I bought a Hobart Handler 187 MIG welder from Northern Tool. It was on sale but so is everything else in their online catalogue. What I got was missing packing material, the plastic bag that the unit came in was bunched up on top of the unit and the rest of the parts were just dumped into the box. The unit itself was dented, scratched and had pieces of packing tape on the cabinet itself that was so old that the adhesive was separating. It was even missing the work cable. How do you missplace a 10 foot, thick electrical cable? Did they think I would not notice? This was an open box, store display, or customer return. It was obviously not in a factory sealed carton which is what they advertised.

I returned the unit and the 1-800 service rep was more than happy to give me an RMA number. I told him and subsequent reps that I'd send back the next one if it arrived in the same condition. This morning, I caught the UPS person before he started hefting the box out of his truck. Good thing. This was an obviously opened box, just as dog-eared as the last. Needless to say, it never left the UPS truck.

I don't know why they did this. It is not smart. They have lost me as a customer. I buy open-box, store display, or refurbished equipment all the time but I only do it retail so I know what I get before I walk out of the door. I might have even bought it online if it was so labeled. But they advertised _new_ and I expected new, especially given the shipping times. It would have been all right if they did it right the second time but they didn't. If they had told me that they were clearing out last year's inventory and labeled it as such, that too might have been ok. This is just sloppy. Either that or they are trying to pull one over on the online customer!. It didn't work:. Northern Tool is off the list as an approved vendor..

Don't get me wrong'. I'm still going to get a Hobart welder!. The one I got looked to be a quality unit in spite of the abuse it suffered on the way to my shop:. Maybe I'll get an open box Handler 187 now that the 190 is on the shelves!. But it will not be from Northern Tool;.

I have recycled their catalogue. 35b27f9



  Comments (1)
1. Written by Jim95060 on December 19, 2011

I bought a Handler 190 from Tractor Supply retail outlet. The welder more than does the job and the in-store staff were helpful. 

 

In short: Online is all about seller but after the fact. If the folks at the Gilroy Tractor Supply were a problem, I could/would have walked out - before the sale.

Comments on They shipped used, damaged goods as new
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