Power on Demand and that my unit was shipped back to the Generac factory on October 3, 2005, and that they should receive it around October 11, 2005. David Valerio went on to tell me that when they receive it back, Generac will inspect the unit and again see if they can repair it and send it back to Power on Demand to bring back to me. Again their word is worthless, ie, that they would send a replacement if it had not been shipped back by October 1, 2005. I had no idea where this unit has been since July 14, 2005, when it was taken from my property, or who has been using it.

What I do know is that Generac is not afraid to make false statements, excuses and cover up the mistakes of their associates. I asked David Valerio on October 1, 2005, if he felt that Generac had attempted to honor the warranty in a reasonable amount of time and he responded no. Yet it did not seem a problem to him to continue the saga longer in the phone call of October 6, 2005, saying that when they receive it at the factory they would try to repair it again while I do without the unit for more than two and a half months.

I purchased this unit because of my health and to power oxygen equipment if the electricity would go out because of storms. I feel I have been cheated, that they have failed to honor their warranty by repairing or replacing the unit which they have now had for just short of 3 months. I also feel the unit should have been replaced because it was defective from the time of purchase. I would never purchase another Generac product again. Generac staff make the rules as they go along, have trouble with the truth and have a terrible network of service providers.

Russell

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After reading this comment I couldn't agree more with the statements of Greg Cowsert's trickery. His work ethic follows him home at night and carries on into his personal relations. His compulsive lying and rage filled energy has greatly turned me off to ever purchasing another generac product.