ComplaintsforSleepyeye Hardware

• Initial Complaint

  06/14/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a Toro 22in.Recycler lawn mower from Ace Hardware in Sleepy Eye MN. on 04/01/21. I paid $408.01. The first time I used it it sounded like it was running out of gas at least 20 times. I call Ace Hardware told them what it was doing. They said bring it over. They had it for three days. The service guy told me it didn't skip a beat for him. I told him it sounded like it was going to run out of gas at least 20 times for me. He said "I repeat it didn't skip a beat". I went over and picked it up and it did the same thing. I told the manger I wanted to return it. They said that we couldn't. I even showed them a video of it. They offered to fix it again. I had talked to the guy that has always taken care of my lawn mowers and snow blowers he said he couldn't work on it because it would void the warranty because he is not Briggs & Stratton certified .They told me to call New Ulm Runnings. They told me everything may not be covered so I would have to pay for it.

  Business response

  07/21/2021

  Mrs. H********* did indeed purchase a mower from us on 04-01-2021. A month and some days later we received a phone call from her stating her problem of rough running. We told her that we would be more than happy to have our service tech take a look at it. Her Husband brought the mower to us and stated that his wife was the one running the mower and what she said it had been doing but in his own words told us that he had no idea because she was the one the ran the mower and had never witnessed the mower itself in one of these rough running states. We  had told him that was ok and that we would check out the mower and see if we could make the mower duplicate the problem for us.  Our tech who has been working on small engines for 47 years and is certified in multiple engine companies looked over the machine thoroughly and could find nothing out of the normal. He than tried over the next three days to duplicate the issue by personally running the mower an hour or more a day in our own lot to no avail. The customer was called to come pick up the mower and explained that we could not duplicate the problem and that a visual inspection was done to all components of the mower but we could not pin point any issues with it. We than sent the mower back with the customer and asked that if they had more issues to please let us know. A month went by and Mrs. H*********’s husband once again shows up to our store with the mower stating his wife says it is doing the same thing again. We explained to him that we could look at the mower again at no charge again but that we were not able to actually tear apart the engine or carburetor because it would void all engine warranty as we are not a certified toro warranty center. My tech and I told the customer that a local store in one town over however is and that we could take the machine over on their behalf or that they could indeed drop it off themselves and that all parts and labor would be under warranty  by Toro. Mr. H********* said that he would be able to drop this off himself. After two day’s I received a very unpleasant call from Mrs. H********* cursing at me and about my business and Technician because we were not able to “GIVE” her a brand new mower for free. I calmly explained to her that Toro Warranty does not cover a full swap of a different mower but that it does cover parts and labor to have her mower fixed by an AUTHOURIZED  Warranty repair center. I explained to her that I am very sorry for her inconvenience and that I would be more than happy to deliver her mower to such a center. She stated “How and the hell am I supposed to mow my lawn!?” “This is ********!” I than asked her to please calm down and not to speak in that manner and that I was trying to do everything in my power to help her out in this situation. I Than offered free use of one of our rental lawn mowers to use while her mower was being looked at by the warranty center as long as she would need. She stated that was not good enough and that I needed to give her a new lawn mower. I than explained again that Unfortunately that is not how Toro’s Warranty works. She told me that was unacceptable because I Sold TORO lawn mowers.  I explained to her that yes I do sell Toro brand products but Toro sets the limitations to their own Warranty and I had no say in the matter of their warranty. I once again asked if I could take the mower to the warranty center for her to get the product fixed with the use of our rental equipment at no charge and she than told me to go to hell and hung up on me.

  I have not talked to the customer since and thought the matter had been taken care of on my part as much as the customer would allow, without breaking TORO’s Warranty  until I received a letter from the BBB.

  Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns on this matter. I would love to do everything in our power to reach a settlement with this customer without violating the Warranty that the TORO company allows with their product.

  Customer response

  07/26/2021

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
   The way Mr. D**** described the situation and the way it really happened are very different. I know I don't stand a chance of getting my mower fixed or replaced. It is just so frustrating to know that Mr. D**** took my $400 for something that never worked from the start and think it is ok. There is no need for any further communication.      Thank you BBB for trying!

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