As L.E.'s gentle readers will recall, Las Vegas Cox Cable (local cable TV monopoly) is despised by him as a digital devil [coincidentally after over one year since L.E. properly cancelled his service-Cox has failed to provide L.E. with his account balance funds].
Now a new contender for L.E. Fant's pillory has emerged as being entirely worthy of his ire.
Cuisinart brand-marketed as a premium range of kitchen products, in L.E.'s opinion, has a shameful customer service record, a deceptive and meaningless product warranty and despite many emails steadfastly refuses to communicate with L.E.
Background: L.E. desires a single daily cup of coffee. He prefers to brew it himself and likes it to be piping hot.
He was attracted to Cuisinart's DC-2000 coffee machine as it promised hot coffee and importantly held its brewed coffee in a heated tank not the usual carafe. Also its box states it comes with a three year warranty (which implies it likely will last that time).
Believing the brand to be superior L.E. willingly paid a premium price for his coffee maker.
The machine worked for only a few weeks and began to intermittently fail. In a short time thereafter the machine totally failed. L.E. noticed many folk making similar observations on the web.
L.E. contacted Cuisinart's so-called customer care department (in mid May, 2009) and was provided a case number and was further told to call back in a week to confirm that a replacement machine was being delivered to him.
A few weeks later L.E. contacted "Larry" at Cuisinart customer care and was informed that no product was available to replace L.E.'s machine and that no time could be provided that it would be available. L.E. suggested to Larry that perhaps Cuisinart should withdraw stock from retailers and make good on its warranty claims, alternatively, provide a voucher that those awaiting a machine could go to a retailer and pick one up. Larry responded "that will never happen" and suggested that L.E. take a different model as replacement (without tank). L.E. responded that he purchased the particular model for its features not on a whim and a non tank replacement was unacceptable.
After a few more weeks without resolution and no intake of morning coffee, L.E. emailed Cuisinart marketing department and asked that they respond to his email which asked whether they considered it good marketing policy to sell a product based upon a three year warranty whereas, they apparently have no intention to uphold the warranty.
No response whatsoever has been forthcoming. L.E. next resent that email and sent another to Cuisinart product development department suggesting they develop a reliable model of the DCC 2000.
Again, no response whatsover has been forthcoming.
L.E. has (yesterday) purchased a tank type coffee machine of a different brand (Hamilton Beach) for approximately 25% of the cost of his useless Cuisinart DCC 2000.
This is in some ways analogous to our healthcare system. The greedy corporations, in their unfettered avarice, and their well trained polititians treat us as inferior beings even though we know there is a better system available which may benefit all.
In this instance Cuisinart believes it may stonewall L.E.'s serious complaint regarding its product and failure to live up to its stated, express warranty.
L.E. recommends that you not buy any Cuisinart product in future because items of apparently equal quality may be obtained for 75% less cost and the "premium" stance of the Cuisinart line of products cannot be taken seriously because of the forgoing facts.
All together now---"CUISINART SUCKS and must do better before I will buy its products !!!"
L.E. Fant will continue to disseminate this anecdote thoughout the web in hope of changing the ways of Cuisinart.
More later.
L.E. FANT READ THE COUPON AND NOTED THAT THERE WERE NO EXCEPTIONS LISTED. HE TOOK HIS R.V. TO THE STORE FOR A $9.99 SMOG CHECK BUT MR. MIELE OF PURRFECT REFUSED THE COUPON AND STATED THAT THE COST WILL BE $29.99.
