Want Quality? Want Customer Support? Don't buy this bike!
Written: Jan 22 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: None. Well, you can always use it to hang your wet laundry.
Cons: It doesn't work on any resistance greater than 0. Tech Support Drones.
The Bottom Line: Avoid it like smallpox.
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| jreinhardt's Full Review: NordicTrack Exercise Bike TRL 625 |
We bought this bike in June of '02 from Sears. Initially, the minimum tension was too high so that my wife was unable to use it. After a week or two of using it myself, the machine made a loud cracking noise, and lost ALL resistance. After calling the support number, they sent out a replacement part and a technician to install it. This remedied the situation for 6 days of usage. On the seventh day, we encountered the same issue. Once again, they sent out a part and we made arrangements to have the technician come to our house and do the install (an inconvenience in and of itself, as we both work)
This remedy lasted for all of 3 days. At this point, I was fed up and called the "customer service" reps at Icon Health & Fitness, who seem to have been lobotomized upon their orientation at the Icon Health and Fitness Compound in Utah. The woman I spoke to this time around tried to get me to agree to once again having the same part replaced. Finally, we compromised on replacing several parts.
Think that did the trick? No...It turns out the parts we needed to replace were held up on the west coast due to the shipping strike. Global forces were at play, it seems, in keeping me from attaining my goal of fitness!
After waiting several weeks past the anticipated arrival date of the magical parts, I was told that they were now on back order. Having to fight my way up through the endless ranks of Customer Service, I was put in touch with Carol, "High Priestess" of Customer Satisfaction. Carol actually gave me her direct line, which is unheard of! I thought I was making progress. Carol promised me that I would have a product replacement at my door in 3 weeks, along with a letter from Icon detailing the instructions for sending the old unit back.
It arrived unexpectedly a week early, in January of '03, sans letter. Now, 6 months after initially purchasing the bike, I would have the gift of exercise for the brand new year! Alas, the product was disassembled, leaving me with the task of lugging it up to the second floor, assembling it, and then disassembling the old bike, which had to be shipped back to the mother ship in Utah.
After grunting my way though the arduous task of deciphering the coded messages in the instructions provided by the folks in Utah, I sat back and admired the fruit of my toil: A brand new, beautifully gleaming recumbant bicycle, just beckoning me to put down the beer and ride to the gates of physical fitness.
"Ah, later. Too tired to ride now." My wife, however, found the energy I had expended, and volunteered to give it a go. She loved it! It was quiet, and the tension adjusted properly with each press of the button! Success!!
At least for the first 15 minutes. Because, on the 16th minute of the very first workout on the brand new bike, the thing broke again.
I called Carol. She said she'd be happy to send out a part. Except, it was on back-order...
This weekend, prior to the Superbowl, I will be lugging this heavy piece of garbage down the stairs and out my front door, and I will be dropping it off at Sears. And, after it is all said and done, perhaps they will have a working recumbant bike in physical therapy, which is probably where I will end up after breaking my back.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
jreinhardt
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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