Beware of certain Bowflex products and business practices!Apr 21 '04 Write an essay on this topic.
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The following is my personal opinion, and there may be other factors that I am not aware of as I write this. If you read this, I suggest performing your own research and asking the key questions that are applicable to your specific case before taking any action. Beware of certain Bowflex products and business practices. A bit over a week ago, around April 12th, 2004, Bowflex discontinued the entire Power Pro line. Not just the Power Pro machines, but even all of the attachments. After researching this, including communications with Bowflex and their distributors, I have concluded that this was done without any prior notification whatsoever. If you went to the Bowflex site 10 days ago (as of this writing) the Power Pro was featured prominently, as were its attachments, such as the Lat Tower, Leg Attachment, Chest Bar, etc. Now you see nothing. Checking the amazon.com site we find the same thing. Erased. There are still "fingerprints" that Bowflex has left, such as the mention of the recall at an obscure page at the amazon.com site: Since you are not supposed to put links that leave the Epinions site, you can see this page by putting the following keywords "bowflex amazon recall nautilus" in google (please do NOT put quotes in your search), and hit enter. It will be the first page that appears (until Bowflex has that erased, too). I have not been able to find a government or Bowflex Web site that says that all Power Pro models are dangerous. This text is from the government Web site (cpsc.gov): "CPSC, Nautilus Direct Announce Recall of Bowflex Power Pro Fitness Machines: WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Nautilus Direct (doing business as Bowflex), of Vancouver, Wash., is voluntarily recalling about 420,000 Bowflex fitness machines to address two safety issues. First, while being used in the incline position, the machine's backboard bench can unexpectedly collapse and break, posing a risk of injury to the user. Second, the "Lat Tower," can rotate forward and fall during use, posing a risk of injury to the user. Nautilus Direct and CPSC have received at least 70 reports of the backboard benches breaking, resulting in at least 59 back, neck and shoulder injuries. Nautilus Direct has received at least 18 reports of the "Lat Tower" rotating forward and falling, resulting in at least 14 back, neck, shoulder, teeth, nose and head injuries, some of which required stitches. The recalled fitness machines are the Bowflex Power Pro XL, XTL and XTLU systems with the "Lat Tower" attachment. The "Lat Tower" attaches to the back of the bench, and has pull-down pulleys attached. The name "Bowflex" and the model name are printed on the front of the machine. The machine has 10 to 14 resistance rods that extend about 48-inches high and a backboard bench that is about 36-inches long. The recalled fitness machines were made in China, Taiwan and the U.S.A. Infomercials and specialized retail stores nationwide sold the fitness machines from January 1995 through December 2003 for between $1,200 and $1,600. Consumers should stop using the backboard bench in the incline position and "Lat Tower" on the fitness machines immediately ... " Am I the only person to have noticed that there are two safety issues here? Yes, the lat tower thing is mentioned, but before that we have: "First, while being used in the incline position, the machine's backboard bench can unexpectedly collapse and break, posing a risk of injury to the user." So, wouldn't this mean that ALL Power Pro machines, not just those with the lat attachments are dangerous to users? It is my opinion that there is more to this story than Bowflex is willing to admit. And, I don't know about you, but you can be sure that I will not use the bench in the inclined position (which by the way is needed for chest, shoulder, abdominal, and arms exercises). But is this all? Is safety not the first concern when discussing an exercise machine? Perhaps the bench breaking and injuring users was one thing mentioned in the recall, but maybe there are other safety hazards as well. In any case, the way it was dealt with, by "disappearing" the Power Pro line with nary a word, is the way (and again, this just my opinion) a dishonest entity which has no regard for consumer safety would do it. I said I would not use the bench in the inclined position. That is true. But considering the other possible, and so far undisclosed, risks, I have stopped using the machine altogether. I am currently in the process of returning the machine for a full refund. I don't want the "repair kit", as I was sold a machine that already had a recall. That raises other ethical issues on the part of Bowflex. I live in Europe. Did Bowflex decide to dump recalled machines here? That is another matter altogether, and if true would speak very badly of Bowflex. Since I did not live in the United States at the time I bought the Power Pro, I hadn't seen the reports in the news on the recall. So, my suggestion to you, is to not settle for an "afterthought" repair kit to fix a problem they knew of when they sold you the machine. Demand your money back. My guess is that there will be a bit of a stink in the coming months over the Power Pro and Bowflex in general, so why have a machine that may very well require another "fix" and so on. Get a safe machine, one you can trust. Or go the the gym. Why have a machine that was recalled only after the company was forced to do it? And another thing: if it was supposedly just the "lat attachment", why was the entire Power Pro line "dissapeared?" And if it was supposedly just the "lat attachment", why has the availability of other attachments, such as that for the legs also vanished? In case you have read all the way down here, there is a little bonus for you: if you plan keeping such a potentially dangerous machine anyway, and plan on getting more power rods, wait a week. The patent on the Bowflex Power Rods expires April 27, 2004, so they will be available from other manufacturers in a very short time. But, I would still suggest arranging for a return of the Bowflex you have. Oh, and speaking of deception, their use of "Made in the USA," the American flags, and all that type of thing does not change this: only the Power Rods are all made in the USA. The rest of the machine (over 90% I'd say), may be made wherever the fine print says. Try to find where your machine was made, and you will see. Finally, I suggest you think about whether you should keep or purchase any Bowflex product. If they were so negligent with the Power Pro, could they not be the same with the Ultimate, Extreme, or any other product lines? Please beware, and remember your priorities when choosing an exercise machine. Please explore other options, such as Weider products, Solofex, other such products, gyms, etc. In the end, you might save yourself injuries, money, time, aggravation, and more. By the way, this applies especially to Power Pro models, but ultimately any Bowflex product. And, yes, once again, these are just my opinions (this site is called Epinions after all), based on my current knowledge, etc, so I hereby cover my butt for anything!  |
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