Black & Decker x330 clothes iron - iron broken after about one year - can't take apart to fix it because don't have special tool

Complaints.com received the following consumer follow-up message on December 12, 2003:

From: bill [Email User]

RE: Black & Decker Iron

This is a follow up to the iron debacle with Black and Decker. Finally got very ticked with black and Decker's offer of a minor token towards the purchase of another black and Decker iron and went out and purchased another iron from a competitor.

Suffice to say the iron has made it past six months which is the actual amount of time the black and Decker iron worked but it has a five year warranty.

I would like to suggest that black and Decker either start paying attention or they too will find themselves out of a market as the word spreads about their lousy customer support for their products.

Complaints.com received the following on March 27, 2003:

From: Bill [Email User]

RE: Black & Decker x330 clothes iron - iron broken after about one year - can't take apart to fix it because don't have special tool

HELP:

I am looking for a touch of assistance regarding an iron I purchased in Florida while visiting my folks a couple of years ago. I have purchased three irons over the past thirty- some years.

The first one we retired after about ten years and purchased an iron with the spray feature. Modern technology. The old iron still worked but we put it out to pasture. The second iron still works. But, with newer technology, I decided to get a newer iron, one with the steam surge feature.

A Black and Decker, x330. Pretty little iron. But it doesn't work. Worked for only about a year and a half or perhaps even less, I don't remember when I started using it. It would appear that I can't get it fixed. I'm fairly handy but I can't take the iron apart because I would need a special tool. Nobody around here can fix it because Black & Decker doesn't or won't supply the little shops with parts.

The reason for that is possibly because black & decker fixed their own items but they no longer do that, they've closed down their repair shops. I am starting to get frustrated. Yes, I've called all their 1 - 800 numbers and dealt with a number of people who, for the most part, were polite but they really can't help me other than to suggest that I buy a new iron.

Well if I'm going to have to replace an iron every couple of years because it's made by Black & Decker then I just won't be purchasing a Black and Decker product. I'm really hopeful that somebody at Black and Decker has a better solution other than to use the iron as a boat anchor.

Surely they should warranty something so simple for more than one year. Do they have no faith in their products. Obviously not. I appreciate this is fairly long winded but I've a lot of steam to vent and I'm only about a quarter vented. Sitting on the phone punching 1 3 5 1 2 4 1 etc. will build up a lot of steam.

Thanking you in advance for your assistance

W.T. Slaunwhite - Burlington, Ontario - L7P 1E7 - 905 - 332 - 3144 - Email User